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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 ...

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 island...