Third Time’s the Charm at Sylvania Rock Park
A Familiar Stop with New Surprises:
This was my third visit to Sylvania Rock Park since summer began. Yet, this one wasn’t planned for fossils like the previous two trips. On the way back from Michigan, we decided to stretch our legs and wander the quarry loop. I’d been here before (as noted) and my garage shop shelves are already full of enough fossils to tell those stories. This trip wasn’t about searching. It was about being out there again, surrounded by the sound of gravel underfoot and the steady hum of October wind. It was also about sharing the quarry and the experience with others.
The Quarry Trail:
The quarry trail still winds around that broad, open heart of the park. With stone ledges, soft forest edges, and a quiet reminder that this whole place was carved by work. Many many years before it was reclaimed by stillness. The light filtered just right that afternoon, the kind that makes you look down and notice every sparkle.
That’s when it happened. A glint off a rock caught my eye. Not a fossil this time. This was something smoother, paler. Dolostone. The sunlight hit one piece just right, and before long, we had pockets full of them. It wasn’t a hunt; it was a stumble into beauty. Dolostone, also known as dolomite, has this quiet sheen to it, like limestone that learned how to catch light instead of reflect it. Some were pretty flashy, and they felt like a reward.
The Climb
At the park’s entrance, there are two man-made climbing boulders. You know the multi-sided, textured, meant for anyone brave enough to try. Did I mention no tether? We decided to test ourselves, each of us picking a spot to climb. Out of the four of us, I was the only one who made it all the way to the top. It wasn’t about proving anything, but standing there heart racing a little… I couldn’t help but grin. That small victory felt earned, like the kind of win that sneaks up on you the same way those dolostones did.
Sometimes the Best Finds Aren’t Searched For:
That’s what this trip was. No plan, no checklist. Just a stop on the way home that turned into a pocket full of stones and a memory worth keeping. Sylvania Rock Park keeps surprising me. And even after three visits, there’s always something different waiting, if you slow down enough to see it.
