Designated 1968 Period Late Cretaceous | Elevation 802 m | |
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Address Gove 16, Oakley, KS 67748, USA Biome Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Similar Fick Fossil & History Museum, Mushroom Rock State Park, Smoky Hills, El Quartelejo Ruins, Rock City | ||
Monument Rocks (also Chalk Pyramids) are a series of large chalk formations in Gove County, Kansas, rich in fossils. The formations were the first landmark chosen by the US Department of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark. The chalk formations reach a height of up to 70 ft (21 m) and include formations such as buttes and arches. The carbonate deposits were laid down during the Cretaceous Period in what was then the Western Interior Seaway, which split the continent of North America into two landmasses. They are estimated to have been formed 80 million years ago.
History
On January 29, 2008, Monument Rocks, 25 miles south of Oakley, Kansas, and Castle Rock, 31 miles to the east, were jointly named as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.
References
Monument Rocks (Kansas) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA