The mystical wasteland of Castle Rock Badlands (8 photos + 1 video)

These limestone formations, whose majestic silhouettes reek of antiquity and a little mysticism, rise above the Kansas prairies.





Castle Rock, which has served as a monument to Native Americans and European settlers for centuries, rises more than 60 feet above the rolling prairie of western Kansas. This is all that remains after erosion from the Cretaceous period of the Western Interior Seaway.



This special layer of rock is known as Niobrara Chalk. It was formed by microscopic organisms that inhabited the shallow seaway. The geological formation also contains fossils from the sea. These are giant mollusks, flying reptiles and mosasaurs.





Chalk is very fragile. In 2001, most of the tallest and most majestic spire fell after a thunderstorm, reducing the total height by almost half. All that was left of the fourth spire was a chip. The wind and rain that formed this geological miracle are today its destroyers. And human influence, unfortunately, only accelerated this process.



South of Castle Rock is the Castle Rock Badlands. They consist of steep crevices and piles descending from a large ridge. The systems are very fragile: in 1998, one of them, known as Cobra Rock, collapsed. Like Castle Rock and nearby cliffs, they are composed of chalk and Niobrara shale.



The crevices provide shelter for several species of small plants and animals. The peaks also serve as nesting areas for native birds such as great horned owls, hawks and kestrels. In the summer you can see lizards busily darting from hole to hole, mule deer, antelope, coyotes, kangaroo rats, black-tailed hares and prairie dogs. The remoteness of the area from civilization allows visitors to feel like pioneers and feel the slowly fading breath of antiquity.