When conditions were just right, fossils of sea animals were sometimes preserved. Fossils, however, are not common in the glen. The entire region is criss-crossed by joints. They formed violently millions of years ago when mountain building forces to the southeast raised western New York as a plateau. Joints often become sites for erosion.
Floods can pry out slabs along joints.
Quarries often take advantage of natural jointing. Look for joints elsewhere in the gorge. Past Glory - The large concrete footings here look like stepping stones for a giant to cross the glen. They once supported a high railroad trestle which brought thousands of tourists to Stony Brook. Both entrances were developed.