The Wetumpka Impact Crater, one of Alabama's most unique sites

Photo byAlabama Backroads

The crescent-shaped ridge in the central Alabama area, reaching heights of 300 feet above the river plains, may not actually be hills! This nearly five-mile-wide crater is the result of an ancient cosmic event, but due to the passing of millions of years, it is now overgrown and eroded. This phenomenon is known as the Wetumpka Impact Crater.

Located in Wetumpka, Alabama, the impression left behind was caused by the crash of a 380-meter cosmic body to Earth around 83 million years ago. It is thought to have been a comet or large asteroid, and its impact generated a force estimated to be 175,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima in 1945. At the time, the area that is now Alabama was submerged in a shallow sea of around 100 feet deep. The explosion from the crash instantly vaporized the local plants, animals, and geology.

Photo byEncyclopedia of Alabama

In 1969, Thornton L. Neathery and his group of geologists first discovered the crater structure that they published an account of in 1976. At the time, however, there was insufficient data to prove it was caused by a meteor strike. In the late 1990s, geologists from Auburn University drilled into the middle of the crater and discovered shocked quartz, a rare variety of mineral which is mainly present at the sites of nuclear detonations and cosmic impacts.

Photo byEncyclopedia of Alabama

In 2002, the Wetumpka impact crater was acknowledged as the 157th of its kind on the planet. Its native name translates to "rumbling waters" in the language of the Creek people. An informative historic marker erected by the Alabama Historical Commission is located on U.S. Highway 231 and is placed in front of the Elmore County Health Department. The marker provides information about the crater in the vicinity.

Photo byWadsworth Christmas Tree Farm

The Wetumpka Impact Crater Commission puts on an annual excursion during the late springtime, in addition to having created a self-guided tour of “Educational Viewpoints” at public spots. Participants are not required to follow a certain order, although starting at the official historic marker at the Elmore County Health Department – 6501 US Highway 231 in Wetumpka – is highly recommended.