Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Florida Hobe Sound Blowing Rocks Preserve
AO Edited

Blowing Rocks Preserve

These craggy limestone outcrops offer a glimpse at a unique piece of Florida geology.

Hobe Sound, Florida

Added By
John Meszaros
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve   apasciuto / CC BY 2.0
A rocky outcropping at Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve   apasciuto / CC BY 2.0
One of the blowholes that gives Blowing Rocks its name.   Corn Farmer / CC BY-ND 2.0
Shells stuck in the rocks   Clinton & Charles Robertson / CC BY-SA 2.0
Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve   apasciuto / CC BY 2.0
Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve   apasciuto / CC BY 2.0
  sugarbomb / Atlas Obscura User
  Runawaydc / Atlas Obscura User
  Runawaydc / Atlas Obscura User
  sugarbomb / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Underneath the east coast of Florida lies the unique Anastasia limestone formation. Also known as coquina (the Spanish word for cockle bivalves), this rock is composed of shell fragments, coral bits, small marine fossils, and sand. It formed during the Pleistocene Epoch when the majority of Florida was covered by the ocean. Most of the formation is covered by soil and sand except for a large outcropping at Blowing Rocks Preserve near Hobe Sound.

Waves have sculpted the Anastasia limestone into burrows, pools, ledges, and the ubiquitous blowholes that give Blowing Rocks its name.

In addition to protecting this rare geological outcrop, Blowing Rocks Preserve also conserves several important Florida habitats like mangrove swamps, maritime hammocks, dunes, seagrape scrub, and portions of the Intracoastal lagoon. Just offshore, snorkelers and swimmers can also see the large honeycomb-like reefs of colonial, filter-feeding sabellarid worms.

Related Tags

Beaches Geological Oddities Rock Formations Nature Preserves

Know Before You Go

The preserve is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Parking is available at a lot at the entrance.

Community Contributors

Added By

Johnmeszaros

Edited By

sugarbomb, Michelle Cassidy, Runawaydc

  • sugarbomb
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Runawaydc

Published

February 27, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.geosciences.fau.edu/events/virtual-field-trips/anastasia/general-information.php
Blowing Rocks Preserve
574 S Beach Rd
Hobe Sound, Florida, 33455
United States
26.978523, -80.084481
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Al Capone’s Tomato Farm and Burt Reynolds Ranch

Jupiter, Florida

miles away

1,000 Mermaids Artificial Reef

Riviera Beach, Florida

miles away

The President John F. Kennedy Bunker

West Palm Beach, Florida

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Florida

Florida

United States

Places 435
Stories 47

Nearby Places

Al Capone’s Tomato Farm and Burt Reynolds Ranch

Jupiter, Florida

miles away

1,000 Mermaids Artificial Reef

Riviera Beach, Florida

miles away

The President John F. Kennedy Bunker

West Palm Beach, Florida

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Florida

Florida

United States

Places 435
Stories 47

Related Places

  • A beach on the island with distinctive rock formations.

    Malpe, India

    Thonsepar

    These four small islands contain unique hexagonal rock formations.

  • Saint Paul, Antigua and Barbuda

    Pillars of Hercules

    A series of magical limestone formations along the coastline of the country island of Antigua.

  • Bonhomme de Bourail

    Bourail, New Caledonia

    Bonhomme de Bourail

    A beachside monolith shaped by years of waves crashing against hard quartz.

  • The limestone landscape.

    Borgholm N, Sweden

    Neptuni Åkrar

    An otherworldly, fossil-rich cobble beach holds Viking graves, cairns, and other remains.

  • Trollskogen

    Borgholm, Sweden

    Trollskogen (The Troll Forest)

    Crooked windswept pines give this old forest an enchanted and magical look.

  • Torre Sant’Andrea

    Melendugno, Italy

    Torre Sant'Andrea

    Dramatic sea stacks adorn the coast of this small village on the Adriatic coast.

  • Nature’s flying buttresses, lined up as far as the eye can see

    Ribadeo, Spain

    Playa de las Catedrales

    Natural stone arches form a walkable "cathedral" at low tide, then disappear entirely when the water returns.

  • Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks.

    Ko Samui, Thailand

    Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks (Hin Ta Hin Yai)

    This natural rock formation has an anatomical aesthetic.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.