Smith Rock State Park years ago, a large caldera was formed when overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. This created a huge amount of rock and ash debris that filled the caldera. That material solidified into rock, becoming Smith Rock tuff. Rhyolite flows intruded along faults in the Smith Rock Tuff. A half million years ago, basalt lava flows from nearby volcanoes covered the older tuff. More recently, the Crooked River cut its way through the layers of rock to create today's geographic features. Smith Rock itself is a -high ridge (above sea level) with a sheer cliff-face overlooking a bend in
Fort Rock lack the heavy metal signature residues of space objects. Crack in the Ground and Fossil Lake are two more nearby Ice Age geological features. South Ice Cave is a lava tube. Derrick Cave is estimated to be long, perhaps Oregon's third-longest lava tube cave. Devil's Garden Lava Field and East Lava Field are other geological oddities northeast of Fort Rock a few miles. Inflated lava, kīpuka, and lava ponds are found here, plus both ʻaʻā and pāhoehoe flows. Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum and the small community of Fort Rock are one mile south of Fort Rock State Natural