Gloss Mountain State Park
A Recreational & Educational Park
Hiking Trails * Picnic Shelters * Handicap Concrete Walk * Historical Marker
Flora, Fauna, Wildlife, Geological & Astronomical
Location: 6 miles north of Fairview, Oklahoma on U.S. 60; then 5.5 west of Orienta on U.S. 412
GLOSS MOUNTAINS
If you are into hiking, climbing, and exploring, a trail and stairway system is in place at Gloss Mountain State Park. You may hike from the lower parking lot and picnic area to the top of Cathedral Mountain. From the south rim of Cathedral Mountain, you can follow the trail north to view Lone Peak and observe the scenic view in every direction.
Cathedral Mountain Trail from the starting point to the north rim and return is 1.2 miles in length.
Points of Interest: Cheyenne Valley and the Gloss Mountain range to the west, the Cimarron River to the north, working oil pump jacks, numerous ponds, rock formations, wildlife, and a view that never ends.
Basic Information: The Gloss Mountains consist of buttes which rise from 50 to 175 feet above the valley floor. The northern most butte, named Lone Peak, is the highest.
DIFFERENT NAMES
GLOSS OR GLASS MOUNTAINS
History reveals the mountains were named Glass Mountains at one time, then Gloss Mountains, then Glass Mountains. The two names lend an air or error of “mystique” to the mesas. Historical research reveals a surveyor’s camp was set up on the east side of what is now Gloss Mountain State Park. One morning when they awoke, one of the men of British or Bostonian decent saw the sun glistening on the side of the mountain where many sparkling pieces of selenite lay. He exclaimed, “It sure looks like Glaws”. Supposedly, a cartographer recorded them as the Gloss Mountains. Then again, another theory was they simply made a loop of the “a” making it an “o”. Later the maps were corrected to read Glass Mountains.
Needless to say, one book IN THE SHADOWS OF THE GLOSS MOUNTAINS, and two volumes of GLOSS MOUNTAIN HISTORY have been published. Locally, they are referred to as the Gloss Mountains.
SPARKLY STUFF
Whether you’re hiking or driving by on the highway, you’ll notice at various times that broken mirrors or glass seems to be reflecting light back at you. Actually, it is Selenite or what is often referred to as Isinglass that you are seeing. Three things cause you to see the Selenite better at certain times: rain, clouds, and the sun. The rain tends to wash the red dust or dirt off, and the clouds in combination with the sun seem to create spot light effects. If you take photos, you will notice how the clouds cause all types of effects. Sorry, but we haven’t figured any method for photographing the mountains and capturing the sparkly stuff. By the way, “souvenir” Selenite is available at two baskets adjoining trails in Gloss Mountain State Park. We ask that you leave everything else untouched for the enjoyment of future visitors.
TAKE NOTHING BUT MEMORIES FROM THE GLOSS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK!
GEOLOGY
There are two time periods of formation represented at the Gloss Mountain site. The first is the Quaternary period which is the last one million years of history. This period marks the formation of Pleistocene terraces along major streams with Holocene or recent alluvium along the valleys, having sand, gravel, silt, clay and volcanic ash up to 100 feet thick or more. Thin veneers of flood plain deposits are on the southwest sides of the river.
The second period is the Permian which was 270 - 230 million years ago. This period is indicated by red sandstone and shale 1000 - 4500 feet thick with gypsum on the outcroppings. Permian redbuds are irregularly slumped due to the solution of the underlying salt and gypsum beds. The Permian redbeds are subdivided into the Cimarronian Series (2850 feet) at the base, overlain by the Custerian Series (400 feet, top eroded). Flowerpot shale (180 - 430 feet) is found at this area. It consists mainly of red-brown illitic-chloritic shale, which is gradational southward into the upper Duncan Sandstone and lower Chickasha Formation. Thick salt units are also found widespread in the subsurface.
Major Streams of the area were initiated as southeast flowing tributaries of the Mississippi River fed by glaciers melting in the Rockies. Present day streams in the area form extensive flood plains rather than cut deeper channels.
Minerals found at the site are salt, copper, gypsum, sand, gravel and spar.
WHITE RINGS
Many people observe white rings on the side of exposed mountains and on the red beds in front of many mountains. What are they, and what causes them? Gypsum is leaching out of the ground and is actually what causes the white ring. Usually, they are more visible after rainfall or when it is extremely damp.
GYPSUM
A common sulfate mineral of great commercial importance, hydrated calcium sulfate (CaSO4 2H2O). It is named from the Greek word gypsos (meaning “chalk”). In well-developed crystals the mineral commonly has been called selenite (from the Greek word selene, meaning “moon”, probably in reference to its luster). The fibrous massive variety has a silky luster and it is called satin spar; it is translucent and opalescent and is valued for ornaments and jewelry. The fine-grained massive variety is called alabaster and is carved and polished for statuary and ornamental use when pure and translucent.
Gypsum occurs in extensive beds associated with other evaporative minerals (e.g. anhydrite and halite), particularly in Permian and Triasic sedimentary formations; it is deposited from ocean brine, followed by anhydrite and halite. It also occurs in considerable quantity in saline lakes and salt pans, and is an important constituent of cap rock on the Gloss Mountains. Very commonly it is formed from the hydration of anhydrite by surface and ground waters. Gypsum also occurs disseminated in limestone, dolomitic limestone, and some shale. It is a gangue mineral of some relatively low-temperature hydrothermal deposits.
Gypsum deposits occur in many countries, the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, the U.S.S.R. , and the U.K. are the leading producers. In the U.S., commercial sedimentary deposits occur in New York and Michigan; others of economic importance occur in Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, California, and Oklahoma.
Gypsum is mined from open pit quarries south of Fairview and at Southard. U.S. Gypsum Co. has quarries of approximately 7,000 acres at Southard while Allied Custom Gypsum has quarry operations south of Fairview and southwest of Bouse Junction encompassing 1,500 acres.
Gypsum in Blaine and Major counties is very high in purity. Therefore, you will find it used in pharmaceuticals (i.e. a binder) and food products (i.e. baking soda, bread, candy, beer). Gypsum in the crude form is also used as a fluxing agent, fertilizer, filler in paper and textiles, and retarder in portland cement. About three-fourths of the total production is calcined for use as plaster of paris in molding, casting, and pottery plasters, and dental plasters; and as building materials in plaster, cement, board products and tiles and blocks.
Hiking Trails * Picnic Shelters * Handicap Concrete Walk * Historical Marker
Flora, Fauna, Wildlife, Geological & Astronomical
Location: 6 miles north of Fairview, Oklahoma on U.S. 60; then 5.5 west of Orienta on U.S. 412
GLOSS MOUNTAINS
If you are into hiking, climbing, and exploring, a trail and stairway system is in place at Gloss Mountain State Park. You may hike from the lower parking lot and picnic area to the top of Cathedral Mountain. From the south rim of Cathedral Mountain, you can follow the trail north to view Lone Peak and observe the scenic view in every direction.
Cathedral Mountain Trail from the starting point to the north rim and return is 1.2 miles in length.
Points of Interest: Cheyenne Valley and the Gloss Mountain range to the west, the Cimarron River to the north, working oil pump jacks, numerous ponds, rock formations, wildlife, and a view that never ends.
Basic Information: The Gloss Mountains consist of buttes which rise from 50 to 175 feet above the valley floor. The northern most butte, named Lone Peak, is the highest.
DIFFERENT NAMES
GLOSS OR GLASS MOUNTAINS
History reveals the mountains were named Glass Mountains at one time, then Gloss Mountains, then Glass Mountains. The two names lend an air or error of “mystique” to the mesas. Historical research reveals a surveyor’s camp was set up on the east side of what is now Gloss Mountain State Park. One morning when they awoke, one of the men of British or Bostonian decent saw the sun glistening on the side of the mountain where many sparkling pieces of selenite lay. He exclaimed, “It sure looks like Glaws”. Supposedly, a cartographer recorded them as the Gloss Mountains. Then again, another theory was they simply made a loop of the “a” making it an “o”. Later the maps were corrected to read Glass Mountains.
Needless to say, one book IN THE SHADOWS OF THE GLOSS MOUNTAINS, and two volumes of GLOSS MOUNTAIN HISTORY have been published. Locally, they are referred to as the Gloss Mountains.
SPARKLY STUFF
Whether you’re hiking or driving by on the highway, you’ll notice at various times that broken mirrors or glass seems to be reflecting light back at you. Actually, it is Selenite or what is often referred to as Isinglass that you are seeing. Three things cause you to see the Selenite better at certain times: rain, clouds, and the sun. The rain tends to wash the red dust or dirt off, and the clouds in combination with the sun seem to create spot light effects. If you take photos, you will notice how the clouds cause all types of effects. Sorry, but we haven’t figured any method for photographing the mountains and capturing the sparkly stuff. By the way, “souvenir” Selenite is available at two baskets adjoining trails in Gloss Mountain State Park. We ask that you leave everything else untouched for the enjoyment of future visitors.
TAKE NOTHING BUT MEMORIES FROM THE GLOSS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK!
GEOLOGY
There are two time periods of formation represented at the Gloss Mountain site. The first is the Quaternary period which is the last one million years of history. This period marks the formation of Pleistocene terraces along major streams with Holocene or recent alluvium along the valleys, having sand, gravel, silt, clay and volcanic ash up to 100 feet thick or more. Thin veneers of flood plain deposits are on the southwest sides of the river.
The second period is the Permian which was 270 - 230 million years ago. This period is indicated by red sandstone and shale 1000 - 4500 feet thick with gypsum on the outcroppings. Permian redbuds are irregularly slumped due to the solution of the underlying salt and gypsum beds. The Permian redbeds are subdivided into the Cimarronian Series (2850 feet) at the base, overlain by the Custerian Series (400 feet, top eroded). Flowerpot shale (180 - 430 feet) is found at this area. It consists mainly of red-brown illitic-chloritic shale, which is gradational southward into the upper Duncan Sandstone and lower Chickasha Formation. Thick salt units are also found widespread in the subsurface.
Major Streams of the area were initiated as southeast flowing tributaries of the Mississippi River fed by glaciers melting in the Rockies. Present day streams in the area form extensive flood plains rather than cut deeper channels.
Minerals found at the site are salt, copper, gypsum, sand, gravel and spar.
WHITE RINGS
Many people observe white rings on the side of exposed mountains and on the red beds in front of many mountains. What are they, and what causes them? Gypsum is leaching out of the ground and is actually what causes the white ring. Usually, they are more visible after rainfall or when it is extremely damp.
GYPSUM
A common sulfate mineral of great commercial importance, hydrated calcium sulfate (CaSO4 2H2O). It is named from the Greek word gypsos (meaning “chalk”). In well-developed crystals the mineral commonly has been called selenite (from the Greek word selene, meaning “moon”, probably in reference to its luster). The fibrous massive variety has a silky luster and it is called satin spar; it is translucent and opalescent and is valued for ornaments and jewelry. The fine-grained massive variety is called alabaster and is carved and polished for statuary and ornamental use when pure and translucent.
Gypsum occurs in extensive beds associated with other evaporative minerals (e.g. anhydrite and halite), particularly in Permian and Triasic sedimentary formations; it is deposited from ocean brine, followed by anhydrite and halite. It also occurs in considerable quantity in saline lakes and salt pans, and is an important constituent of cap rock on the Gloss Mountains. Very commonly it is formed from the hydration of anhydrite by surface and ground waters. Gypsum also occurs disseminated in limestone, dolomitic limestone, and some shale. It is a gangue mineral of some relatively low-temperature hydrothermal deposits.
Gypsum deposits occur in many countries, the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, the U.S.S.R. , and the U.K. are the leading producers. In the U.S., commercial sedimentary deposits occur in New York and Michigan; others of economic importance occur in Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, California, and Oklahoma.
Gypsum is mined from open pit quarries south of Fairview and at Southard. U.S. Gypsum Co. has quarries of approximately 7,000 acres at Southard while Allied Custom Gypsum has quarry operations south of Fairview and southwest of Bouse Junction encompassing 1,500 acres.
Gypsum in Blaine and Major counties is very high in purity. Therefore, you will find it used in pharmaceuticals (i.e. a binder) and food products (i.e. baking soda, bread, candy, beer). Gypsum in the crude form is also used as a fluxing agent, fertilizer, filler in paper and textiles, and retarder in portland cement. About three-fourths of the total production is calcined for use as plaster of paris in molding, casting, and pottery plasters, and dental plasters; and as building materials in plaster, cement, board products and tiles and blocks.
Visit Gloss Mountain State Park: 6 miles north of Fairview, Oklahoma on U.S. 60; then 5.5 west of Orienta on U.S. 412.
Gloss Mountain Postcards - For Sale!
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Postcards Available for Purchase at:
CJ's Country Store 120 S. Main Street, Fairview, OK 73737 Kidd Drug and Gift 104 N. Main, Fairview, OK 73737 Mary's Gifts 118 S. Main, Fairview, OK 73737 Sage Brush Junction 110 S. Main, Fairview, OK 73737 Major County Economic Development Corporation 2004 Commerce Street, Fairview, OK 73737 |
