An Unusual Hidden Indiana Wonder Is The Largest Free-Standing Rock Formation In The Eastern Half Of The US

The first person to go strolling by "Jug Rock," as its been dubbed, must have been a bit confused. The single, freestanding stone pillar with a flat, table-like platform on top looks artificially hewn or sort of dropped into place from above. But before anyone go blurting, "It was aliens," Jug Rock is the result of a peculiar pattern of erosion. Temperature fluctuations, water and wind, and a fairly unshielded location: These are the things that crafted jug rock, the largest freestanding table rock in the United States east of the Mississippi River. But, Jug Rock is unique in that there's no obvious river or lake nearby to help give its very weird, signature shape.

Located at the northwest tip of Hoosier National Forest in Shoals, Indiana, Jug Rock is more or less equidistant from Indianapolis, Evansville, and Louisville. This makes the 60-inch-tall stony oddity the ideal target for a cool road trip or side excursion, especially if you're already paying Hoosier National Forest a visit. The low-elevation, 204,000-acre hilly forest has the usual array of laidback hiking, biking, and horseriding trails of lengths ranging from half-a-mile to 45 miles.

The entire forest, including Jug Rock, is located right in the middle of a chunk of land in Southwestern Indiana called the Mansfield Formation. This geological swath contains loads of sandstone formations intermixed with quartz, which explains Jug Rock's origin and also makes for some nice rock-sighting activities while poking through the area. You can also incorporate Jug Rock into a tour of some of Indiana's other strange and unique offerings, like the optical illusion, Gravity Hill, and the Tulip Trestle steel-girded bridge.

By itself, Jug Rock is a cool and weird find. But if you're trying to hit some of Indiana's other unusual, quirky finds, then Jug Rock is a good place to start or end. There's a little pullover off of Indiana Route 150 right near Jug Rock where you can park, a very short walk through a wooded path to the rock, and that's that. The surrounding area is called Jug Rock Nature Preserve, which is a cute, if generous, take.

You can launch your day trip of strange Indiana sites from Indianapolis and head south along a winding path of interstates and routes takes about three-and-a-half hours, plus stops. Gravity Hill, just southwest of Indianapolis off of I-70, is similar to Magnetic Hill along the road tripper's dream drive in far-north Ladakh, India. There's some sort of optical illusion along the road that makes it look cars parked in neutral roll uphill. Beautiful Cataract Falls off of Route 231 isn't so much a bizarre place as it is a unique, terraced waterall great for kayacking or just admiring. If you want something a little more commonplace, nearby and scenic Wasatch Lake makes a good spot to rest, swim, do some boating, etc. 

A bit further south you've got the Tulip Trestle accessible via Route 157. Built in 1906, the terrifying, 157-foot high, steel-girded railroad bridge looks like it could topple over any second, but is apparently still in use today. From there you can head to Bluespring Caverns off of Route 50 and tour an underground river that flows through a cave. Jug Rock caps this itinerary, much like the teetering table stone on top of it. 

Jug Rock is located on the northern edge of tiny Shoals, Indiana (population 700). With or without a trip to some of Indiana's other unusual sites, it makes sense to stop by Shoals while visiting Jug Rock. There's a nice little diner, Velma's Diner, located along Shoal's main drag that runs across some railroad tracks. Shoal's downtown contains a couple other key offerings to cover all bases: a pizza place called Faytastic Pizza, a coffee shop called Bauer Family Coffee Shop and Bakery, and a drive-in called Bo-Mac's Drive In. Any of these places make perfect pit stops.

Shoals and Jug Rock are also located along the edge of Hoosier National Park, which is not to be confused with Hoosier Hill, the highest point in the state at 1,257 feet high, located almost three hours away by car. The park has a host of easy-going trails for hiking, and requires permits for biking and horseback riding. You can go in for a day or half-day, do some hiking and picnicking, or even camp overnight in a spot like Buzzard Roost and do some fishing or swimming. For those who want a little more of a daring outing, Lark Valley Ziplines — located directly inside the park — has you covered. They've got smaller zip lines, but also three Mega-Lines, as they call them, spanning 2,500 feet and reaching up to 60 miles per hour. Plus, the whole operation seems very kid-friendly.