I found this broken piece of Conglomerate rock along the trail at Colditz Cove State Natural Area. Note the quartz pebbles embedded in the rock. There are holes where some of the pebbles have been dislodged.
Rocks in the streams in the Smokies show a tremendous diversity of color and patterns. These smooth stones are made up of shale, slate, quartz, and Thunderhead Sandstone.
, at Big South Fork, is an easy way to get down from the top of the cliff. It looks difficult from the bottom, but it beats having to rappel over the side using a rope. This gives you an idea of how thick some of the sandstone layers can be on the Cumberland Plateau. It is still a long way to No Business Creek at the bottom of the gorge. (see the Big South Fork gallery for more photos)
