Brimham Rocks is owned and managed by the National Trust. Naturally formed over 320 million years this amazing collection of weird and wonderful millstone grit rock formations makes a great day out for families, climbers and those wanting to enjoy the simple pleasures of fresh air and magnificent views over Nidderdale. Let your imagination run wild as you explore the labyrinth of paths through this unique landscape and keep an eye out for some fantastically shaped rocks. Spot the Dancing Bear, The Eagle and The Gorilla, crawl through The Smartie Tube and balance on the Rocking Stones.
This cache sits between two different habitat types. As you look towards Mushroom Rock you can see the heather moorland and behind you are the rocks that Brimham is famous for. In teh 18th and 19th centuries people visited Brimham and believed that the rocks had been man-made and were carved by hand thousands of years ago. In fact the rocks have been formed by entirely natural processes, starting over 320 million years ago when a vast range of mountains, as big as the Himalayas lay to the north. These were thrown up as continents collided. Mighty rivers washed loose sand, grit and pebbles down from these mountains and flowed into a delta covering half of Yorkshire. As the water slowed down in the delta the grit and mud settled in the river bed. Over millennia these layers compressed and formed the Millstone Grit which Brimham is famous for. During the Ice Age a passing glacier created the Nidderdale valley, but the hard Millstone Grit resisted this erosion and was left exposed as the softer rock was cut away. The rocks were then further sand blasted by wind, rain and frost into the shapes we see today.
Access is via footpaths which are uneven in places and can be muddy.
Parking can be found at N 54° 04.586 W 001° 40.955. Parking is free to National Trust members, non-members pay and display.
Please abide by any geocaching guidelines and note that attempting geocaches on this property is undertaken entirely at your own risk.