Standing Rocks: Ancient Erosion Remnants (GM-35)
Standing rocks are pillar-like masses of rock that stand alone, detached from the main body of bedrock in an adjacent cliff or hillside. The several standing rocks in Indiana include Jug Rock and Pedestal Rock near Shoals in Martin County, Salt Shake Rock near Sulfur in Crawford County, and Pompey's Pillar near Napoleon in Ripley County. The Seven Pillars of the Mississinewa near Peru in Miami County are similar in structure but are still attached to the parent rock and therefore are almost, but not quite, standing rocks.

As standing rocks are merely erosion remnants shaped by frost, plant roots and running water action on joints in the rock, continued weathering and erosion will ultimately destroy them. Pedestal Rock in Shades State Park collapsed a few years ago after a severe storm. Only a pile of shattered sandstone slabs was left.

Our Hoosier State Beneath Us: Geomorphology