Cheltenham Badlands

Fun: See the best example of badlands in Ontario

Learn: Geology

The Cheltenham Badlands is one of Ontario’s geological treasures, formed at the base of an ancient sea about 450 million years ago. The 36-hectare (91-acre) site is a provincially significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and hosts one of the most recognizable and visited natural heritage landmarks in southern Ontario. 

The Cheltenham Badlands are a significant educational site due to the readily visible geologic processes and the red colour and the unique topography of the exposed shale make this a popular tourist site. The site is a Provincial Earth Sciences Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) since it is considered one of the best examples of "badlands topography" in Ontario.

Source: Ontario Heritage Trust, Ontario Legislative Assembly, Niagara Escarpment Commission 

Location:

Caledon Ontario. Postal code: L7C 0K6. South side of Olde Base Line Rd., between Chinguacousy Rd. and Creditview Rd.

Google Map search "Cheltenham Badlands"

Trip Tips:

There are limited parking spaces, and a timed reservation is required.

Click the link and select "Reservations for Cheltenham Badlands" for reservation.

Badlands Topography

Badlands are characterized by a distinctive badlands topography. This is terrain in which water erosion has cut a very large number of deep drainage channels, separated by short, steep ridges (interfluves). Such a drainage system is said to have a very fine drainage texture, as measured by its drainage density. Drainage density is defined as the total length of drainage channels per unit area of land surface. Badlands have a very high drainage density of 77 to 747 miles per square mile (48 to 464 kilometers per square kilometer).  The numerous deep drainage channels and high interfluves creates a stark landscape of hills, gullies, and ravines.

In addition to a dense system of drainages and interfluves, badlands often contain buttes and hoodoos ("mushroom rocks"). These are formed by resistant beds of sandstone, which form the caprock of the buttes and hoodoos.

Source: Wikipedia

Research Questions:

Geologists often use units such as Ma and Ga. What do these two units mean?

Photo by XIn Yi Zhang (2009)

In 2009, visitors were allowed to walk in the badlands