Fiftytwo Ridge is a volcanic feature associated with the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field. It is a subglacial volcano that formed in the Pleistocene epoch when this area was buried beneath the Cordilleran Ice Sheet during the Quaternary glaciation. The eruptions melted the ice, so the hot magma contacted with water and caused violent explosions. About 20 small craters can be found today. Some contain fine examples of scoria, an extraordinarily light-weight rock with numerous air-holes. When hiking here early in summer, some of the craters may be filled with runoff water (called maars) and are less obvious.