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Finding Crowley Lake Columns

The Weird, the Unusual!

By Michele JamesPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
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Crowley Lake Columns

So one Sunday morning found us driving HWY 395. Needless to say, when you are driving for any length of time you tend to think a lot. Mike and I have always been able to drive in a companionable silence. We don't find it awkward and we don't feel the need to fill the silence with idle chit chat. To some this may seem weird but to us it is completely normal.

So we are cruising along and I'm thinking about all the places that I have on my list that I wanted to hit in the next two weeks. One place that I have always wanted to visit was the Crowley Lake Columns. I mentioned it to Mike and he was all for it. So I looked up the columns and found a blog with some directions to them. Away we went! Well, let's just cut to the chase, I suck at writing but next to this joker who's blog we were trying to follow, I was Ernest Hemingway. His directions were somewhat confusing. So much so that Mike told me that I should start a blog. For anyone that knows me, they know that I am called wrong way for I am directionally challenged. So for Mike to suggest this was HUGE. Anyhow, a blog was born.

DIRECTIONS:

Driving on Highway 395, you will go East on Benton Crossing Road. Exactly two miles after you pass the dirt road named Layton Springs Road you will see a small dirt road off to the right (watch your odometer). You turn right on this road and follow it to the second road to the right. The road goes up the hill. It is definitely a 4WD road. You will drive along this dirt road for about 15 minutes as you make your way to the beach. When you reach the beach, you can continue to drive left if your car can do it or you can park here and hike along the beach to the left to eventually reach the columns. There are about two miles of beach with the columns and caves. Just a warning, the sand is deep. You will hurt the next day!

HISTORY:

After California’s Crowley Lake reservoir was completed in 1941, strange column-like formations were spotted on the water body’s eastern shore. The rising gray and stony cylinders have cracks ringing around them at intervals of about 1 foot and have inspired comparisons to Moorish temples.

These are cemented into place by minerals that are resistant to erosion, and appear to be related to a large volcanic explosion that took place about 760,000 years ago. Scientists say that the blast was more than 2,000 times larger than that of the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, and created the Long Valley Caldera that holds the Crowley reservoir today.

DIRECTIONS:

Driving on Highway 395, you will go East on Benton Crossing Road. Exactly two miles after you pass the dirt road named Layton Springs Road you will see a small dirt road off to the right (watch your odometer). You turn right on this road and follow it to the second road to the right. The road goes up the hill. It is definitely a 4WD road. You will drive along this dirt road for about 15 minutes as you make your way to the beach. When you reach the beach, you can continue to drive left if your car can do it or you can park here and hike along the beach to the left to eventually reach the columns. There are about two miles of beach with the columns and caves. Just a warning, the sand is deep. You will hurt the next day!

HISTORY:

After California’s Crowley Lake reservoir was completed in 1941, strange column-like formations were spotted on the water body’s eastern shore. The rising gray and stony cylinders have cracks ringing around them at intervals of about 1 foot and have inspired comparisons to Moorish temples.

These are cemented into place by minerals that are resistant to erosion, and appear to be related to a large volcanic explosion that took place about 760,000 years ago. Scientists say that the blast was more than 2,000 times larger than that of the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, and created the Long Valley Caldera that holds the Crowley reservoir today.

activitiesbudget travelcouples travelfamily traveltravel photography
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About the Creator

Michele James

Michele is a passionate photographer who loves to blog about and photograph things of historical interest. Her blog and photography bring unique places of historical interest to people. In a way, making them explorers too!

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