Hey – folks who are madly in love with North Dakota, get a load of this: Did you know it’s the least-visited state in the entire nation? That’s right, fewer people come here every year than, say, Idaho (no offense, Idaho) – and, honestly, this is just plain absurd. North Dakota is the epitome of the wilderness; it’s the be-all, end-all of the North American northern plains, and it’s a natural force to be reckoned with. Hidden within this amazing state are numerous underappreciated natural wonders, like the one we’re going to examine today: the epic (and bizarre) Mushroom Pedestal Formations (and awe-inspiring caprocks) tucked away within Theodore Roosevelt National Park. These strange and beautiful mushroom rock formations in North Dakota are nothing short of spectacular – and we would argue it’s worth visiting just to see them!

To say that Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a beautiful place is to do it a tremendous injustice.
Sathish J/Flickr
This National Park - both its North and South - is a grand spectacle through and through, and there are so many things that make it unique that we can't even list them all here.
One thing that's worth mentioning, though, is the truly unusual and utterly fascinating geology of the region.
Amy Meredith/Flickr
You'll find all sorts of geological and/or geographical wonders here, from a forest of petrified wood to oddball, perfectly-rounded, spherical stone formations to the bizarre features we're going to talk about right now.
The beautiful - and baffling - caprock and caprock formations 'round here are a little bit weird, a little bit awesome - and we wouldn't have them any other way.
steve_h/Flickr
Formed over hundreds of thousands of years by erosion, these bizarre caprock monoliths often resemble mushrooms, with flat tops and skinny "stalks," which is what earned some of them the nickname "Mushroom Pedestal Formations."

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Like much of the park, the formations are certainly eye-catching and photogenic.
29Mazzy/TripAdvisor
The better-known mushroom rock formations are found in the South Unit of the park, though you'll also be able to spot some less-dramatic-looking specimens on the Caprock Coulee Trail in the North Unit.
Geology is an amazing science because it tells stories: stories about the formation of amazing places, long, long, long ago, well before any of us or our immediate ancestors were around.
ccarlstead/Flickr
It's the timelessness of these places that intrigues us the most; though these odd structures will persist for most of - if not all of - our lifetimes, they are still impermanent, forever changing and shifting with the passage of time.
So come on out to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and check out these bizarre geological formations for yourself.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
It's an amazing opportunity to take a look back in time!

To learn more about Theodore Roosevelt National Park and all the amazing things there are to do, see, and experience here, be sure to check out its official NPS website. What parts of this amazing National Park in North Dakota are your favorites? Let us know!

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Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, USA