Turnip Rock | |
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Turnip Rock in 1906; by the 21st century the trees were much taller
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Location in Michigan
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Location | Huron County, Michigan |
Coordinates | 44°04′06.04″N 82°57′32.69″W / 44.0683444°N 82.9590806°WCoordinates: 44°04′06.04″N 82°57′32.69″W / 44.0683444°N 82.9590806°W |
Offshore water bodies | Alaska Bay, Lake Huron |
Turnip Rock is a small geological formation in Michigan. It is a stack located in Lake Huron, in shallow water a few meters offshore, near the rock called the Thumbnail which is the extreme tip of Pointe Aux Barques, a small peninsula in Pointe Aux Barques Township which in turn is the extreme tip of The Thumb, a large peninsula comprising several counties in eastern Michigan.
Turnip Rock has been severely undercut by wave action, so that its top has a significantly larger cross-section than its base. Its consequent unusual form, reminiscent of a turnip, has made it a minor attraction for viewing from watercraft, although it is privately owned and not open to the public. Port Austin, the nearest large community, is the usual base for kayaking trips to Turnip Rock. A concrete collar has been built around the base of Turnip Rock at the waterline to retard further undercutting.
Turnip Rock was one of twenty finalists in the 2013 "Seven Wonders of Michigan" contest sponsored by the Detroit Free Press and the Lansing State Journal, but wasn't selected as one of the final seven.