Travertine Rock Area

Travertine Rock is a prominent granitic outcrop arising from the surrounding flats. During the periods that Lake Cahuilla (see Lake Cahuilla Beachlines) filled the Salton Basin, the rock stood above the lake level, which is well defined here by an abrupt change of color and rock texture on the outcrop. At the old shoreline, waves cut the rock face and destroyed the darker desert varnish that is clearly visible on the higher portions of the rock. Below the old shoreline, there is a pale brown travertine, a spongelike crust up to 75 centimeters (30 inches) thick, deposited by algae growing in the lake.

Nearby is another outcrop which was a shoal during high water. A sand spit, now modified by wind action, connected Travertine Rock and the shoal with the nearby steep mountain face. Along the mountain front are beach terraces and varicolored waterlines.

The oldest known glyphs in the country, dating approximately 9,000 years B.P., have been discovered in the area.

Integrity: A power line traverses the area and there are graffiti of varying ages.

Use: Private

January 1980