Paul Bunyan's Woodpile – Elberta, Utah - Atlas Obscura
What's near me?

Paul Bunyan's Woodpile

Elberta, Utah

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

Left: Paul Bunyan's Woodpile av6363
Right: The informational sign. av6363
The informational sign. av6363
37
195
Top Places in Utah
Museum of Ancient Life
Lehi, Utah
Thistle Ghost Town
Fairview, Utah
Summum Pyramid
Salt Lake City, Utah
 See All

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.

geology rocks geological oddities natural wonders
Community Contributors
av6363
Added By
av6363
t
t
Annetta Black
Edited by
trevor, tombacus, Annetta Black
Edit this listing
Suggest an Edit Add Photos
  • 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.
Nearby
Silver City Cemetery
9.56 miles
Tintic Standard Reduction Mill
19.06 miles
Devil's Kitchen
22.66 miles
Near This Place
Eureka, Utah

Silver City Cemetery

These headstones and a few stone foundations are all that remain of a once-booming mining town.
Genola, Utah

Tintic Standard Reduction Mill

The remains of this early 20th century refinery loom on a mountainside like a graffiti-covered fortress.
Payson, Utah

Devil's Kitchen

A dazzling display of red rocks weathered into spires and hoodoos.
Spanish Fork, Utah

Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple

Despite sitting firmly in the global cradle of Mormonism this Hare Krishna temple is host to one of the largest color festivals outside India.
Related Places
Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

Sasso Menicante (Trembling Stone)

This massive rock balanced for thousands of years being tossed here during a volcanic eruption.
Bourail, New Caledonia

Bonhomme de Bourail

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

Growing Rock of Usterling

Nestled within a German forest is an intriguing, growing rock.
Nokia, Finland

Pirunpesä (The Devil's Nest)

This honeycomb-textured tafone looks like a petrified troll head.