Rock formations are amazing creations of nature. These magnificent rock formations have been sculpted by nature through weathering and erosion hundred to million years ago. There are numerous scenic and spectacular rock formations from around the world. Here are some of them:
All photos are courtesy of Wikipedia.
Delicate Arch - Utah, USA
Delicate Arch is a world famous arch located in Arches National Park, Utah, USA. It is a lone-standing arch which has become a symbol of Utah.
Karlu Karlu or Devil's Marbles - Australia
These marvelous rock formations of naturally rounded and oval boulders are called Karlu Karlu by the local Aborigines is located in Wauchope, a traditional Aboriginal sacred site and important to the local Aboriginal people. The Kaytetye people believe that the boulders are the eggs of the rainbow serpent and the site is still very important to the tribe and may be considered to be among the oldest religious sites in the world.
The Pinnacles - Australia
These beautiful limestone formations called The Pinnacles are contained within Namburg National Park in Western Australia. The Pinnacles were formed from lime leaching from the sand and by rain cementing the lower levels of the dune into a soft limestone.
Wave Rock - Australia
This 15 meters high and 110 meters long impressive natural rock formation is located in Western Australia. It derives its name from the fact that it is shaped like a large, smooth wave. The total outcrop covers several hectares. The unusual shape of the rock is greatly highlighted by vertical darker streaks of algae, which grow on the surface of the wave, and by dark black stains which change to brown during the dry season.
The Wave - Arizona, USA
This spectacular sandstone formation called “The Wave” is located on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, Arizona. This incredible formation can be reached by hiking approximately 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) across rugged, trail less landscape, making the round-trip to and from The Wave a nearly 6-mile (9.7-kilometer) hike that climbs about 350 feet (107 meters) in altitude.
The Cheesewring - UK
This rock formation is an astonishing geological formation on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. The cheesewring is a pile of granite slabs that looks like a “cheesewring”, a press-like device that previously used to make cheese.
Mushroom Rock - Kansas, USA
This magnificent Mushroom Rock formation is located in Mushroom Rock State Park in the Smoky Hills region of Kansas. They were formed by the erosion of a harder rock on top of a softer rock. The rock contains Dakota Sandstone. There are two mushrooms and a giant shoe rock, as well as numerous other rock formations.
Brimham Rock - England, UK
This 300 meters high incredible rock formation located on Brimham Moor in North Yorkshire, England is part of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Externsteine - Germany
These spectacular columns of up to 40 meters tall are a distinctive rock formations located in Germany. The formation consists of several tall, narrow columns of rock which rise abruptly from the surrounding wooded hills.
Perce Rock - Canada
This rock formation is one of the largest natural arches in the world. This spectacular natural arch named Percé Rock (“pierced rock) is an island and sheer rock formation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It is a massive limestone stack 433 meters (1420 ft) long, 90 meters (296 ft) wide, and 88 meters (289 ft) at its highest point. The rock gets its name from a large 15 meter (50 ft) high arch near its seaward end.
Maltese Cross Rock - South Africa
The Maltese Cross Rock is a rock formation located in Western Cape, South Africa.
James Bond Island - Thailand
James Bond Island is a famous needle formed limestone rock in the sea. This was featured in the 1974 movie The Man with the Golden Gun. It is located in Ao Phang-Nga (Phang-Nga Bay) National Park, Thailand.
Amah Rock - Hong Kong, China
Amah Rock (Mong Fu Shek; lit. “The stone that is gazing out for her husband”) is a naturally occurring rock located on a hilltop in southwest Sha Tin, Hong Kong. The rock is approximately 15 meters in height, and its shape looks like a woman carrying a baby on her back. It stands above the entrance to the Lion Rock Tunnel, within Lion Rock Country Park.
The rock is a popular tourist destination; the whole Sha Tin District can be seen from there. It is also a place of worship for Chinese women and stands as a symbol of women's loyalty and faithfulness.
Devils Tower - Wyoming, USA
Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Tower” or Devil's Tower, is a monolithic igneous intrusion or volcanic neck located inWyoming. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,112 feet (1,558 m) above sea level. The monolith is featured prominently in the 1977 film Close Encounter of the Third Kind.
Bryce Canyon National Park - Utah, USA
One of the most magnificent rock formations in the world is the Bryce Canyon in Utah. It is a national park and despite its name, this is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion.
Landscape Arch - Utah, USA
This fabulous rock formation called “Landscape Arch” is a very thin, very long arch over 300 feet (100 m). This is part of Arches National Park located in Utah, USA.
Goreme Valley Fairy Chimneys - Turkey
These wonderful rock formations called Goreme Valley Fairy Chimney are conical rock formations located in Turkey. Each consists of a cap of hard rock resting on a cone-shaped pinnacle of softer rock. These pillars in Turkey are sculpted out of volcanic ash, from eruptions of long ago. In Cappadocia, houses have been carved from these formations, and they make a popular tourist destination.
Palo Duro Canyon - Texas, USA
This marvelous rock formation is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment in the Panhandle of Texas. It is considered the second largest canyon in the United States. Water erosion over the millennia aided by wind erosion shaped the canyon's geological formations.
Rock City - Kansas, USA
These extraordinary rocks are located on Rock City Park in Kansas. It is 3.6 miles south of Minneapolis, Kansas and just over 0.5 mile west of K - 106 and the In a patch of prairie about 500 meters (1600 feet) long and 40 meters (130 feet) wide, Rock City contains three clusters of large spherical boulders. These three clusters contain a total of 200 spherical boulders. It has been designated as a national Natural Landmark.
The Giant's Causeway - Northern Ireland, UK
This exceptional rock formation called the Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and it is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea.
Travel around the world and see these amazing beauties of nature.
