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All the United States Oregon Fort Rock Fort Rock

Fort Rock

A volcanic landmark located on an Ice age lake bed.

Fort Rock, Oregon

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Wave-cut bench on south side. Fort Rock is a broken ring of tuff deposits from an eruptive center that was submerged during the Pleistocene. Hence there are lots of surf-erosion features such as this.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Rock as seen looking east from the rim of Hole in the Ground.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
  Mark Loftin / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Rock July 2017   Extreme Road Trip / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Rock just before closing July 2017   Extreme Road Trip / Atlas Obscura User
trail inside the rock ring   amboy / Atlas Obscura User
fort rock as seen from the highway at dawn   amboy / Atlas Obscura User
against the evenning sun   amboy / Atlas Obscura User
inside the rock ring at dawn   amboy / Atlas Obscura User
west side of the formation   amboy / Atlas Obscura User
  amboy / Atlas Obscura User
  SamM / Atlas Obscura User
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Fort Rock is a volcanic landmark called a tuff ring, located on an Ice age lake bed in north Lake County, Oregon, United States

The ring is about 4,460 feet (1,360 m) in diameter and stands about 200 feet (60 m) high above the surrounding plain. Its tall, straight sides resemble the palisades of a fort, thus giving the rock its name. The region of Fort Rock Basin contains about 40 such tuff rings and maars and is located in the Brothers Fault Zone of central Oregon's Great Basin.

Fort Rock was created when basalt magma rose to the surface and encountered the wet muds of a lake bottom. Powered by a jet of steam, molten basalt was blown into the air, creating a fountain of hot lava particles and frothy ash. The pieces and blobs of hot lava and ash rained down around the vent and formed a saucer-shaped ring of lapilli tuff and volcanic ash sitting like an island in the lake waters. Steam explosions also loosened angular chunks of black and red lava rock comprising the valley floor.

The ring is considered a great place to hike and scramble and not far from another curious geological location known in Oregon as Hole in the Ground

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Geological Oddities Geology

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canuck

Edited By

SamM, amboy, Mark Loftin, Extreme Road Trip...

  • SamM
  • amboy
  • Mark Loftin
  • Extreme Road Trip
  • slgwv
  • ArcaneIndustries

Published

May 21, 2010

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Fort Rock
Fort Rock, Oregon, 97735
United States
43.374516, -121.069808

Nearby Places

Hole in the Ground

Lake, Oregon

miles away

Big Hole

Lake County, Oregon

miles away

Derrick Cave

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Fort Rock

Fort Rock

Oregon

Places 3

Nearby Places

Hole in the Ground

Lake, Oregon

miles away

Big Hole

Lake County, Oregon

miles away

Derrick Cave

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Fort Rock

Fort Rock

Oregon

Places 3

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