8 Fascinating and Amazing Rock Formations of the World ...

1. Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

The swirling mist over the top of Table Mountain, an epic rock formation that is over 3.5 million years ago, is the sandstone landmark of Cape Town. The top level plateau, giving it is flat table top shape, is an impressive 3km in width and is flanked by the equally impressive Devils Peak and Lions Head mountains. Once the playground to lions and leopards, the mountain is now a fascinating tourist attraction, and visitors can hike up to the top or climb aboard the cable car.

2. Pasabag, Turkey

Soft volcanic rock formations in the shape of pillars, with mushroom shaped tops are situated in the Pasabag Valley in Turkey. Known colloquially as fairy chimneys, some of the mushroom shaped tops go up in double and triple formation. The legendary tale of St. Simeon, who was a hermit, lived in isolation at the top of one of the fairy chimneys sometime in the 5th century. Stories of his abilities as a miracle worker made their way down into the region of Aleppo. He moved higher and higher trying to escape the unwanted attention, eventually living out his days in one of the chimney more than 15m in height. Today there is a quaint historic church in one of the chimneys, dedicated in the memory of St. Simeon.

3. Wave Rock, Australia

Shaped exactly as its name suggests, this incredible rock is like an entire wall, shaped exactly like a wave that is breaking in the ocean. More than 15 metres high and well over 100 metres in length, the wave rock has been around for more than 60 million years, or so it is said. Completely made up of granite, the formation of the unusual rock was from a combination of erosion, when the softer particles of granite washed away, and underground chemical weathering.

4. Devils Tower, USA

This is just one of those natural almost freakish rock formations that has to be seen to be believed. A deeply sacred site for thousands of American Indians, Devils Tower is the first recognized National Monument in the US. This unique and magical rock is a true freak of nature, occurring when a volcano erupted and pushed the hot, molten lava up but not quite out of the volcano. As the boiling hot lava started to cool, it began to form these peculiar looking basalt columns down the side and has remained there for the last 60 million years, if not more.

5. The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

This is another of those fascinating and particularly surreal ancient rock formations, and is found in Northern Island. The site is so incredible, that is has been listed and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Comprising of more than 40, 000 connected basalt columns, where only the tops can be seen as they form stepping stones that start at the foot of a cliff and disappear completely under the sea. Caused by an incredible volcanic eruption more than 50 million years ago, some of the columns are more than 12 m high and more than 28m thick in some places.

6. Perce Rock, Canada

Located right in the middle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, at the very top of the Gaspe Peninsula in historic Quebec, Canada is one of the most unbelievable rock formations not seen anywhere else in the world. A completely solid formation of limestone, the massive configuration stacks some 88m high at the highest point and more than 400m long. Right at the bottom of the rock, there is a small arch, hence the name Perce Rock (Pierced Rock). However, it is only visible for a few hours when the tide is low, and then it is gone again.

7. Spiders Rock, United States

Right in the basin of the Canyon de Chelly in the United States you will find a odd looking summit believed to have been formed more than 280 million years ago, which was way before the dinosaurs’ time. Without a doubt it is the oldest earthy formation of sedimentary rock anywhere in the region, and the climate at the time, when the Colorado Plateau region was a harsh and arid coastal plain, definitely was a contributing factor to its formation.

8. Uluru, Australia

Once more commonly known to us as Ayers Rock, surely the most recognizable rock formation of them all is Uluru. The most important symbol for Australian aborigines, Uluru rises more than 1,000 feet out of the Red Centre, like a giant misplaced boulder. It too is a World Heritage site and is the heart of Kata Tjuta National Park.

If you are an outdoor enthusiast, nature lover or landscape photographer, natural rock configurations such as these 8 Fascinating and Amazing Rock Formations of the World, will literally rock your world. The pure, untouched stone arrangements leave so many unanswered questions for the enquiring mind.

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