Like other gorges and ravines, Canajoharie Gorge was formed by erosion.
The giant pothole located in the gorge, known as "the boiling pot", was formed by rocks eroding the surface of the limestone bed.

Rocks in the river bed include mostly dolostone, of the Beekmantown Group.
Some parts are limestone mixed with shale of the Trenton Group, which was deposited during the Trentonian stage of the middle to late Ordovician (circa 448-458 Ma).
Certain areas are overlain by the Utica Shale, roughly 1,000 feet (300 m) thick in some areas.
At Wintergreen Park, the Utica Shale is a black and thinly laminated with bentonite.
The occurrence of bentonite shows that volcanic ash once fell in that area or nearby.
Between here and the mouth, certain sections contain fossils, including trilobites, brachiopods and graptolites.
Like other gorges and ravines, Canajoharie Gorge was formed by erosion. The giant pothole located in the gorge, known as "the boiling pot", was formed by rocks eroding the surface of the limestone bed.
Rocks in the river bed include mostly dolostone, of the Beekmantown Group. Some parts are limestone mixed with shale of the Trenton Group, which was deposited during the Trentonian stage of the middle to late Ordovician (circa 448-458 Ma). Certain areas are overlain by the Utica Shale, roughly 1,000 feet (300 m) thick in some areas. At Wintergreen Park, the Utica Shale is a black and thinly laminated with bentonite. The occurrence of bentonite shows that volcanic ash once fell in that area or nearby. Between here and the mouth, certain sections contain fossils, including trilobites, brachiopods and graptolites.
Canajoharie Creek