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Alberta Online Encyclopedia

The Face of Writing-On-Stone

Erosion is the architect of this phantasmagoria. Raging glacial meltwater laid the groundwork 11,000 years ago, but wind and rain, freezing and thawing, have carried on the task ever since.

Writing-On-Stone's eccentric rock formations are catnip to the imagination. Like clouds in a summer sky, the eroding sandstone knobs and hollows suggest a passing array of possibilities - giants, gods, fantastic creatures. This old stone face, for instance, appears to be sending a message.

Photo courtesy of Heartland Associates, Inc.
Photo by Peter St. John and Dennis Pankiw.

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