The Balancing Boulder of North Salem

If you’ve spent time on this webspace, you’ll see that we have a penchant for the intriguing and geological. We just can’t get enough of mystical, mythical, and mysterious rocks and boulders, and there seems to be no shortage of them in Sleepy Hollow Country! This particular one is short and sweet, but definitely worth mentioning and adding to your rock road trip list.

North Salem is situated at the farthest edge of Westchester County and is the home of this particular balancing boulder, which has become a mascot of sorts for the community. Tucked just off the side of the road, in a grassy patch adjacent to a charming and historic barn, this reportedly 60-ton behemoth of granite rests easily on five or so smaller natural limestone footings. There’s a nice white interpretive sign nearby as well, giving brief insight into the attraction that reads:

This type of boulder is considered a “glacial erratic“, or a huge rock that had been dislodged millions of years ago by glaciers and ice and deposited in a region where others like it aren’t found. There’s another Glacial Erratic in Rockefeller State Park Preserve you can also visit. While this boulder appears straightforward, there are also suggestions of more mystical origins, with it possibly being a manufactured Celtic dolmen or ceremonial stone. Those types of hallowed objects tend to be more frequent in more ancient places than North Salem, but stranger things have happened.

There’s also a rumor that the placement of the boulder and the direction of the sun point towards a secret stone chamber not far in the woods. Those ancient Celts who possibly used it as a dolmen had the building assistance of some obliging extraterrestrials, the same who may or may not be connected to the Stone Chambers of Putnam County and the rampant UFO Sightings in the county in the 1980s. A seemingly enigmatic, inexplicably placed rock can drive some interesting theories.

While the hulking boulder is a sight in and of itself, and the strange theories around it give it a weird aura, we find that perhaps the most intriguing characteristic it has is the historic graffiti chiseled into its flank. The lines are straight, but have softened through the years, and are just discernible as the light hits them at the right angle. There are two or possibly three sets of initials and dates from what appears to be from April 1862.

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The Magical Boulder

Upon a hill where winds grew colder,
Stood a strange and ancient boulder.
Not just stone, but magic bound,
A mystery whispered all around.

By moonlit glow, it softly gleamed,
As though alive, or so it seemed.
Legends spoke of wishes granted,
When heartfelt dreams were gently chanted.

A traveler, bold, with heart of gold,
Stood before it, brave yet cold.
“I seek a path to heal and mend,
Guide me true, oh rock, my friend.”

The boulder hummed, a gentle sound,
The earth beneath it shook the ground.
A voice emerged, deep and wise,
“True strength lies where courage ties.”

The traveler smiled and took the cue,
Their inner strength and purpose grew.
For the boulder’s magic wasn’t shown,
But found within one’s heart alone.

So if you find this fabled stone,
Know its power is your own.
Dreams are sparked by bold endeavor,
And magic lives in us forever.