Wetumpka in Elmore County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Wetumpka Impact Crater

Educational Viewpoint #7

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 27, 2021

1. Wetumpka Impact Crater Marker

Inscription. The rock layers here in the Coosa River are part of the deeply eroded western rim of the Wetumpka Impact Crater. The Coosa River curves around the rim in the downtown area and these rock layers tilt away from the crater center, typical of layers affected by meteor impact.

Educational Viewpoint signs are part of the self-guided tour to see and understand the 85 million year old Wetumpka Impact Crater.

Erected 2019 by the Wetumpka Impact Crater Commission. (Marker Number 7.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events.

Location. 32° 32.339′ N, 86° 12.299′ W. Marker is in Wetumpka, Alabama, in Elmore County. It is on Orline Street west of Hill Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wetumpka AL 36092, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Alabama’s Tri-Counties River Region.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Wetumpka Impact Crater (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wetumpka Timeline (about 300 feet away); Old Calaboose (about 400 feet away); High Water Mark (about 400 feet away); Wetumpka's Bridges (about 400 feet away);

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Elmore County Vietnam War Memorial (about 700 feet away); Wetumpka Historical Marker (about 700 feet away); Elmore County Korean War Memorial (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wetumpka.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . For more information visit the City of Wetumpka at 408 South Main Street or our website. (Submitted on December 27, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Wetumpka Impact Crater Marker with view of Coosa River and Bibb Graves bridge. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 27, 2021

2. Wetumpka Impact Crater Marker with view of Coosa River and Bibb Graves bridge.

View of Coosa River with tilted rocks in the water. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 27, 2021

3. View of Coosa River with tilted rocks in the water.

You can see large rocks in the bed of the Coosa River that were ejected from the crater when it was formed. If you look closely, you will notice that they tilt in the upstream direction. When the water level in the river is high, these rocks are not visible.

Map closeup of the Wetumpka Impact Crater walls. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton

4. Map closeup of the Wetumpka Impact Crater walls.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 30, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 784 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 27, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.