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Take US Hwy 83 south at Oakley, Kansas exit from I-70, driving south 20 miles. Turn east onto gravel road at the sign, go 4 miles, then 2 miles south from the "T" intersection. Roads to this site are good.
See also:
Geology of Western Kansas
This Site, KS Photo Tour
The Window, Roger's Skypix
Rock City, Minneapolis, KS
Mushroom Rock State Park
Castle Rock, Gove Co.
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West of Castle Rock area in Gove County, Kansas, erosion has carved these chalk pyramids from what was once the floor of a vast inland sea. Also called Monument Rocks this site is the first natural landmark chosen by the US Dept. of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark. This landmark in on private land. The owners are generous to share this site with the public. Treat it with respect.
These limestone formations, originally formed 80
million years ago, stretch to 70 feet in height.
Having heard about these wonderful rocks for most of my life, I have always hoped to visit. "Awesome" is barely adequate as a description of this site.
Visiting during the last hour of daylight at Spring vernal equinox, our day was clear, mild and still--perfect weather! (The stillness is very unusual for this area.) Our mild weather changed drastically overnight. The following day's low was 7 degrees, with a minus-zero wind chill index. Weather in early spring can be very unpredictable in Kansas!
Seeing these 70-foot projections is a religious experience. The quiet, the beauty, the scale and the naturalness of the site will be a lifetime memory. |
