Nature can create beautiful things that seem almost impossible to happen on their own. Natural formations of land created by thousands of years worth of erosion exist all over the place, some of which are phenomenal to see. North Dakota has its own fantastic sights like those, many of which lie in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. One of these is in the North Unit of the park, and you have to see it to believe it:

This spot in the North Unit of the park has what are known as "Cannonball Concretions."
Ibyke/Tripadvisor
These perfectly round rocks, named after their resemblance to cannonballs, can be found most commonly along the Little Missouri River that flows through the park.
Gabe10101/Tripadvisor
These sandstone rocks were revealed after centuries of erosion of the land around them by the river. They are stronger against the erosion than the rest, which is why they are left there as opposed to washed away.
Georgea T/Tripadvisor

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More concretions can be seen poking out of partially-eroded canyon walls alongside the river, not fully revealed yet but hundreds of years in the future they may be completely free.
Gail Y/Tripadvisor
Other rock formations in this area make it totally unique, showing all kinds of shapes and types of rocks.
Gail Y/Tripadvisor
You can see these for yourself on the trail system for the North Unit, as well as taking the North Unit Scenic Byway by car and stopping off part way to see them at the Cannonball Concretions Pullout.
alexandra9007/Tripadvisor

This isn’t the only spot in North Dakota where you can see cannonball concretions, although it is the spot where they are most abundantly seen in a single area. Places like the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota and the Cannonball River were named after exactly these, and can be found along the water there.

Here is a page where you can find the map to the North Unit Scenic Byway if you’d like to take a beautiful drive right to these amazing formations and see them for yourself. The byway begins about 15 miles south of Watford City heading west off of Highway 85.

Learn more about the beauty of North Dakota’s rivers and the formations they create right here!

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