Madison Boulder – Madison, New Hampshire - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Madison Boulder

Wayside Geological Park
Madison, New Hampshire

A very big rock just plopped down in the New England woods.  

View all photos
Madison Boulder Natural Area in Madison, New Hampshire, USA nhgeology.org (none)
Madison Boulder Natural Area in Madison, New Hampshire, USA nhgeology.org (none)
One Man vs. Glacial Erraticism Willymjr (Atlas Obscura User)
318
881
Top Places in New Hampshire
Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone
Concord, New Hampshire
Graves of the Smuttynose Murder Victims
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Country Tavern Restaurant
Nashua, New Hampshire
 See All

Madison Boulder is thought to be the largest glacial erratic - an erratic being a boulder of a certain type of rock that was transported by glacial ice and deposited on bedrock of different type of rock - in North America.

At 23 feet high, 37 feet front-to-back, and 85 feet left-to-right Madison Boulder is estimated to weigh almost 12 million pounds, roughly the weight of 36 blue whales. It was once part of a ledge of Conway Granite and was transported about two miles south to its current location where it now sits on a deposit of Concord Granite.

Know Before You Go

If you follow the signs to the park you'll end at a small parking lot. It's about 10 minutes down the trail to the boulder.

geological oddities natural wonders geology nature
Nearby
Castle in the Clouds
16.76 miles
The Old Country Store and Museum
16.98 miles
Willey House Site
18.22 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
A stone house with red roof overlooking a green lawn as shown from the side.
Moultonborough, New Hampshire

Castle in the Clouds

The early 20th-century home features cutting-edge technology of the day, such as ammonia refrigeration and needle showers.
The Old Country Store Museum
Moultonborough, New Hampshire

The Old Country Store and Museum

This store also houses a museum dedicated to the history of these small, historic community shops.
The house is gone but its story lives on.
Bartlett, New Hampshire

Willey House Site

This cabin survived a landslide that killed its owners.
Grave of Claude Rains and his wife
Moultonborough, New Hampshire

Claude Rains Grave

The final resting place of the man who played the Invisible Man.
Related Places
Winona, Missouri

Rocky Falls

A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.
Slumgullion mass wasting area
Lake City, Colorado

Slumgullion Earthflow

This National Natural Landmark is one of the best examples of a “mass wasting” in the world.
Looking Glass Rock seen from the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Brevard, North Carolina

Looking Glass Rock

This granite rock face is named for the magnificent reflection that occurs when the sun hits it just right.
Sasso Menicante on Monte Cimino
Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

Sasso Menicante (Trembling Stone)

This massive rock balanced for thousands of years being tossed here during a volcanic eruption.
Appears in 1 List
Rollstone Boulder
List

13 Places to Celebrate Erratic Behavior

If you’re one of those “everything in its place” people, you’re going to hate this.
Gemma Tarlach February 15, 2022
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web