Bridgeton Township - Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania - Ringing Rocks

Ringing Rocks is one of the most interesting and weird things I have ever seen.

It is just a field full of boulders. But if you hit a boulder with a rock or hammer it will ring like a bell. I kid you not. It is not loud, but clearly audible. I was there as a child and went back with my kids 10 years or so ago.

There is only one Ringing Rocks. [John Schwab, 07/04/2008]

[RA: Actually, there are multiple sites with "ringing rocks" in PA and NJ -- but we're chiefly interested in the publicly acknowledged sites, such as Ringing Rocks State Park in PA. To complicate things, there is a 2nd "Ringing Rock Park" northeast of Pottstown, PA. It's a smaller site, but right next to a parking area.]

This is a nice little day trip with the family. Plan on staying under 2 hours. Bring your camera and own hammers to bang on the rocks -- pliers or chisels do not work as well. The good ringing ones have big depressions in the top from the many visitors. This is quite a hike -- wear good shoes and socks, no sandals. I visited with my 5,8 and 9 year old. The five year old held his own but is used to the woods. Bring water too. There is little there besides a parking lot and bathroom. Continue on the trail for a low flow but nice waterfall. Bring a map or ask the locals for directions as it is not easy to find. [Susan, 07/04/2008]

In the heart of rural Upper Black Eddy PA, in the middle of the woods, lies a 4-acre pile of rocks and boulders that ring when struck by a hammer! Approximately one third of them emit sounds like bells. Some of the locals claim it's supernatural. Studies of the rocks show no special substances or formations. Kids young and old love this place. Just keep an eye out for the snakes, they love this place too! [Lisa G., 06/25/2004]

A really cool place in Pennsylvania is Ringing Rocks State Park and campground, in or near Bucks county PA. Bring a hammer and hit the rocks and they all start to ring. Little kids love it. Not much else to do anywhere near there though. [Denise, 02/03/1999]

[RA: Yes, we visited and hammered the Ringing Rocks one night decades ago, after an unproductive hunt for a Men in Black portal in western NJ...]