Fossil Falls - Intriguing geological formations shaped and smoothed over thousands of years by the one-time rushing waters of the Owens River, are only part of the natural history displayed at Fossil Falls. More than 20,000 years ago lava poured into the Owens River channel. Over time, erosional forces of the river resulted in these unique polished and sculpted 40-ft cliffs. The landscape reflects the remarkable changes in the climate and human occupation over the past 20,000 years. Although most recently a desert habitat where Native people subsisted on gathered grass seeds and hunted small animals, archaeological studies tell us that some earlier times were more prosperous. Petroglyphs pecked into the stone hint at the artistic and religious practices of ancestral Native Californians, perhaps during times when water flowed in the river and important resources such as large game were more abundant.