Balanced Rock
A perched block.
mark byzewski — CC BY 2.0 · mark byzewski — CC BY 2.0 · Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer; Detroit Publishing Co., publisher — Public domain · mark byzewski — CC BY 2.0 · mark byzewski — CC BY 2.0
Garden of the Gods is a public park in Colorado Springs, Colorado, about 7 km northwest of the city centre in a straight line. It covers about 543 hectares, much of which was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. The red rocks formed millions of years ago during the great geological upheaval that raised the Rocky Mountains. Evidence shows people visited around 1330 BC and that Native American peoples later camped here, sheltering under rock overhangs. In 1859 two surveyors explored the site; one suggested it would make a fine beer garden, and his companion replied that it was fit for the gods to assemble, giving it its name. In 1909 the family of Charles Perkins gave the land to the city on condition that it remain a free public park. Towering fins of red and pink sandstone rise from a green plain, glowing orange at sunrise, with snow-capped Pikes Peak on the horizon. Among the best-known formations is Balanced Rock, a huge block that seems to perch on a tiny base. Entry is free, and roads and walking paths wind among the rocks. A visitor and nature centre opened just outside the park in 1995. Sunrise is the finest time, when the red stone glows.
A perched block.
Sandstone.
On the horizon.
Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Yes, by the donors' condition.
Sunrise.