Glaciers, Drumlins, and High Level Lakes

During the ice ages of the last 2 million years, glaciers sculpted the land surface and formed many rounded and elongated hills called drumlins, visible from the Thruway between Rochester and Syracuse. One drumlin can be seen across the Thruway, its near end cut off to accommodate the interstate highway. The advantageous geography created by the ice ages helped shape more than two centuries of New York’s success. Long-vanished rivers formed by glacial meltwaters and the outfalls of glacial lakes carved natural pathways through the drumlin swarm. The muck lands and Montezuma Marsh are the final vestiges of one of these lakes. Drawn by these features, generations of engineers used this corridor for highways, canals, railroads, and the New York State Thruway, creating a unique and viable connection between the Atlantic seaboard and the nation’s heartland.

Port Byron, New York · United States