Recently I showed you Mushroom Rock in Alabama (click HERE) so I thought it appropriate now to feature the TURTLE ROCKS in Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. There is some interesting information about Petit Jean Mountain found on the Arkansas Geology website--if you have time and interest to read more (click HERE for that info). Here is a little of what it says:
Some of the most unique features seen around Petit Jean State Park are those called "Turtle Rocks". Mounded polygonal structures resembling a turtle shell were carved in thick sandstones of the Hartshorne Sandstone. The exact processes that create 'turtle rocks' are poorly understood. One explanation involves spheroidal weathering. This process occurs when water percolating through cracks and between individual grains in the rock loosens and separates layers of the rock. The weather acts more rapidly on the corners and edges of the rock producing a rounded shape.
Another theory concerns the amount of calcite present in the matrix of the rock holding the grains together along with the size of the grains that allow for this type of weathering. Either way, the weathering of the rocks is strongly influenced by the polygonal joint pattern seen in all 'turtle rocks'. Here are some pictures that we took while in that area.
Poor little turtles.... Look at that big girl standing on the turtle shells! ha ha
Here's another picture of all of the turtle shells... Interesting, aren't they??
That is the KING of the Turtles--sitting up there on top of those rocks. Can you see that big turtle??????? WOW!!!!
I was almost as interested in the gorgeous blue sky on this beautiful day in Arkansas (Feb. 24, 2010) as I was seeing Turtle Rocks. We had had so much dreary weather in TN before this trip---so seeing the blue skies made both George and me feel SO good. I also love the green pine tree next to that blue sky.
After climbing around on Turtle Rocks, we headed toward "Rock House Cave". That will be another blog post!!! There were so many interesting rock formations and narrow passageways along the path. Isn't this one interesting?
Here's another view of all of the huge rocks along our path to Rock House Cave. We are now below the Turtle Rocks, since we climbed down. Turtle Rocks actually are along the top of those big rocks you see in the picture.
Besides the picture of the KING of the Turtles, this picture is also a fav... Isn't it totally awesome that these rocks really do look like huge turtle shells?????
Hope you enjoyed seeing both Mushroom Rock and Turtle Rocks... Being out in nature is just so awesome. All we have to do is to take time to get out and enjoy the beautiful world around us!!!!!
Speaking of our beautiful world, ours here in Tennessee is wet and cold today... We had RAIN yesterday ---and it has now turned cold and snowy. The Crocuses are FREEZING out there today!!! Where's Spring????????? Gosh-Darn!!!!!
Have a great Monday--wherever you are!!!!
Hugs,
60 comments:
There are so many interesting landscapes in the world. Oh if we could just have the time (and money) to investigate them all.
Thanks for letting us travel vicariously with you thru your blog. The info was so very interesting!
Love the pictures.
So sorry the weather has turned cold again. You know those little crocuses are hearty - they will do fine! March is suppose to go out like a lamb - this lion is just giving another roar!!
Have a great week Betsy.
Valerie
Hi Betsy, Your turtle rocks surely do look like turtles. I love looking at rocks and their formations. They are so interesting. Great picture of you, too. We got your rain today.
I've really enjoyed all the amazing rock formations you've shown us, Betsy. The Turtle rocks are awesome...and so aptly named! Another place added to my list of places to see someday. You and George certainly do find some fascinating sites. Pardon the pun, but you two "rock!" :-)
Wow! What a crazy place. I love those rock formations. They really do look like turtle shells-totally cool...
Good morning, Betsy! Those ARE interesting rocks! I've always been interested in rocks and all of Creation. We used to look for
fossils in rocks, even in gravel. Pretty interesting what you can find. Snowed here as we went to church yesterday! Crazy weather!
HAPPY NEW WEEK TO YOU!
Betsy! loved the pictures! Don't you fall off of those rocks! The flowers pic on your header is BEAUTIFUL...hope you have a lovely day...I love ya!!
It's really SNOWING there?? I'll be interested to know if you get anything to amount to much and when it stops. Turtle rocks rule!! I love you ON the turtle! And of course my favorite is the big one balanced up high, it even looks like his belly is a different color than the shell! That slit between the rocks, wonder how that happened? It's very interesting. Did you go in between it? Can't wait to see the cave!! Knowing you and George, I bet you went in! I just hope the bears weren't there that day!
You and George see the neatest things....love these Turtle Rocks..
Wonderfully named. It is so interesting how these rocks are formed by heat, pressure and cooling. Rocks are an interesting subject especially when grandchildren leave them on the lawn and I hit them with my mower!!!
They really are neat looking. I am ashamed to say you are seeing more of Arkansas than I am and I live here.
Time for road trips. Thanks for pointing me in the right directions.
It is rainy and dreary here this morning as well.
I love the KING turtle up there on the hill...overlooking all his faithful followers.
WHat a cool place Betsy!
Those Turtle Rocks are so interesting. I'm sorry you are having freezing rain and now snow! Blah!! Hopefully the sun will come out to stay soon!
xo Catherine
I enjoyed seeing the turtle rocks. I like the really big one you pictured.
Speaking of weather we too had snowflakes yesterday evening. I couldn't believe it! This a.m. we have another cold/gray day.
I used to vacation in Maine, near Boothbay Harbor. I stayed at a cottage on an island. There was a large rock that sat in the water. At low tide you could walk out to this rock. At high tide, you could swim out to the rock or take a boat. From shore, when the tide was high, the rock looked like a giant turtle. Thank you for the memory. I haven't thought of Maine vacations in a long time.
These are awesome, Betsy! I like turtles and rocks so I LOVE seeing the Turtle Rocks you found at Petit Jean State Park. Super pictures! :D
Your pictures are lifelike. I love your new camera. Or maybe it is the photographer! tee hee
It does look like turtle shells. How interesting. I wonder if I would get claustrophobia in that very narrow passage. Maybe not since it is open at the top.
Marnie
That is all so neat!! It's amazing the things Mother Nature can do! The rocks do look just like turtle shells!!
The big turtle is quite amazing too!
All the things I'll never get to see...
These pictures remind me of 'Elephant Rock' just north of here - There's passageways through those rocks, too. Have you ever been there? It's really interesting & worth the trip if you ever get back over this way. Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, Elephant Rock State Park, & Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park are all in the same area - Very nice places & there's waterfalls, too. Heheheee
Those are amazing rock formations
Betsy, phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal!! Thank you for showing us this - truly a Wonder of nature.
No doubt you and George are having a Happy Spring! More sunshine and warmer temps are on the way. Have a great week Betsy.
Love the turtle rocks ... Mother Nature is something else ... natural sculptor!
Awesome AND interesting, that is for sure. Never seen any like this, definitely ROCKS and it does look like the back of a giant turtle.
I love those turtle rocks...actually love rocks in general.
I love those turtle rocks! Quite a bit bigger than my turtles :-) How interesting that the rocks look like that.
I love all those unique rock formations.Isn't it totally amazing how all these were formed.
Sure hope your poor Crocuses don't get too much frost.
Blessings,Ruth
Betsy: What wonderful formation and they do look like turtle shells. Loved the king turtle, was its name Yertle?
They really do remind you of turtle shells....Ah, the wonder of God's creation!
What a FASCINATING place! Thanks for sharing with us ;-)
Hugs and blessings,
I have never heard of Turtle Rocks. The photos are amazing. You find such wonderful places to visit. I hung up several birdhouses yesterday and can you believe there is already a little blue bird building a nest in one! I watched it this morning carrying straw and sticks inside. She picked the right one as its near the birdbath, and some of the feeders. I am so enjoying the birds this year thanks to you.
They look like crusted Turtles,lol.
Beautiful Country Betsy.
I'm glad you had a good time on your visit to Petit Jean. The Turtle Rocks are fascinating, and your photos did them justice.
It will take me some time to catch up with your previous posts. I finally got my computer back on 3/20, and am now making the rounds of my favorite places... among which yours certainly is! Hugs!
Just stopped by to say Hi.. I was going to head to the woods today but is raining,, Oh well I Like the turtle rocks could you come up with some snails tails?? LOL Have a great week
Hi Betsy, such an interesting post. These Turtle Rocks are fascinating and your photos are always wonderful.
Thanks for stopping by. You asked about me going to the Cherry Blossom Festival. I don't think we will be going this year but you can see the photos I took in 2009.
http://anenglishgirlrambles.blogspot.com/2009/04/todays-flowers.html
Have a great week Betsy. I hope the warmer temperatures come back. You too live in a part of the States I would dearly love to live in. It is so beautiful!
Those rocks are too cool and DO resemble a turtle shell!
Rock formations are so amazing and vary so much from area to area.
Hello Betsy,
These turtle rocks are something! That big one perched upon its throne is too cool! ;0)
We had heavy snow blow through earlier today..now it can't decide what to do next...after three days of Spring weather I knew the cold would return..it's still to early to get attached to the warm weather....but it was nice!
Nancy's fiber shop in Gatlinburg is a beautiful place...
Thanks for visiting..
Hugs,
Stephanie ♥
Absolutely fascinating rock formations! Those pictures are great! What a fun place to visit!
It snowed during the night again and the wind is cold!! Have a great week!
How interesting; I never heard of turtle rocks.
Actually, the people on our street do recycle, but this shot was taken early in the day, and pick-up is in the afternoon.
Those rock formations are really cool. I love the slot tunnel:)
Do you have any advice for keeping the starlings from taking over my feeder? I've had all kinds of birds and then the starlings descend and run everyone off:(
these rocks are amazing, I have never seen anything like them Betsy. How fun. Now to go look at your mushroom rock. Thanks for sharing your wonderful time there.
How one couple can manage to see sooo many fascinating places . . . I just don't know!! More and more, I'm feeling the "need" to visit Petit Jean State Park! Those rocks are amazing!
G'day sweet Betsy ~ For all the travelling we've done, hadn't heard of these rocks before .. going on the 'to do' list. Fabulous photos, ty for sharing. You keep things so interesting, Betsy.
Happy spring!
Have a beautiful week.
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon
Wow, I love the turtle rocks. Especially the big one. You find the most interesting places to explore. We had a sunny weekend with temps in the 60s but today was back to the 40s and dreary...It can only get better!
I can never get enough of your photos. I just love them. You guys have the "funnest" places to visit where you live.
I have been to Arkansas numerous times, but I must have missed this. I have never seen those turtle rocks and they look so real. Your travels sure give you plenty of food for blogging. Love you bog and tell George I do his too.
Betsy, you find the neatest places to visit and this one is wonderful. They do look just like turtle shells. Its nature amazing.
Mushroom rock, turtle rocks - did you ever think you might be tiny little people in a huge terrarium? I never saw rocks like the turtle rocks, those are so interesting. Diane
Betsy,
In answer to your question about my video of the waterfall that has a small flow....
Our waterfalls here in SoCal usually run ONLY after we've had rain. Our rainy months are January, February and March. After that, everything dries up.
This video was made at the beginning of last year and we did not have as much rain last year as we did this year. In face, last year was pretty dry as have been the past 3 to 5 years.
Kay
I loved these rocks...very unique and wonderful for pictures because of their shadows and textures!
Betsy, I have never heard of or seen these turtle rocks before. Very interesting! I enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing your photos. Hope your spring weather comes back for you soon!
Wow, Who'da Thunk...Rocks that look like turtles...this is truly an amazing site. Boy, would my youngest have gotten a kick out of these.
You continue to show us some awesome formations...loveit Betsy
Bless Your Week Together
Those rock formations are soooo cool! It's getting hotter here.
80's today. Not happy about that. Send us a little chilliing rain!! Have a good week Betsy~!
I remember seeing these on George's blog. You have some different unique shots. This is so fascinating. I really enjoyed it and I can hardly wait to see the cave. :)
Hi Betsy,
That King turtle is my favorite,looks just like a turtle,wow all of them are amazing.
We have had snow on and off all day but it hasn't stuck to anything but the grass at times and it sure is cold compared to the last several days.
Have a blessed evening,
Marilyn
This was so interesting to see Betsy! I never heard of these rock formation and they do look like turtle backs!
Amazing rock formations. Your posts are always so interesting!
Sunny :)
another great creation of nature isnt it? There are hundreds of turtles there!
Amazing nature! I never have seen something like this before. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful day :)
I took photos of two turtles on a rock today but they were little guys compared to these giant "shells".
The formations are amazing, they do look like turtle shells. Nature is always fascinating.
Hugs,
Judy
Wonderful rock formations--it is amazing what time & weather can do.
Post a Comment