Several miles downstream from Shelburne Falls, the Deerfield valley widens into the familiar Historic Deerfield landscape of terraces and floodplains. The Deerfield River is very strange in this area, it flows north, just opposite of what would be expected. As a tributary to the southerly flowing Connecticut River, the Deerfield should flow diagonally into it, not opposite of the master stream. What mysteries are here! Beside its unexpected flow direction, why is the valley so wide and how did all the various flat terrace levels come about?
