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All the United States Kansas Minneapolis Rock City

Rock City

A landscape of massive spherical boulders are the main attraction in this Kansas State Park.

Minneapolis, Kansas

Added By
Annetta Black
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Rock City and its spherical stones.   Wiki User: Nationalparks
Rock City and its spherical stones.   Wiki User: Nationalparks
Trees among the rocks.   Wiki User: Smarkflea
Rock City c. 1900   Unknown
Family picnic at Rock City in 1900.   Unknown
Maze like trails through the formations   backroadsphotog / Atlas Obscura User
  megandeer / Atlas Obscura User
Rock singer - Spherical Dakota sandstone concretion   backroadsphotog / Atlas Obscura User
Bowlers green   ddarksword / Atlas Obscura User
Welcome Home   ddarksword / Atlas Obscura User
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About

These Dakota sandstone concretions are related to the same natural phenomena that created the spherical Moeraki Boulders and Bowling Ball Beach in California.

Coming into existence when parts of Kansas where covered by an Inland Sea, these formations were the product of a type of natural cement. Known as concretion, over millions of years natural concrete binds tiny particles into massive round boulders, forming what are known as "cannonball concretions". Originally thought to be corals, glacial boulders, or a handful of other geological phenomenon, the rocks were eventually recognized as calcite-cemented concretions, the softer sandstone eroding away from the calcite cement leaving the banded, free-standing boulders. 

About 200 of the formations are in the 5-acre park, some nearly 30 feet across. The park claims that this is the largest collection of spherical concretions in one place.

Related Tags

Geological Oddities Martian Landscapes Rocks Spheres Ecosystems Geology

Community Contributors

Added By

Annetta Black

Edited By

Rachel, noplacelikeit, backroadsphotog, breaingram...

  • Rachel
  • noplacelikeit
  • backroadsphotog
  • breaingram
  • ddarksword
  • megandeer

Published

February 13, 2013

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_City,_Kansas
  • http://www.kansastravel.org/rockcity.htm
  • http://www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/KStravel/rockcity/
  • http://www.naturalkansas.org/rockcity.htm
Rock City
1051 Ivy Road
Minneapolis, Kansas, 67467
United States
39.090889, -97.735553
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

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Photo of Kansas

Kansas

United States

Places 126
Stories 11

Nearby Places

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Salina, Kansas

miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kansas

Kansas

United States

Places 126
Stories 11

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