Castle Rock (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
Castle Rock is a geological limestone
stack
and tourist attraction located 3 miles (5 km) north of St. Ignace, Michigan
on Interstate 75
in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
, was created by erosion of surrounding land. After the Wisconsinan Glaciation
, post-glacial Lake Algonquin formed. The Ice Age
melt off caused the waters of Lake Algonquin to be much higher than the water level of Lake Huron is today. Over time, the declining water eroded much of the land. Castle Rock, which resisted this erosion, is made of limestone breccia
; it is a sea stack
or sea chimney, geologically similar to several features on nearby Mackinac Island
, such as Arch Rock
or Sugar Loaf
.
Local residents have told many stories about Castle Rock and its mythical and actual history. It has been advertised as "Ojibway's Lookout", but the nearby hill of Rabbit's Back
was more than likely the true lookout. Heroic statues of Paul Bunyan
and his sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox, greet visitors to the rock, and there is a gift shop.
C. C. Eby purchased the stack and an adjacent tourist stand in 1928, and opened Castle Rock to the public. It continues to be owned and operated by the Eby family as a seasonal tourist attraction. It is open for visitors from early May through mid-October. Visitors are encouraged to climb an outdoor staircase to the top of the rock. A small admission fee is charged. Admission fee is $1.00 per person, as of 2010.
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....
stack
Stack (geology)
A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...
and tourist attraction located 3 miles (5 km) north of St. Ignace, Michigan
St. Ignace, Michigan
Saint Ignace, usually written as St. Ignace, is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,678. It is the county seat of Mackinac County. From the Lower Peninsula, St. Ignace is the gateway to the Upper Peninsula.St...
on Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Description
Castle Rock, which rises 195.8 feet (59 m) over the waters of nearby Lake HuronLake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, was created by erosion of surrounding land. After the Wisconsinan Glaciation
Wisconsinan glaciation
The Wisconsin Glacial Episode was the most recent major advance of the North American Laurentide ice sheet. Globally, this advance is known as the last glacial period. The Wisconsin glaciation extended from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago, between the Eemian interglacial and the current...
, post-glacial Lake Algonquin formed. The Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
melt off caused the waters of Lake Algonquin to be much higher than the water level of Lake Huron is today. Over time, the declining water eroded much of the land. Castle Rock, which resisted this erosion, is made of limestone breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
; it is a sea stack
Stack (geology)
A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...
or sea chimney, geologically similar to several features on nearby Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
, such as Arch Rock
Arch Rock (Mackinac Island)
Arch Rock is a geologic formation on Mackinac Island in Michigan. It is a natural limestone arch formed during the Nipissing post-glacial period, a period of high Lake Huron levels following the end of the Wisconsin glaciation...
or Sugar Loaf
Sugar Loaf (Mackinac Island)
Sugar Loaf is a 75-foot-high landlocked rock or stack in the interior of Mackinac Island in Lake Huron. Created by erosion during the period of postglacial Lake Algonquin, Sugar Loaf is the largest post-glacial erosion feature in the Straits of Mackinac...
.
Local residents have told many stories about Castle Rock and its mythical and actual history. It has been advertised as "Ojibway's Lookout", but the nearby hill of Rabbit's Back
Rabbit's Back
Rabbit's Back, also called Rabbit Back, is an elevated promontory that extends eastward into Lake Huron. It is located 4 miles north of St. Ignace in the U.S. state of Michigan....
was more than likely the true lookout. Heroic statues of Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan is a lumberjack figure in North American folklore and tradition. One of the most famous and popular North American folklore heroes, he is usually described as a giant as well as a lumberjack of unusual skill, and is often accompanied in stories by his animal companion, Babe the Blue...
and his sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox, greet visitors to the rock, and there is a gift shop.
C. C. Eby purchased the stack and an adjacent tourist stand in 1928, and opened Castle Rock to the public. It continues to be owned and operated by the Eby family as a seasonal tourist attraction. It is open for visitors from early May through mid-October. Visitors are encouraged to climb an outdoor staircase to the top of the rock. A small admission fee is charged. Admission fee is $1.00 per person, as of 2010.