Rock Formations is the plain-language geology page: useful for visitors who want a broad overview before diving into the more specific topics.
Visitors often say the park feels older in its rock zones than in its forests. They are not wrong.
Major Types |
Basalt walls, fractured ridges, sediment layers, and weathered cutbanks give the park much of its visual identity. |
Why They Look Different |
Rock type, fracture pattern, water exposure, and plant cover all change how formations weather and how dramatic they appear from trails. |
Best Viewing Spots |
Sentinel Hill, several lower-basin pullouts, and the geology-tour route offer good broad looks without encouraging off-trail scrambling. |