Adobe Rock

Adobe Rock is the first and most conspicuous landmark seen in Tooele Valley. Early pioneers and passers-by used the rock as a high point to view the area, which in that day offered a broad, mountain-rimmed valley filled with chest-high grass and an impressive view of the Great Salt Lake to the north. Because of the view and freshwater springs nearby, it was also an ideal camping spot for travelers going south and west, including the Donner-Reed Party, Brigham Young’s first reconnaissance party to Tooele Valley, the Capt. Howard Stansbury Expedition of the Great Salt Lake, Lincoln Highway Travelers and more. The origin of Adobe Rock primarily rests on two theories. The first is the rock was carried to its present location from the Oquirrh Mountains by an enormous landslide that may have occurred millions of years ago. The second is Adobe Rock owes its existence to earthquake (fault/block) action in the area. The rock may in fact be the exposed summit of a mountain range that lies on a fault line and is buried under thousands of feet of valley silt. Adobe Rock got its name from a small adobe cabin that was built alongside the rock and served as a shelter for travelers.

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