What are rocks, one may ask? A rock is a solid mass of geological materials. Geological materials include individual mineral crystals, inorganic non-mineral solids like glass, pieces broken from other rocks, and even fossils. A rock can be composed of only one type of geological material or mineral, but many are composed of several types. What then, are the largest rocks in the world?
Sometimes referred to as monoliths, rocks are unique and there are several large rocks across the world in various locations, In this article, we are going to go round and pick the largest rocks in the world.
Follow us for this amazing piece of information on the largest rocks in the world.
Some countries that have the largest rocks in the world have capitalized on the huge numbers visiting the area to drive capital out of them by making them worthy destinations for people who desire to see these natural things.
Largest rocks in the world
Rocks come in various types and of different sizes as we would find out in this article with some way larger than others. There are three kinds of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Now let us look at the largest rocks in the world.
1. El Penon de Guatape
Piedra de Penol or El Peñon de Guatape is a massive stone rising over 200 meters (650 feet) out of the flat ground of Guatape, Colombia.
The rock, almost entirely smooth, has one long crack, the one that the first climbers used in ascending it.
In the crack was later wedged a 649-step masonry staircase, the only way to get to the top.
2. Largest rocks in the world: Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, 16 miles east of Atlanta, Georgia.
Outside the park is the small city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state of Georgia.
The top of Stone Mountain rises 251 meters (825 feet) above the surrounding area and provides a beautiful view of Atlanta. The bas-relief on the mountain’s north face is the biggest in the world.
3. Largest rocks in the world: Bukit Kelam
Bukit Kelam is located in Indonesia and is one of the largest rocks in the world. It is indeed the largest rock in Indonesia with an elevation of 1,002 m.
According to folklore, the rock came about when an ugly monster wanted to marry the lovely Princess Dara Juanti. But the Princess’ protector cursed the monster and it fell over and died, turning into a huge rock.
4. Rock of Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar is quite a popular rock in the world. The Rock of Gibraltar is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom on the southern coast of Spain at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.
The Rock of Gibraltar is home to some 27,800 Gibraltarians and 250 Barbary macaques.
It is 426 m high. Most of the Rock’s upper area is covered by a nature reserve, and that is where Barbary Macaques are found.
5. Pena de Bernal
Peña de Bernal is located in Mexico and it is the largest monolith there which is located in San Sebastian Bernal, a small town in the state of Queretaro.
The rock rises 350 meters above the town and was formed some 100 million years ago during the Jurassic period when it was at least three times higher than today.
It is one of the most touristic sites near the capital of Querétaro and is considered one of the 13 Wonders of Mexico.
6. Largest rocks in the world: Stawamus Chief
This rock is locally known as the Chief, it is a massive cliff face and it is one of North America’s largest granite monoliths.
All of the Chief’s three main summits are accessible via the maintained backside hiking trails.
The peaks offer breathtaking views of Howe Sound and the town below.
The trail is primarily used for hiking, rock climbing, camping, and nature trips and is best used from March until November.
7. El Capitan
El Capitan is one of the most famous sights in Yosemite National Park. It rises almost 910 meters (3,000 feet) vertically from Yosemite Valey.
It is one of the favorite challenges among expert rock climbers.
Warren J. Harding, Wayne Merry, and George Whitmore were the first to climb the Nose of El Capitan using ropes, pitons, and expansion bolts in 1958.
El Capitan is one of the most iconic rock formations in the world, and also one of the largest rocks in the world.
8. Ben Amera
Ben Amera is a rock found in Mauritania. It is a rock yet to quite attain its full potential in terms of generating revenue to the people as it is left untapped.
According to some sources, it is the second-largest monolith in the world after Uluru.
Ben Amera is located 5km from Tmeimichat. Tmeimichat is a small village on the route of the desert train between Nouadhibou and Zouerate.
Ben Amera is Africa’s largest monolith rising 633m (2027ft) above the desert floor.
9. Devils Tower
Rising some 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, standing 867 feet from summit to base, is the Devils Tower, one of the largest rocks in the world.
The Devils Tower rock is located in the Black Hills in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming.
Devils Tower was declared a United States National Monument in 1906 by the then President, Theodore Roosevelt.
The mountain became world-famous in 1977 when it was chosen as the location of the alien-human rendezvous point in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning science fiction film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
10. Largest rocks in the world: Uluru
Located in Australia, Uluru is one of the iconic landmarks in that country, located some 335 km (208 miles) southwest of the nearest large town, Alice Springs.
Uluru holds the title of the largest monolith/rock in the world.
Uluru is sacred to indigenous Australians and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago.
Uluru got its name, Ayers Rock from the explorer William Gosse, believed to be the first non-Aboriginal person to see Uluru, who named it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time in 1873.
This has been Stepcountry.com bringing you the top 10 largest rosck in the world
