Granite Mountain (Texas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Granite Mountain |
|
|---|---|
Granite Mountain present day
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 965 ft (294 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Burnet County, Texas, United States |
| Geology | |
| Type of rock | Granite |
Granite Mountain is a unique natural feature located in Burnet County, Texas. It's a huge, solid dome of pink granite, sometimes called a bornhardt. This special type of rock is also known as "Sunset Red" because of its beautiful color. For over a hundred years, this mountain has been a very important source of building material.
.jpg)
Contents
Granite Mountain: A Texas Treasure
Granite Mountain is a massive rock formation that rises about 860 feet high. It's located just one mile west of Marble Falls, Texas. Unlike many mountains, Granite Mountain is not made of many different types of rock. Instead, it's a single, giant piece of granite.
Why is Granite Mountain Special?
The granite from this mountain has a distinct pink-red color. This unique color made it a popular choice for important buildings. Mining operations started in the late 1800s. Since then, the granite has been used in many famous structures.
Famous Buildings Made from Granite Mountain
- Texas State Capitol: A very famous building in Austin, Texas, the capital of Texas, was built using granite from this mountain. Its beautiful pink color comes from Granite Mountain.
- Galveston Seawall: This large wall protects the city of Galveston, Texas, from ocean storms. Parts of the seawall were also built with granite from Granite Mountain.
What Does Granite Mountain Look Like Today?
Because of all the mining over the years, Granite Mountain no longer looks like a natural mountain. So much rock has been removed that its original shape has changed a lot. It now looks more like a quarry or a mining site than a natural geographic feature.
Comparing Granite Mountain to Enchanted Rock
If you want to see what a natural granite dome looks like without heavy mining, you can visit Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. This much larger granite dome is also in Texas, west of Marble Falls near Fredericksburg, Texas. Enchanted Rock shows how Granite Mountain might have looked before mining began.
