In the northeast corner of New York, not far from the western shore of Lake Champlain is the tiny village of Keeseville. The land area is just over six square miles, and a few more than two thousand people live there. A most unusual thing happened in Keeseville about a dozen years ago. One night in January the elected officials held its first meeting in the new year. The first order of business was announced; there was no discussion or public comments. Within two minutes the vote was unanimous – the members voted to dissolve the village. On January 23, 2013, one of the board members told an online interviewer, “… well that was true yesterday, but today we ain’t no more!”
Fortunately, the dissolution of the village has not damaged the major attraction to the area. Ausable Chasm (an alternate spelling is AuSable) is a sandstone gorge estimated to be between twelve and twenty centuries old. The gorge is about two miles long and is about 150 feet deep. Tourists have crowded into the few local hotels for more than a century just to enjoy what many would have the world believe is the most beautiful scenery in New York.
The chasm is named after the Ausable River, which runs through the gorge and empties into Lake Champlain about one mile east of New York Route 9. The gorge started to form through what geologists call headward erosion caused by Rainbow Falls, a 91 feet waterfall at the gorge’s south end. And in the last 100 years has become the major tourist attraction in the Adirondacks region of the state.
Often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” Ausable Chasm, is a remarkable geological feature that demonstrates the power of nature and the dynamic processes that have shaped landscapes around the world.
The geology of Ausable Chasm is primarily sedimentary rock formations, mostly of slate and sandstone, which date back to the Devonian period, about 400 million years ago. These sedimentary rocks were formed from the accumulation of marine sediments and subsequently underwent the geological processes of compression and lithification.
There is very little need for minutia when a tourist is enjoying a boat ride on the river or doing some serious sightseeing, but the geology of this formation can be traced back to the end of the last Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago. When the region was covered by glaciers, the ice sheets advanced and retreated, they eroded the bedrock, scoured the landscape, and created depressions. The melting ice resulted in increased water flow in the Ausable River, which began to erode the depressions and carve a channel through the rocks.
Erosion plays a pivotal role in the continued shaping of Ausable Chasm. The current of the river, combined with the abrasive action of sediment transported by the water, gradually deepens and widens the chasm over time. Some geologists suggest that the chasm widens by about one-half-inch to one inch every year. Additionally, the varying hardness of the rock layers contributes to differential erosion; softer rock erodes more quickly than harder rock, leading to the distinctive shapes and formations visible today.
Geological features within the chasm include high cliffs and unique rock formations. The walls of the chasm exhibit striations and patterns that reveal geological history. Most prominent are the ripples that indicate ancient sea floors. The colors of the rock, including shades of grey, brown, and rust, are the result of oxidation of the different minerals present in the stone.
Ausable Chasm is not just a display of geological phenomena; it is also a biodiverse habitat. The seasonal environment fosters a variety of plant and animal life, including ferns, mosses, and numerous species of birds.
Today, Ausable Chasm is still a popular destination for tourists. Visitors can hike, raft, and participate in guided tours. The site managers, the Ausable Chasm Company, have owned the land on both shores of the chasm since the 1870s. Through prudent organization and reasonable use fees, they have been able to balance conservation efforts with public enjoyment.
The chasm is one of those places that offers a glimpse into the Earth’s history in a fun and entertaining way. It is the brilliant ecosystem that makes it a significant landmark. The chasm stands as a reminder of the way in which our planet is shaped, and it serves as an important education site.
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In addition to the sciences, Ausable Chasm is ripe with social history. One story, which subsequently appeared in the Reader’s Digest, concerns a newspaper reporter’s question to a local farmer about the election of 1924. The reporter expected that the elderly gentleman would respond that Coolidge was his choice since Coolidge was from the neighboring state of Vermont. (In that election, Calvin Coolidge (Rep.) ran against John W. Davis (Dem. from West Virginia).
The old man scratched his head in a very thoughtful way and then replied by saying, “I really don’t know, but I’ve seen a lot of bumper stickers and I kinda liked what I hear about that guy Ausable Chasm.”
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A very informative web site can be found at
Ausable Chasm – The Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks!
My parents took me to the Ausable Chasm in the early 1960s when I was 11 or 12. We walked (I wouldn’t call it a hike) along the river. My parents marveled at the rock formations. I recall the trip, but I don’t think I sufficiently appreciated the natural history at the time. Excellent story.
I wonder what the chasm will look like centuries, or millennia, from now.
I get overwhelmed with things in my email. Clutter and correspondence, bills and charities seeking sustenance. I am flooded with reading material from the local library and a lifetime of purchasing books from thrift stores. It has found me bypassing the often wonderful articles published on this platform. This is one of those wonderful articles. Good writing. Not too long. Lovely illustrations. I need to come back and feed on things like this and forego some of the detritus that has gobbled up my time.