Louisiana's only known meteor impact crater — a mile-wide circular depression along Highway 37 southeast of Greensburg, completely unmarked. A 100-foot-wide meteor struck here roughly 10,000 years ago with the force of a small nuclear explosion; anything within 20 to 30 miles would have been killed or badly injured. LSU geologist Paul Heinrich identified the crater in 2023 using LIDAR imaging and confirmed it with shocked quartz — the same mineral signature found at Arizona's Meteor Crater. The St. Helena Fire Department District #4 station sits on the western rim. Drive east and you'll feel the road dip into the crater floor.
Quick facts
- ·Only confirmed meteor impact crater in Louisiana — one of fewer than 200 known on Earth.
- ·Approximately 1.2 miles (2 km) in diameter — slightly larger than Arizona's famous Meteor Crater.
- ·Shocked quartz recovered from the rim provides direct physical evidence of extraterrestrial impact.
- ·The meteorite, estimated at 100 feet across, would have vaporized roughly 90% of its mass on impact.
- ·Paul Heinrich of the Louisiana Geological Survey identified the feature using LIDAR and confirmed it in 2023.
- ·No historical marker or signage exists at the site — look for the fire station on the western rim of LA-37.
- ·The headwaters of Brushy Creek flow from within the crater, giving the feature its name.
- ·Unmarked and on a public highway — drive LA-37 south from Greensburg and feel the road dip into the crater floor.
Memories
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Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.