When people think about Indiana, chances are they think of open, boring, flat land. But, strangely, there is a unique rock formation located in southern Indiana that is truly one-of-a-kind.
Within the town of Shoals lies this odd point of Indiana state pride. It’s a large, very unique geologic feature called Jug Rock.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr The town is so proud of this strange formation that the townspeople even adopted it as their high school mascot, lovingly naming it Roxer Boxer.
Jug Rock is made of sandstone and is believed to be somewhere between 286 and 365 million years old.
PPD/Pixnio It sits on federally protected land on the Jug Rock Nature Preserve.
It stands 42 feet high, and precariously teetering atop the formation is another rock called the stopper.
Figmig/Wikimedia It is illegal (and incredibly dangerous) to climb Jug Rock. The slightest disturbance to the stopper on top could cause it to topple, possibly crushing anyone unwise enough to have tried the climb.
The rock is thought to have been eroded out of a semi-nearby cliffside over hundreds of millions of years. The earliest known written record of it dates back to 1871.
GreeneJeep/Wikimedia
In The Record, geologist E.T. Cox wrote that Jug Rock was “One of the most interesting spots to visit…near the town of Shoals.”
Adam Shweigert/Flickr The rock is certainly strange for the area. It’s the only free-standing table rock formation east of the Mississippi River. It stands alone, surrounded by quiet woods, unlike anything else around it.
There are no rivers nearby and no other sandstone table rocks for hundreds of miles.
Adam Julian/Flickr Jug Rock is very literally its own thing, standing tall and proud and ancient in the woods of Shoal.
To get to the rock, take Highway 50 west of Shoals past the Shoals Overlook Rest Park. About 200 yards downhill from the park is an unmarked pull-off from the highway. Park here, and venture into the woods. The rock is impossible to miss, tucked deep within the trees off the road.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
The town is so proud of this strange formation that the townspeople even adopted it as their high school mascot, lovingly naming it Roxer Boxer.
PPD/Pixnio
It sits on federally protected land on the Jug Rock Nature Preserve.
Figmig/Wikimedia
It is illegal (and incredibly dangerous) to climb Jug Rock. The slightest disturbance to the stopper on top could cause it to topple, possibly crushing anyone unwise enough to have tried the climb.
GreeneJeep/Wikimedia
Adam Shweigert/Flickr
The rock is certainly strange for the area. It’s the only free-standing table rock formation east of the Mississippi River. It stands alone, surrounded by quiet woods, unlike anything else around it.
Adam Julian/Flickr
Jug Rock is very literally its own thing, standing tall and proud and ancient in the woods of Shoal.
Have you ever seen this crazy-cool wonder of geology? What was it like? Tell us about it in the comments!
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Address: 722 Albright Ln, Shoals, IN 47581, USA
