Roadside Geology of Utah

Roadside Geology Series #7

by Halka Chronic

No one can ignore the colorful rocks of the Vermilion Cliffs of Wingate sandstone, the snow white and salmon pink bluffs of Navajo sandstone, or the yellow and pink rhyolite of Big Rock Candy Mountain. Roadside Geology of Utah is a riveting account of the forces that made the brilliant cliffs, mountains, and canyonlands we see today. The author's smooth prose brings the rocks of Utah and their long history into sharp and enjoyable focus.

Genres: Geology, Travel, Nonfiction, Science, Reference, Nature, History

326 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Gail Holm]

I only read the parts of the book that pertained to areas I had driven through or visited. I enjoyed reading about what I was seeing, but no tests, please!

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little outdated, Maps could be better, but an interesting read.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book to keep in the car - it's organized by travel route ( Hwy 89 from Logan to Bear Lake, for example) and points out interesting geological features along the way (listing mile markers at times). If you are one to look out the window and wonder about the geology behind the scenery, this is a book for you.

On the downside, the pictures are not that great and are all black and white. Some of the sections also read like a dry text book and were not condusive to reading in the car without inducing carsickness. :(

I'm still glad that I bought it though. It's like having your own tour guide in the glove box and we've learned a lot about geology while driving around.

[Jon Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page turner, it was not. There was quite a bit of repetition and often not enough information. Yet it gave a great overview of some of the geology of the state (not surprisingly). By the end of the book I was actually remembering some of the names of the geologic eras and periods, and where they fall on the geologic timeline of events. The most concretely useful parts of the book are the locations where fossils might be found. I made me want to go hunting and hopefully find myself an amonite or two. Wish me luck.

[Gheeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread after a ten-year hiatus when i was trying to hide from the world of geology. But in preparing to head down to southern Utah for a long weekend I decided to drag out this old gem once more. THe author definitely makes the geologic explanations very accessable for the reader. While somewhat dated, I would still call this one of the best laymen's guides to the state.

[Miki · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love reading about geology on our way to Utah excursions