Waffles. Well there’s a delicious treat! But they’re not just for breakfast these days, don’t you know. Folks now feast on waffles for lunch and dinner (chicken and waffles, anyone?!), too. And, at Jennings Randolph Lake near Elk Garden, West Virginia at least, we’ve also got an extremely unusual, larger than life waffle rock! That’s right: this waffle isn’t even for eating. Everyone, meet Waffle Rock. Waffle Rock, meet everyone.

As you might have already guessed from the name, Waffle Rock looks a bit like a waffle, with a honeycomb pattern mysteriously traced across its surface.
The Slayer of Goblins / Google Maps
What causes this unusual geological formation? First, the original sandstone must have cracked in just this waffle pattern. Iron rich water seeped into the cracks and mixed with the sand particles to form a type of cement.
Dave Grant / Google Maps
That cement is water resistant when regular sandstone is not; as the regular sandstone eroded over years and years, the waffle pattern remained.
Mark Plummer / Flickr

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Originally, years ago, this unusual rock was discovered near Shaw, West Virginia by residents of the small town. But in the 1970s and early 1980s, a dam was constructed and Jennings Randolph Reservoir was formed.
Dave Grant / Google Maps
Water began to pour into the hollows and valleys around Shaw, and eventually completely covered the town of Shaw itself. And the waters of the new reservoir would have buried Waffle Rock, too, except that the rock was identified as a notable geological formation during the construction of the dam and relocated before the new lake began to fill.
Tony Licalzi / Google Maps
Now, this unusual rock formation rests at the entrance to the Jennings Randolph Lake West Virginia Overlook just up the shore from Shaw Beach for visitors to the area to admire. Most of it is there, at least. There's actually a small piece missing from the original Waffle Rock that is reportedly on display at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.
Chad Ray / Google Maps

Have you ever seen the unusual Waffle Rock at Jennings Randolph Lake in Elk Garden, West Virginia? Did you know the story of how it formed? If you love interesting rock formations, don’t miss more of the same along West Virginia’s unique Honeycomb Rocks Trail.

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Waffle Rock, Elk Garden, WV 26717, USA