West Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Amazing Balanced Rock
Photographed By Charles T. Harrell, July 1, 2011
1. The Amazing Balanced Rock Marker
Inscription.
The Amazing Balanced Rock. . Around 300 million years ago, the Ancestral Rockies once stood here. Over time, the forces of wind and water eroded the magnificent peaks into swift streams full of sediments. These sediments were eventually pressed and cemented into solid rock. The new rocks took the form of: , . Sands full of iron oxide creating red sandstone rock , . muds forming softer, more delicate shales and , . a mixture of sand and pebbles called conglomerate.
Balanced Rock was exposed more than 60 million years ago when the existing Rocky Mountains rose. To make its current shape, the soft, bottom layer of shale eroded much faster than the harder sandstone and conglomerate above. Amazingly, the narrow pedestal supporting Balanced Rock has held the 700-ton weight for thousands of years.
Around 300 million years ago, the Ancestral Rockies once stood here. Over time, the forces of wind and water eroded the magnificent peaks into swift streams full of sediments. These sediments were eventually pressed and cemented into solid rock. The new rocks took the form of: •
Sands full of iron oxide creating red sandstone rock • muds forming softer, more delicate shales and • a mixture of sand and pebbles called conglomerate.
Balanced Rock was exposed more than 60 million years ago when the existing Rocky Mountains rose. To make its current shape, the soft, bottom layer of shale eroded much faster than the harder sandstone and conglomerate above. Amazingly, the narrow pedestal supporting Balanced Rock has held the 700-ton weight for thousands of years.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.
Location. 38° 51.896′ N, 104° 53.842′ W. Marker is in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. It is in West Colorado Springs. Marker is on Garden Drive, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located in Garden of the Gods Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Manitou Springs CO 80829, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Goerke & Son Photography (here, next to this marker); A Plentiful Harvest
Also see . . . Balanced Rock - Garden of the Gods. See Wikipedia photo. (Submitted on August 15, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)
Photographed By Charles T. Harrell, July 1, 2011
2. The Amazing Balanced Rock Marker
Photographed By Michael Kindig, March 30, 2008
3. The Amazing Balanced Rock
Photographed By Michael Kindig, March 30, 2008
4. The Amazing Balanced Rock
Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 29, 1994
5. The Amazing Balanced Rock
see tourist on the right side to show the size of the boulder
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2011, by Charles T. Harrell of Woodford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,435 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 11, 2011, by Charles T. Harrell of Woodford, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on January 27, 2012, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 5. submitted on January 28, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.