The Groaning of Enchanted Rock
A huge pink granite dome in Texas creaks and groans at night, as if something inside it were moving.
What was reported
Enchanted Rock is a vast dome of pink granite rising above the Texas Hill Country. People camping near it have long reported hearing strange creaking and groaning sounds after dark, coming from the rock itself. Some also told of ghostly lights flickering on its top.
The Tonkawa and Comanche peoples, who lived in the region, told stories about the rock and the spirits connected to it, and it was regarded as a place of power.
Explanations offered
Geologists say the rock heats up in the sun during the day and expands, then cools and contracts quickly at night, so its outer layers shift and crack, producing the groans. The lights may be moonlight reflecting off wet rock or minerals. It's now a state natural area.
- When
- Heard for centuries
- Where
- Enchanted Rock, near Fredericksburg, Texas, USA
- Witnesses
- Native American peoples, settlers and campers
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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