THE BALANCING ROCKS

. Devils Marbles (Australia)

The Devils Marbles [ Photo by Iain Whyte (Iainwhyte) / CC BY-SA 2.5 ]

The area is located near Wauchope, approximately 114 km south of Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory. The site is known as Karlu Karlu to the land's Aboriginal traditional owners. The ‘Devils Marbles’ or ‘Karlu Karlu’ with its gigantic, rounded granite boulders, some spectacularly poised, is a remarkable landscape. Scattered clusters of these ‘marbles’, including many balancing rocks, are spread across a wide, shallow valley. The Devils Marbles is a nationally and internationally recognised symbol of Australia’s outback. It is one of the most visited of any park or reserve in the Northern Territory and one of the main tourist attractions in the Barkly region. The Reserve is accessible all year round and has a network of pathways with information boards and a basic camping area. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

2. Balancing Rock near Digby (Canada)

Balancing Rock, Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada [ Photo by Treeman / public domain ]

Digby (2006 pop.: 2,092) is a town in western Nova Scotia which lies on the Annapolis Basin of the Bay of Fundy beside the western side of Digby Gut, a channel leading to the Bay of Fundy. Digby is the shire town and commercial hub of Digby County. The town is famous for its scallop fishing fleet. The town developed a sizable shipping fleet in the 19th century. One famous Digby vessel was the brigantine Dei Gratia, which discovered the famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. The town became an important regional transportation centre in the 1890s with the arrival of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Trains connected with a series of steamships such as the City of Monticello and later the SS Princess Helene. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

3. Idol Rock at Brimham Rocks (England)

Idol Rock – Brimham Rocks [ Photo by Penny Mayes / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

The Brimham Rocks are balancing rock formations located on Brimham Moor in North Yorkshire, England. The rocks stand at a height of nearly 30 metres in an area owned by the National Trust which is part of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The property is open all year around; typically from 8 a.m. until dusk. Entry is free, however car parking is charged for those who are not members of The National Trust. There are many variations of rock formations, caused by the Millstone Grit being eroded by water, glaciation and wind, most of which have achieved amazing shapes. Many of the formations have been named, though some imagination is required and the correct viewing angle is helpful. Examples are The Sphinx, The Watchdog, The Camel, The Turtle and The Dancing Bear. The children's television show Roger and the Rottentrolls was filmed in Brimham Rocks. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

4. Logan Rock (England)

Close-up of the Logan Rock at the headland south of Treen, Cornwall [ Photo by Jim Champion / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The rock is an eighty ton granite boulder perched on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic ocean, on a headland one mile south of the village. The rock is finely balanced due to the actions of weathering, and prior to its restoration in 1824 it could be rocked by applying only a little pressure. This upset the local residents considerably, since Logan Rock had been used to draw tourists to the area. Treen had become a lucrative tourist destination. Sir Richard R. Vyvyan was particularly unhappy. The local residents demanded that the British Admiralty strip Lieutenant Goldsmith of his Royal Navy commission unless he restored the boulder to its previous position at his own expense. The name Logan Rock is also applied to the surrounding tip of the headland, as well as the logan stone itself. Cripp's Cove lies to the east beneath the rock. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

5. Kjeragbolten (Norway)

Kjeragbolten [ Photo by Bruker:Ivarne / free for use ]

Kjerag or Kiragg is a Norwegian mountain, located in Lysefjorden, in Forsand municipality, Ryfylke, Rogaland. Its highest point is 1110 m above sea level, but its northern drop to Lysefjorden attracts most visitors. The drop is 984 m (3,228 ft) and is just by the famous Kjeragbolten, a 5 m³ big stone which is plugged between two rocks. Or take the touristferry from Lauvvik to Lysebotn in summer. The Lyseroad up from Lysebotn is spectacular (closed in winter). The best season for walking is late June to September depending on snow conditions. Kjerag is a popular hiking destination. Some go there because Preikestolen has become too crowded, some to jump onto Kjeragbolten and quite a lot of BASE jumpers from all over the world go there to dive off the high cliffs. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

6. Torcal de Antequera (Spain)

Torcal de Antequera [ Photo by RaMaOrLi / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

El Torcal de Antequera is a nature reserve in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range located south of the city of Antequera, in the province of Málaga off the A45 road in Andalusia, Spain. It is known for its unusual landforms, and is one of the most impressive karst landscapes in Europe. The area was designated a Natural Site of National Interest in July 1929, and a Natural Park Reserve of about 17 square kilometres was created in October 1978. The Sierra del Torcal (or El Torcal) is a small mountain range separating the cities of Antequera and Málaga. It has four geological sections: Sierra Pelada, Torcal Alto, Torcal Bajo and Tajos and Laderas. The highest point in El Torcal is Camorro de las Siete Mesas (1336 m) in the Torcal Alto. (based on a wikipedia article /cc by-sa)

7. Chiricahua Balanced Rock (USA)

Balanced rock in Chiricahua National Monument. [ Photo by Pretzelpaws / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Chiricahua National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service located in the Chiricahua Mountains. It is famous for its extensive vertical rock formations. The monument is located approximately 36 miles (58 km) southeast of Willcox, Arizona. It preserves the remains of an immense volcanic eruption that shook the region some 27 million years ago. Called the Turkey Creek Caldera eruption, it eventually laid down two thousand feet of ash and pumice, highly siliceous in nature. This eventually hardened into rhyolite tuffs, and eroded into the natural features visible at the monument today. The National Monument was designated on April 18, 1924. The national monument also preserves the Faraway Ranch, owned at one time by Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

8. Hoodoo Balancing Rock, Utah (USA)

Hoodoo within the Chinle Formation, west of Moab, Utah, along the Chicken Corners off-road trail. Ridge in background is the Wingate Formation. [ Photo by Qfl247 / GNU ]

A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, and earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos consist of soft sedimentary rock topped by harder, less easily-eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. Hoodoos are a tourist attraction in the Cappadocia region of Turkey where houses have been carved from these formations. These rock formations were depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 50 new lira banknote of 2005-2009. They are mainly located in the desert in dry, hot areas. In common usage, the difference between hoodoos and pinnacles or spires is that hoodoos have a variable thickness often described as having a "totem pole-shaped body." A spire, on the other hand, has a smoother profile or uniform thickness that tapers[clarification needed] from the ground upward. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

9. Mexican Hat Rock, Utah (USA)

Mexican Hat Rock outside the town of Mexican Hat, Utah [ Photo by Marc Averette / CC BY 3.0 ]

Mexican Hat is a census-designated place (CDP) on the San Juan River in south-central San Juan County, Utah, United States. Each year, on March 8 the town members meet to celebrate their CDP status. Town members wear hats, as the celebration takes place at the Mexican Hat Rock. It is on U.S. Route 163 just three miles (5 km) south of the junction with State Route 261, and is just outside the northern boundary of both the Navajo Nation and Monument Valley. With a total population of 88 at the 2000 census, the community saw a significant decrease from the 1990 figure of 259. The name "Mexican Hat" comes from a curiously sombrero-shaped, 60-foot (18 m) wide by 12-foot (3.7 m) thick (18.3 x 3.7 m), rock outcropping on the northeast edge of town. The "Hat" has two rock climbing routes ascending it. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

10. Omak Lake Balancing Rock (USA)

The large glacial erratic balancing rock near Omak Lake, Okanogan County, Washington, USA [ Photo by Lexaxis7 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Omak Lake is a saline endorheic lake in the U.S. state of Washington. The lake, the terminus for water flowing in from several creeks, covers 3,244 acres (13.13 km2) at an elevation of 950 feet (290 m). Its volume of 705,000 acre feet (869,265,000 cubic meters) and depth of 325 feet (99 m) is the largest saline lake in Washington. Omak Lake occupies a former channel of the Columbia River. The Okanagan people once believed that Omak Lake was inhabited by spirits, and avoided the area. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

11. Steamboat Rock at Garden of the Gods (USA)

Steamboat Rock and Balanced Rock in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO [ Photo by Ahodges7 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Steamboat Rock is a rock formation in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is easily accessible by paved road and is a popular spot for tourist photography. Once privately owned, it was a popular tourist destination, to include climbing upon the rock for photographs of it and nearby Balanced Rock. However, climbing upon the rock is now prohibited. The stairs leading up the spine of the formation are still visible. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

12. Mother And Child Balancing Rocks (Zimbabwe)

Mother and Child Rock, Balancing Rocks in Matopos National Park, Zimbabwe [ Photo by Susan E Adams / CC BY-SA 2.0