A Gneiss Bench to Sit On

The park faces the Rillito River, and beyond it, the Catalina Mountains.

The lower range of the Catalinas is made of a beautiful type of rock with black and white stripes. ⇓

 

Geologists say it was formed 25 million years ago when two types of granite were combined, blended, and “stretched like taffy” during the up-thrust of the mountains. They call it “gneiss”, pronounced “nice.” ⇓

 

Here it is made into a bench: A Gneiss Bench to Sit On. ⇓

 

Another gneiss bench.
You can sit on the rocks and look out at the mountains from which they came. ⇓

 

A gneiss waterfall in Sabino Canyon. ⇓

 

A Gneiss Bench to Sit On

Tucson, Arizona
Rio Vista Natural Resource Park
Rillito River Park South @ the North end of Tucson Boulevard

Medium: natural rock (Catalina gneiss)
Fabricated by Martin Rockworks

City of Tucson Department of Parks and Recreation
2009