This is so cool!

Montana’s Glacier National Park has more than 700 lakes. The water in these lakes are remarkably clear thanks to year-round low temperatures which prohibits the growth of plankton. So it’s not unusual to be able to see down to the bottom at depths of 30 feet or more.

One of those lakes, Lake McDonald, is by far the most spectacular – boasting beautifully colored rocks and pebbles throughout and across its shores that make it absolutely spectacular!

The color of the rocks is affected by the presence or absence of iron. The bright red rocks found along the Grinnel Glacier trail were deposited in a shallow ocean environment where the iron was oxidized by the tidal exposure to the air. Rocks with this coloration often have old ripple marks or ancient mud crack lines.

The rocks range in color from dark red to maroon, and green to blue. The rich green-colored rocks were formed in deeper water than the red rocks, which contain the same amounts of iron-bearing minerals, just less exposure to oxygen and the amount of oxidization was limited.

How cool is that?