The elements such as heat, wind, rain, and erosion create natural rock formations. What nature has done and still doing with these tools on the earth palette is both breathtaking and mind-boggling. For millions of years, these incredible rock formations were slowly created using the hardest materials. We are blessed because the nature is a patient artist.
Anyway, a tourist from around the world has shown exciting interest in visiting these spectacular rock formations. Here, we have endeavored some of the most famous natural rock formations around the world, which are in fact very popular tourists spots for those locations. Take a look for yourself.
Contents
Famous Natural Rock Formations:
10. Tsingy de Bemaraha
The Tsingy de Bemaraha Reserve is located close to the western coast of Madagascar. It is a karstic landscape of sharp limestone pinnacles called Tsingy. A diverse landscape is created by the impressive canyon of the Manambolo River and rolling hills that cut through the Tsingy.
The forests, mangroves and lakes swamps of the national park are undisturbed which has created a habitat for rare and endangered lemurs and birds. If are ever visiting the wonderful tourist spots of Madagascar, you shouldn’t really want to miss here a relaxing trip.
9. Shilin Stone Forest
Shilin means “Stone Forest” in Chinese. It is a set of karst formations in southwest China. Similar to the way a stalagmite does in an underground cave, the stones jut out from the earth. It is thought that these stones are about 270 million years old.
The area, where the stones are located was an ocean floor and the majestic pinnacles were created by the flow of water. Each year over 2 million tourists visit the stone forest, a very popular tourist destination in China.
8. White Desert
The White Desert is made of an oddly shaped chalk formation which is located about 45 km north of the Farafr oasis in the vast Western Desert of Egypt. The White Desert is stark white which is a clear contrast with the yellowish-brown of the surrounding desert and reminder of an Arctic landscape.
By the mercy of the elements, the soft chalk material has been contoured into amazing shapes. A few of the shapes look like marshmallows, camels, and mushrooms. In this very remote spot, believe me, your imagination will go wild.
7. Bryce Canyon National Park
In truth, the Bryce Canyon National Park is not really a canyon, but rather a series of colossal amphitheaters which is filled with colorful pinnacles. Wind and water erosion on limestone created this natural rock formation.
An ever-changing visual delight is provided by the colors of red, orange, and white. The pinnacles reach up to 61 meters (200 feet) of height and also known as hoodoos. Bryce Canyon is renowned for its great air quality and visibility which can be up to 200 miles.
6. Bungle Bungle Range
The Bungle Bungle Range is situated in Purnululu National Park in Western Australia. The range consists of distinctive sandstone domes striped with alternating orange and grey bands and rises up to 578 meters (1896 feet) above sea level.
Due to the differences in clay content and porosity of the sandstone layers, there are two banding of the domes. The orange bands are a thin layer of ferrous oxide while the grey banding is due to a cyanobacterium which grows on the layers where moisture accumulates.
5. The Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is located on the Northeast coast of Ireland. This famous rock formation consisting of basalt columns was formed 50 to 60 million years ago. The columns shot in the vertical direction due to a volcanic activity which pushed the basalt through chalk. They cracked when cooled and thus forming a hexagonal shape.
The columns are a marvel to view and they rise up to 12 meters (36 feet) high. But this causeway has another amazing feature. Most of the columns have eroded until only the tops are visible which creates an intricate cobblestone type natural walkway. This walkway is so detailed that it appears as if stonemasons laid them.
4. Arches National Park
The Arches National Park is located in Utah. This artwork of nature is known for its inspiring natural arches. More than 2000 arches in the park were formed by the salt beds deposited from the receding ocean over 300 million years ago.
The rock layered on top began to move creating domes and fins as the salt shifted. The rain and ice eroded the top Entrada and Navajo sandstone. Over the course of millions of years, the amazing arches were formed by ice, rain, and wind erosion.
3. Chocolate Hills
Located on the island of Bohol in the Philippines, The Chocolate Hills are an unusual geological formation that consists of at least 1,268 individual mounds scattered throughout the interior of the island. The mounds are almost symmetrical and same-sized formations. They are from 30 to 50 meters (98 to 164 feet) high and are covered in green grass.
The name Chocolate is given because the grass turns brown in the brow during the dry season. Geologists have not reached an agreement on how these giant mole hills were formed. One theory suggests that the Chocolate Hills are the weathered rock formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of an impermeable layer of clay.
2. Monument Valley
Here comes a very common photographed natural rock, which we’ve been watching through numerous Hollywood films. The Monument Valley is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. Up to 300 meters (1000 foot) high sandstone buttes and mesas make up this incredible valley.
One of the most famous examples of the classic American West landscape, the area has been the backdrop for lots of western movies, ranging from Stagecoach starring John Wayne to Back to the Future II.
Theoretically it is not a valley but a wide flat landscape with sporadic crumbling rock formations. All that is left from the sandstone layers that once covered the entire region are the buttes and they have vivid red tones from the iron oxide.
1. Goreme Fairy Chimneys
One of the major tourist attractions in Turkey is the Cappadocia region which is famous for its weird and wonderful natural rock formations. The town of Göreme is one of the best places to see these strange formations.
The Göreme lies among a large number of tuff cones known as fairy chimneys. Wind and water erosion of two different volcanic layers formed the fairy chimneys. Over the centuries many of the fairy chimneys have been hollowed out to create houses, churches and storage facilities, due to the ease of carving into the tuff (consolidated volcanic ash).