Granite Dells

Granite rocks are found in many places, and they often erode into spheres if they have numerous joints formed by fractures. What is much more unusual is an area of spherical rocks as large as the Granite Dells, located in central Arizona just outside Prescott.

The thousands of boulders contrast starkly with the two manmade lakes, with unique coves and islands between the two. It is understandably easy to get lost here, especially as many trails thin out between the rocks.

A local symbol of the Prescott area, the Dells have been a recreational draw since the late 19th century. There was a resort until the 1970s, and actor Tom Mix filmed many western movies here. A railroad also ran through the Dells, and as such many visitors' first impressions of Prescott were the otherworldly rocks here.

More recently, despite presence of uranium in the rocks, resort homes have been built on them. This has caused local controversy, with some development plans blocked for the proposed creation of a regional park.