The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced that Torreya State Park has been designated a State Geological Site. The agency describes State Geological Sites as “areas the Florida Geological Survey has determined to be significant to scientific study and the public’s understanding of Florida’s geological history.” source This is especially important for Torreya as the park is still in recovery from Hurricane Michael, and State Geological Sites receive more support and interest.
The agency explained that “Torreya State Park was chosen for this designation in part because of the park’s Rock Bluff, a steep, tall, limestone bluff that has been exposed by erosion from the Apalachicola River. Rock Bluff is part of the Torreya Formation and is about 18 million years old. Marine fossils (…) are found in the limestone formations exposed along the Apalachicola River and in the streambeds within the park.”