Over the years, the rocks found on our planet earth take up unique forms. It’s a long process of natural phenomena. The formation of the rocks usually is created by elements such as wind, rain, heat, and erosion.
There exist many incredible rock formations such as the balancing rock and pillar rocks.
13 Incredible Natural Rock Formations
Let us look through some of the most incredible natural rock formations that can be found all over the world.
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1. Monument Valley
The Monument Valley is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. It is made up of 1000 foot sandstone buttes and mesas. Since the valley is quite iconic and monumental; it is used as a backdrop for many western movies.
As the Monument Valley has the classic American countryside, west landscape. The buttes of the valley are the end result of the sandstone layers that used to cover the whole region. In reality, it is not a valley.
It is actually just a wide flat landscape with numerous rock formations. The Monument Valley has bright red tones resulting from the iron oxide.
2. Yana Rocks
It is situated in the Yana village of Karnataka, towards the Sahyadri mountain range of the Western Ghats. Yana rocks are quite famous for their unusual rock formations. Yana Rocks have two massive rocks.
One is known as Bhairaveshwara Shikhara, which is 120 meters in height and the other is Mohini Shikhara, which is 90 meters in height. The huge rocks of Yana are made up of black, crystalline limestone.
3. Chocolate Hills
These unusual hills are located throughout the island of Bohol in the Philippines. The Chocolate Hills are rock formations that consist of 1268 mounds. It’s quite interesting that the mounds are covered with green grass and are almost symmetrical and the similar-sized formations range from 98 to 164 feet high.
The name “Chocolate Hills” arose from the fact that during the dry season, the grass turns brown, resembling that of chocolate. Geologists have not found any conclusion on how these giant mound hills were actually formed.
There’s one theory that the Chocolate Hills were formed with weathered rock formations of marine limestone on top of the impermeable layer of clay over time.
4. Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is a very unique rock formation located on the Northeast coast of Ireland. It consists of basalt columns formed around 60 million years ago. The volcanic activity pushed the basalt through chalk which resulted in the columns shot in vertical direction.
After cooling, the columns start cracking and form a hexagonal shape. The columns are about 36 feet high and are very beautiful to look at.
The Giant’s Causeway has amazing features to it. One such feature is that many of the columns have eroded, leaving only the top parts to be visible. This results in an intricate cobblestone type of natural walkway. It is very detailed. It looks like a stone mason laid them.
5. Natural Arch
It is located in the Tirumala hills of in Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the geological wonders of India. The Natural arch is one of the few natural bridges in Asia and the only natural rock arch in India. The Natural arch is around 26.2 feet in width and 9.8 feet in height, and it is actually about several million years old.
6. Bryce Canyon National Park
Actually, Bryce Canyon National Park is not a canyon despite the name. It is a series of colorful pinnacles that forms a giant amphitheater, which is located in Utah, United States. The stylized natural rocks were formed with the help of wind and water erosion on limestone.
The colorful pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park are mostly red, orange, and white, providing a memorable visual treat. The pinnacles are about 200 feet high. The area around the Bryce Canyon is known for its great air quality.
7. Balancing Rock, Mahabalipurum
It is also known as Krishna’s butterball. It is a giant rock that balances itself and is 5 meters in diameter and resides on a smooth slope. It’s very interesting to note that it defies all laws of physics.
The Balancing Rock is located in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. It weighs over 250 tons and somehow stands on an extremely small, slippery area of a hill. This is a very miraculous feat.
8. White Desert
The White Desert is situated about 45 km north of the Farafra Oasis on the west side of the desert of Egypt. It is made up of oddly shaped chalk formation of rocks, resembling a clay structure formed by a kid.
The desert surrounding it is quite yellowish brown and the White Desert provides quite a contrast since it is totally white, resembling an Arctic landscape.
The chalk formation is soft and over the years has contoured into amazing and unique shapes. The rocks took many shapes such as marshmallows, camels, mushrooms, etc.
9. Phantom Rock
The Phantom Rock is located in the Wayanad district, Kerala. It’s a beautiful archeological site. The rock is natural art that resembles a skull shape which gives a phantom vibe. It is placed over a small boulder which is formed out of huge metamorphic rocks. The Phantom Rock is locally known as “Cheengeri Mala” or “Thalappara”.
10. Basalt Rocks at St. Mary’s Islands
St. Mary’s islands are a small group of isles located 7 km from Udupi, Karnataka. The island is famous for its basalt rocks which, over the years, have crystallized into numerous columns and got split into hexagonal mosaic patterns.
It gives quite an artistic feel. This is the only spot in India where basalt rocks form such a peculiar and unique pattern.
11. The Wave
It is located across northern Arizona. The Wave is a unique rock formation that has a swirly pattern. The unique archaeological site has wave undulations that look like a river. They are actually made up of Navajo Sandstone. Since this is a very rare rock formation; it’s not accessible to tourists.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management only allows 20 permits a day. If you win permission to witness this rare natural phenomena, then mid-day is the best time to visit.
12. Basaltic Prisms of Santa Maria Regla
This is located in Santa Maria Regla in Hidalgo State, Mexico. Basaltic Prisms of Mexico are one of the most famous natural wonders. The columns are up to 98 feet high and were created by cooling lava.
The beauty of these prisms is enhanced with the water flowing over them, forming a waterfall. Tourists are allowed near the natural rocks and waterfalls. To encourage more visits, bridges and other walkways are made available for closer look and enjoyment.
13. Marble Rocks
The Marble Rocks are found along the Narmada River in Jabalpur. They run along the 3 km gorge which is quite a beautiful sight to be witnessed. It’s located in the state of Madhya Pradesh and a very popular tourist destination.
These natural formations of the marble rocks in Bhedaghat are very unique and no other kind exists in India.
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Conclusion
These natural rock formations are created by the nature over millions of years. It is such an important and interesting phenomenon that cannot be ignored. If you ever wanted to experience such a majestic flex by the nature, do visit some of these sites we have compiled in this article.
