As the ground water evaporates along the canyon walls, the minerals that are carried in solution in the water contribute to the beautiful coloring of the rocks. The park has several mineral springs which were popular spots for the large deer population who used it as a salt lick. Plant and Animal Life Visitors will delight at the abundance of plant and animal life. The park is alive with common and uncommon species of flora and fauna. The canyon provides a perfect habitat for many mosses and liverworts which thrive on the damp shady walls.
Ferns also grow luxuriantly in the rich soil and moist, cool ground.
Other vegetation in the canyon interior is limited to the simpler or lower orders of plant life because most plants cannot take root on the steep rock walls. Cliff swallows and rock doves may be seen perching on the canyon walls while frogs, toads, and salamanders seek out the cool, moist canyon floors. Along the dry, sandy bluff tops near the canyon edge, black oak, red cedar, and white oak grow in abundance. White pines and white cedar are also found here, carried south by the glaciers of long ago. Shrubs common to this area include serviceberry and northern honeysuckle.