Indiana's rocks are mostly hidden by interesting sediments laid down during the ice ages. Indiana bedrock is noteworthy for abundant fossils, popular caves, wooded ravines, and a prodigious production of commercial stone as well as coal and petroleum. Take a look.
_{Indiana Dunes — courtesy Paul Everett of Flickr}

Massachusetts is particularly rich in metamorphic rocks and roadcuts to observe them in, as well as ice-age features and parks to enjoy them in. Massachusetts was also a coal and iron mining powerhouse in colonial times. This deep history and prehistory makes Massachusetts geology a lifelong attraction. Browse this set of places and suggest your own, too.
_{Dexter Drumlin — courtesy EandJsFilmCrew of Flickr}

To you and me, geotourism probably means visiting places with cool geology. But that simple quest has interesting implications: to share these places with more people means making changes to the place, ranging from water supplies to flume rides. One good model invented in America is the national park, but that involves displacing the natives in favor of a human-free ideal. The roadside-attraction model is another, whose most typical form may be the commercial cavern. But the wild experience is tamed thereby. Lately people have been devising new models, in which the locals are enlisted in realizing the value of their own landscape and learning to manage it to last forever. The object is to minimize waste, kitsch and destruction. I think of it as a healthy return toward aboriginal practices.

To the designers of these new models, geotourism is a fancy name for developing a destination without ruining its prime features. It's also an opening for geoscientists to sit at the table when decisions are considered. Missouri State University considers geotourism worth its own degree, which it announced last week. Unfortunately, the "geo" refers only to geography; no specific geology course is required. MSU's Department of Geography, Geology and Planning doesn't require a single course in geology (beyond the option of "Environmental Geology," a general education course) for any of its geography degrees.

Background:
Geologic tourism
Introducing geoheritage
World Heritage Sites of geological interest
_{Chimney Rock, North Carolina — courtesy Doug Letterman of Flickr}

Virginia has a billion-year geological history recorded in its rocks, and a four-century record of mining, exploration and geologizing. This new photo gallery is ready to accommodate your own submissions, or just to inspire an outing.
_{Natural Chimneys — courtesy Michael L. Dorn of Flickr}