Castle Rock is a large limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 pillar in Gove County, Kansas

Gove County, Kansas

Gove County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,695...

 reaching nearly 70 feet tall, within the Smoky Hills

Smoky Hills

The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the central United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a dissected plain covered by tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie...

 region.

Description

Castle Rock was a landmark on the Butterfield Overland Despatch route (Overland Trail

Overland Trail

The Overland Trail was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was most heavily used in the 1860s as an alternative route to the Oregon, California and Mormon...

). The chalk was deposited in the area by an ancient inland sea. The formation was formed by the weathering of the chalk by wind and water. It received its name because it is said to look like a castle rising above the prairie. The formation may last only a few more years. Weathering of the rock formation is increasing due to visitors climbing on the rocks. The tallest spire fell following a thunderstorm in 2001. The formation and the nearby badlands

Badlands

A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...

 are located about 14 miles south of I-70 near Quinter, Kansas

Quinter, Kansas

Quinter is a city in Gove County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 918.-History:The city of Quinter is built at the location of an old railroad switching site called Melota. A town named Familton was built there in 1885, consisting originally of a two-story...

.

On January 29, 2008, Castle Rock and Monument Rocks

Monument Rocks (Kansas)

Monument Rocks are a series of large chalk formations in Gove County, Kansas, rich in fossils. It is a National Natural Landmark. It was 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. and include...

 were jointly named as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

See also

Other rock formations in Kansas:

• Monument Rocks (Kansas)
  Monument Rocks (Kansas)
  Monument Rocks are a series of large chalk formations in Gove County, Kansas, rich in fossils. It is a National Natural Landmark. It was 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. and include...
  
  
• Mushroom Rock State Park
  Mushroom Rock State Park
  Mushroom Rock State Park, located in the Smoky Hills region of Kansas, is noted for its mushroom rock formations. These rocks were formed through a process of nonuniform erosion and weathering in which a hard mass of Dakota Sandstone resisted erosion while the underlying softer stone weathered...
  
  
• Rock City, Kansas
  Rock City, Kansas
  Rock City is a park located on hillsides overlooking the Solomon River in Ottawa County, Kansas. It is 3.6 miles south of Minneapolis, Kansas and just over 0.5 mile west of Kansas highway K-106 and the Minneapolis City County Airport on Ivy Road at...