Georgia (545 m) – Largest Exposed Granite Mountain in the World
Stone Mountain is one of the most unique geological features in the American south as well as an important historic site. It is famous for the immense carving of three Confederate heroes: President Jefferson Davis, and Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Formed by a magma flow, Steon Mountain is just the tip of what is effectively a giant granite rock that stretches for miles downward and outward. It is considered by some definitions to be the largest exposed granite mountain in the world.
Once home to the Creek and Chreokee tribes, Stone Mountain became one of the most important sources of granite in the American colonies. In the early 20th century, the immense memorial was carved on the side of the mountain. Unfortunately, this was connected to a darker part of the mountain’s history, as a gathering place for the Ku Klux Klan. Stone Mountain was also the site of several events during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
Stone Mountain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia. An immense tourism infrastructure has grown up around the mountain, including a restored town and plantation forming a living museum. A cable car provides access to the top, although this can also be easily reached by trail on foot. Stone Mountain is approximately 15 miles east of Downtown Atlanta.
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