CASTLE ROCK, Colorado – Castle Rock, Colorado, a town just around 45 minutes south of Denver, is literally named after the iconic rock that stands out pretty clearly above the town’s neighborhoods. What makes this rock especially interesting, outside of it’s straight up good views, is what holds it together. Why did all of the rock around it erode, while this one was able to stand strong? Rocky Mountain PBS talked with Denver Museum of Nature and Science researchers to get the fascinating answer.
“Denver Museum of Nature and Science researchers found that Castle Rock’s durability is due to microscopic amounts of the colorful gemstone opal.“
Microscopic amounts of opal in the ‘cement’ of the rock hold it all together. Now, as an important note, you won’t be able to extract opal from this rock, so don’t think you can go breaking off bits and pieces to make some cash or get some fancy jewelry.
With that said, if you do want to go check out this iconic landmark, the town offers a 1.5 mile, difficult rated trail that takes you up single track until you reach the top. It does feature 370-feet of elevation change from bottom-to-top on fairly uneven terrain, and the town website recommends being aware of falling rock and debris. But, if you can get up to the top, you’re sure to see some stunning views of the Front Range.