Beartown Rocks! How They Got That Way

Does Beartown rock? You bet! Rocks, remarkably shaped and deeply colorful, are the main attractions at Beartown State Park in northern Greenbrier County (GPS: Lat. 38.05152, Long. -80.27526). Being a Geologist has allowed me, in my mind’s eye, to look into the past and interpret how rocks have been modified by erosion over thousands of years. The geologic name for the rock at Beartown is the Droop Mountain Sandstone (or Pottsville Sandstone), which was formed by the sands of an ancient sea some 300 million years ago. The rock is composed primarily of coarse grains of sand and small amounts of clay minerals—both visible to the naked eye. The sand and clay is cemented together by a hard silica matrix, which makes it resistant to decomposition.

Overhang of Droop Mountain Sandstone

Carved by time and the elements, these rocks have been wrought into angular boulders, rounded stones, and narrow crevices. The crevices cris-cross the area dividing the bedrock into large stone islands as shown on the Park Map. The intersecting crevices resemble streets, and the stone islands look like city blocks. Couple this with a natural habitat for bears in the clefts and caves, and you have the name Beartown. To make matters interesting, the Droop Mountain Sandstone sits on a soft layer of shale composed primarily of clay minerals. Thus the heavy sandstone blocks at Beartown are prone to sinking and tilting on this soft under layer.

Park Map

Tilting Sandstone Block

The display of stone is awesome and diverse. Some of the blocks are angular while others are softly rounded. Slabs of stone rest upon one another at uneasy angles. Vertical rock walls give way to gravity-defying overhangs. The diverse shapes suggest a sculptor’s hand at work. Indeed, the erosive processes of nature are the sculptors at Beartown, and her sculptures abound. Irregularities in the cementation of the sandstone have been accentuated by the elements. Water and ice have slowly but surely worn away the stone to varying degrees. The softer zones of the rock have been hollowed out leaving a dazzling array of vertical and horizontal flutes and narrow ridges. In other places, rounded depressions, shallow holes, and deep pits have been hollowed out of the exposed vertical walls of the Droop Mountain sandstone. The shapes formed by the erosion of the sandstone are exquisite in their diversity and will delight the eye of any passer-by.  

Deep Cleft in Rock

Pits and Flutes Carved in Sandstone

Beartown State Park: Off the Beaten Path

Our Nation’s Capital may be known for its museums and fine art galleries, but nestled in the hills of Greenbrier County, there lies a Museum of both Natural History and Art that rivals any Washington has to offer. I’m referring to Beartown State Park, a 107 acre natural preserve perched on the eastern slopes of Droop Mountain seven miles south of Hillsboro on US 219. The park (GPS: Lat. 38.05152, Long. -80.27526) was established in 1970 with funds from the Nature Conservancy and a donation from Mrs. Edwin G. Polan in memory of her son, Ronald Keith Neal, who lost his life in the Vietnam War.

Beartown

Beartown Rocks 
Rocks, picturesque and beautiful, are the main attraction at Beartown. Composed of the Droop Mountain Sandstone, these rocks have been carved by time and the elements into angular boulders, rounded stones, and narrow crevices. The crevices criss-cross the area dividing the bedrock into large stone islands. The intersecting crevices resemble streets, and the stone islands look like city blocks. Couple this with a natural habitat for bears in the clefts and caves, and you have the name Beartown.

Beartown

Boardwalks

To preserve the natural beauty of Beartown and make it more accessible, boardwalks and wooden steps wind through the rock crevasses. There’s even a board walk accessible by wheel-chair. The boardwalks, which serve as your guide through this outdoor museum, begin at the top of the rocks and gradually descend downslope and into the rock clefts. Along the way, you’ll also find well-written and informative plaques describing the natural processes as work in Beartown. 

Beartown Boardwalks

The boardwalk begins by weaving between massive blocks of sandstone. The display of stone is awesome and diverse. Some of the blocks are angular while others are softly rounded. Slabs of stone rest upon one another at uneasy angles. Vertical rock walls give way to gravity defying overhangs. Many of the rock monoliths are capped by lush green ferns.

More Boardwalks

Outdoor Art Gallery

As you descend the boardwalk, the crevices seem to narrow and the rock walls get taller. At some point it seems as if you’re walking down the corridors of an elaborate art gallery, the walls of which had been decorated by nature. Red and brown stains due to the weathering of iron-bearing minerals paint the rock walls as well as any human artist could. Sculptures abound as well. Irregularities in the cementation of the sandstone have been accentuated by the elements. Water and ice have slowly but surely worn away the stone. The softer zones of the rock have been hollowed out leaving a dazzling array of vertical and horizontal flutes, narrow ridges, and rounded hollows, holes, and pits. If this wasn’t enough to captivate the eye, moss covers many of the rock walls coating the finely sculptured surfaces in Kelly green.

Beartown

Diamond in the Rough

At Beartown, rocks and plants have combined their talents to create a diamond in the rough, a jewel of nature nestled in the hills of West Virginia. Your only regret at Beartown will be the end of boardwalk signaling that your tour is over. The park is open daily from April to October and is truly worth a trip off-the-beaten path. 

For a magazine article about Beartown click this link Beartown Article.

For info about my new book: "Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia, A Hiker's Guide to Beauty off the Beaten Path" click HERE.