Baldy Mountain Lookout Tower

This is a 19th century map of the estimated boundaries of Lake Agassiz. Following the western shore, from upper-left to lower right, you will find the prairie "mountain range," also known as Pasquia Hills, Porcupine Hills, Duck Mountain, Riding Moun… — This is a 19th century map of the estimated boundaries of Lake Agassiz. Following the western shore, from upper-left to lower right, you will find the prairie "mountain range," also known as Pasquia Hills, Porcupine Hills, Duck Mountain, Riding Mountain and Turtle Mountain.

Prairie Peaks: Duck Mountain

January 28, 2016 in Nature & Ecology, Outdoor Adventure

In Duck Mountain Provincial Park, Manitoba, the prairie peaks start to make a little bit more sense.

Even though a small portion of the Duck Mountain highlands are in Saskatchewan, the topography pales in comparison to the eastern ridge in Manitoba. That's because this prairie "mountain range" was part of the western shore of a deceased glacial lake, Lake Agassiz.

Alright, they're not true mountains in the sense that they were never formed by tectonic movement uplifting the earth's crust, or volcanic activity. They were formed solely by erosion and the accumulation of glacial till. Still, this is enough to give the elevation prominence when considering the flat prairies beneath.