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Balanced Rock The forces of erosion are sculpting more than just arches.   Balanced Rock clearly shows the various layers responsible for this amazing defiance of gravity.   The caprock of the hard Slick Rock member of the Entrada Sandstone is perched on a pedestal of mudstone.   This softer Dewey Bridge Member of the Carmel Formation weathers more quickly than the resistant rock above.   Eventually, the faster-eroding Dewey Bridge will cause the collapse of Balanced Rock.   Throughout the Park you can see other balanced rocks, spires, and pinnacles that form as different rock layers erode at different rates.   The rock itself is 55 feet high, and they say it weighs 3500 tons (and my wife blamed ME! for breaking the bathroom scales).   There on the right you can see Chip-Off-The-Old-Block, that fell in the winter of 75-76.   Told ya so....

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