Large Balanced Rock -- Balanced Rock Trail, Big Bend NP TX
N 29° 23.957 W 103° 12.158
13R E 674401 N 3253567
This large balanced rock is the treat at the end of an arduous trail
Waymark Code: WMTZZH
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/30/2017
Views: 5
At the end of an arduous 1/4-mile trail, this is the payoff: a wonderful balanced rock.
This fascinating geological area was created by a lava dome that split into boulders, some the size of houses and semi trailers, others the size of cars or suitcases. All are made of granite, and all are VERY HEAVY.
A sign at the Grapevine Hills Trail (from which the Balanced Rock trail branches) reads as follows:
"GRAPEVINE HILLS TRAIL
The easy 2 mile round-trip trail follows a sandy wash through the jumble of boulders. After reaching a low pass, find a “window” of boulders by hiking another hundred yards along the ridge to the right.
This trail enters a realm of petrified fire. Here, under enormous pressure, a molten rock ballooned up beneath the earth surface. As erosion stripped away overlying layers the exposed domes fractured into a moonscape of giant boulders.
Grapevine Hills is a laccolith - a mushroom shaped intrusion of magma.
As the laccolith slowly cooled and hardened into granite, the overlying sedimentary layers began to wear away."
Visit Instructions:
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