This Gigantic Floating Rock In Massachusetts Is Too Weird For Words

This hidden park in Massachusetts is truly one-of-a-kind. Featuring a massive boulder that seems to be defying the laws of physics, Balance Rock State Park is one natural destination that should go on your Bay State bucket list. Keep scrolling to find out more.

Google/Andrew Cymbalski

Balance Rock State Park is located in Pittsfield and Lanesborough, Massachusetts. It’s actually part of the Pittsfield State Forest, a sprawling woodland of more than 11,000 acres. Balance Rock State Park itself is much smaller, but still a top-notch destination because of one incredible attraction.

Tripadvisor/Don S.

This park is named after a true natural oddity — a 165-ton boulder that appears to be precariously balanced on top of a slab of bedrock. This massive stone is 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and looks as if the slightest breeze might knock it from its perch. However, appearances can be deceiving.

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This bizarre boulder has actually been balancing since the last glacial era. As ice moved across the landscape, it picked up debris and "pebbles" such as this large stone. As the glaciers retreated, Balancing Rock was left in a precarious position, held in place by its own tremendous weight and a bit of luck.

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Google/Jeff Garzone

Visitors to the rock will notice that it has been adorned with quite a bit of graffiti on one side. While you might think this is unsightly vandalism at first, a closer examination of the markings reveals that people have been commemorating their visit to this natural curiosity since the early 1800s. Between and beneath the spray paint, you can see graffiti from 19th-century visitors scratched into the stone.

Google/Mc

Finding Balance Rock takes a bit of luck as well. To get to the park, get on Rt. 7 in Lanesborough and drive until you reach Bull Hill Road on the left, next to the Lanesborough Country Inn. Take Bull Hill Road and continue until you see Balance Rock Road on the right. After a bit of a drive, the gate to the state park will be on your right. Reaching the rock itself will require about a mile of hiking on a well-marked trail. Click here for detailed directions and a map.

For more of the strangest things to do and see in Massachusetts, check out this list of the 12 weirdest places you can possibly go in the Bay State.