Paul Bunyan's Woodpile – Elberta, Utah - Atlas Obscura
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Paul Bunyan's Woodpile

Elberta, Utah

This lava formation earned its whimsical name from the log-like formation of it stones. 

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Paul Bunyan's Woodpile av6363 (Atlas Obscura User)
Left: Paul Bunyan's Woodpile av6363 (Atlas Obscura User)
Right: The informational sign. av6363 (Atlas Obscura User)
The informational sign. av6363 (Atlas Obscura User)
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Despite being known for his exploits as a lumberjack, the so-called Paul Bunyan’s Woodpile is a unique rock formation in the middle of the Utah desert.

The geometric basalt fins that jut up from the desert landscape earned their fairytale name from the stacked appearance of their volcanic folds. They were formed when ancient lava roiled up and cooled into “logs” that stacked into a series of ridges and arches. From the side, the profile of the individual “logs” shows a sharply geometric shape nearly a foot in diameter each. If Paul Bunyan did fell these giant lava logs, his story would be much more explosive.  

Know Before You Go

Take the unmarked dirt road on the east side of Hwy 6. The road is about 15 miles south of Eureka and 3 miles north of Jericho Junction (the turn off to Little Sahara). Take the dirt road for about 3.5 miles to a marked trailhead. The "woodpile" is about 1 mile from the trail head.

rocks geological oddities natural wonders geology nature
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Published
February 24, 2012
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  • Despite being known for his exploits as a lumberjack, the so-called Paul Bunyan's Woodpile is a unique rock formation in the middle of the Utah desert. The geometric basalt fins that jut up from the desert landscape earned their fairytale name from the stacked appearance of their volcanic folds. They were formed when ancient lava roiled up and cooled into "logs" that stacked into a series of ridges and arches. From the side, the profile of the individual "logs" shows a sharply geometric shape nearly a foot in diameter each. If Paul Bunyan did fell these giant lava logs, his story would be much more explosive.
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