The Meadow Fork Formation was named by Coats (1964) for exposures along the Meadow Fork of Copper Creek in T. 45 N, R. 58 E. in the Jarbidge Quadrangle.

Although undated, the Meadow Fork Formation is considered Late Eocene since it conformably overlies the 39.9 Ma Dead Horse Tuff (Coats, 1985).

The Meadow Fork Formation is dominantly composed of poorly sorted and bedded, tuffaceous conglomerate with boulders up to 5 feet in diameter. Boulders within the conglomerate are composed of granite, quartzite, phyllite, tactite, and mica schist. A minor amount of tuff, tuffaceous shale, and sandstone are also present in the Meadow Fork Formation.

The Meadow Fork Formation is from 150 to 1,300 feet thick in the Jarbidge Mountains area (Coats, 1964).

The Meadow Fork has only been described in small discontinuous masses within the Jarbidge Mountains area (Coats, 1964, 1985).

The Meadow Fork represents a stream deposited clastic and tuffaceous volcaniclastic sequence which filled local basins opening during the initial stages of Tertiary extension in northern Elko County.

To the east, in the Ely-McGill area, Eocene sediments are primarily represented by the Sheep Pass and equivalent Kinsey Canyon Formations. These lacustrine sediments are partially equivalent with the Elko Formation near Elko. The Sheep Pass Formation is described separately below.