Follow the path of North America's greatest floods
This animation depicts one possible timeline for a single flood event. Nearly 100 such floods occurred over ~3,500 years, each with unique timing and paths.
Drag the divider to compare today's landscape with a representative late-Pleistocene flood. Move the timeline slider to change the flood hour.
The Scale of the Missoula Floods
Among the largest documented freshwater floods, triggered when the ice dam holding Glacial Lake Missoula failed repeatedly during the late Pleistocene.
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail
Explore the path of North America's greatest floods — from Glacial Lake Missoula across four states to the Pacific Ocean
3D Flood Simulation
Watch the catastrophic flood unfold hour by hour with the timeline slider
103 Geological Sites
Explore landforms carved by floodwaters — coulees, scablands, dry falls
174 Drivable Routes
Plan road trips along connecting routes, loops, and side trips
1,860 Historic Sites
See where J Harlen Bretz documented evidence a century ago
Getting Started
Use the layer panel to toggle data on and off — hover the info icons for descriptions
Use search to find specific sites, routes, or boulders by name
Press Play in the flood toolbar to animate the 48-hour flood timeline
Use Split View to compare today's landscape with a representative flood reconstruction
Missoula Floods Timeline
Ice Dam Breach — representative late-Pleistocene flood