Post by fernwood on Sept 13, 2022 2:20:34 GMT -5
Baraboo Quartzite.
In about 2010 I was helping with ATV trail clean up in the Blue Hills, Rusk County WI.
The boat landing on Perch lake had just been updated. Baraboo Quartzite was used next to the ramp and dock. The pieces were from about 4” to over 12” in size.
When we were doing trail clean up, Baraboo Quartzite was often seen. It is mined in a quarry near the trails.
The largest piece I saw was over 6’ in size. There were many boulders along the trails.
It is often used as road and trail gravel in the area.
Wish I still had the photos I took there.
The Baraboo Quartzite in Rusk County is not known as well as that located near Devil’s Lake, but is the same rock.
Why are the rocks at Devil’s Lake State Park pink or purple? This is a pretty common question. The stone is quartzite, specifically “Baraboo Quartzite” which is as much as 1.5 billion years old and among some of the oldest exposed rock in North America! All Quartzite used to be sandstone that changed (metamorphosed) through time to become the rock you see today. While most quartzite is white or gray, Baraboo Quartzite can range from light pinks to dark purples because it contains iron (hematite) and other impurities which colored the rock.
The folded banding is due to thawing, freezing and the Earth’s movements.
Here are a couple pieces I still have.
They show the unique banding patterns.
In about 2010 I was helping with ATV trail clean up in the Blue Hills, Rusk County WI.
The boat landing on Perch lake had just been updated. Baraboo Quartzite was used next to the ramp and dock. The pieces were from about 4” to over 12” in size.
When we were doing trail clean up, Baraboo Quartzite was often seen. It is mined in a quarry near the trails.
The largest piece I saw was over 6’ in size. There were many boulders along the trails.
It is often used as road and trail gravel in the area.
Wish I still had the photos I took there.
The Baraboo Quartzite in Rusk County is not known as well as that located near Devil’s Lake, but is the same rock.
Why are the rocks at Devil’s Lake State Park pink or purple? This is a pretty common question. The stone is quartzite, specifically “Baraboo Quartzite” which is as much as 1.5 billion years old and among some of the oldest exposed rock in North America! All Quartzite used to be sandstone that changed (metamorphosed) through time to become the rock you see today. While most quartzite is white or gray, Baraboo Quartzite can range from light pinks to dark purples because it contains iron (hematite) and other impurities which colored the rock.
The folded banding is due to thawing, freezing and the Earth’s movements.
Here are a couple pieces I still have.
They show the unique banding patterns.
we had a cabin up in Ojibwa WI l. It was Sawyer Co right above Rusk Co. Beautiful area, love it there! 
