Ringing Rocks Loop and Creek Trail

Nestled in the woods of Ringing Rocks Park is a geologic oddity. The 123-acre Bucks County Park, located in southeastern Pennsylvania, is home to the county’s largest waterfall; but, the main attraction here are the rocks.

The park’s approximately seven-acre boulder field contains boulders of various sizes and shapes piled about ten feet high. What makes this field of rocks a special attraction are the sounds the rocks make when struck by various items, especially a hammer or another rock. Like a clapper on a bell, the hammer makes rocks emit a ringing sound. Yet, not all the rocks in the field have this same tonal quality. When struck, some rocks just have a dull thud. This is just one of the curiosities about the ringing rocks.

Typically, boulder fields are located at the bottom of a hill, but Ringing Rocks’ boulder field is on the top of a hill. Currently, how the field was formed is unclear since there are no indicators that a glacier created it. Another oddity is that there is very little lichen growth on the rocks. The park’s boulders are mostly diabase, the main substance of the earth’s crust. They have a significant amount of aluminum and iron. The size of the boulder does not determine the sound and both the ringing and non-ringing rocks look the same. Some researchers suggest the placement of the boulders contributes to their ringing sounds. However, some individual rocks have been tested in the laboratory and they still ring. To date, researchers cannot explain why it seems the rocks in the rest of the park do not ring. Whatever the reason some rocks ring, adventurers should bring their own hammer and wander from rock to rock, striking the boulders seeking the best sounding rocks in their own “rock concert”.

After exploring the boulder field, take the park’s Loop trail and test some of the park’s other rocks, or just enjoy a pleasant forest hike. The trail leads through some rocky terrain with several muddy sections. Boards and stepping stones are placed in some regularly muddy areas. The trail has delicate wildflowers and leads to a scenic overlook of the waterfall.

Creek Trail is an off-shoot from Loop trail. It is a short, rocky, out and back trail leading to up-close views of the park’s creek. Return to Loop trail and circle back to the boulder field to make more rocks chime, or return to the trailhead to complete a unique ringing rocks adventure.