The Geology of Button Bay State Park

Nestled on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, Button Bay State Park offers more than scenic views—it’s a living record of the valley’s geological past. The narrator walks listeners along the clay banks and the pebble‑strewn beach, pointing out the curious button‑shaped concretions that gave the bay its name. Along the way, you’ll learn how early maps and historic journals captured the evolving identity of this “sickle‑shaped” inlet.

The program then turns to the deep‑time forces that shaped the shoreline, tracing the retreat of the last great ice sheet and the sequence of glacial lakes that preceded modern Lake Champlain. Listeners hear clear explanations of how thick clay deposits preserve thousands of years of melt‑water activity, storm surges, and shifts in lake level. With occasional reference to historic charts and simple diagrams, the guide makes the complex story of post‑glacial evolution approachable for anyone strolling the park’s trails.