Rimrock is the sheer rock wall at the upper edge of a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

canyon A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...

, or geological uplift. It may refer to either the rock formation or to the rock itself. Rimrock may be composed of almost any stone—

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

, etc.—and is frequently layered. Many times it overlays a softer stone which erodes away underneath. American Indians in the West often used cavities found below rimrock to construct dwellings and granaries.

Geographic placenames

The geologic formation has lent its name to many places in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

. Communities: * Rimrock, Arizona;

Yavapai County Yavapai County ( ) is a county near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott. Yavapai County comprises the Pr ...

, northeast of Camp Verde. * Rimrock, California;

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...

, east of

San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

. * Rimrock, Montana;

Yellowstone County Yellowstone County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,731. Its county seat is Billings, the state's most populous city. Like the nearby national park, Yellowstone County ...

, west of

Billings Billings is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billin ...

. *Rimrock, Washington;

Yakima County Yakima County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and most populous city is Yakima, Washington, Ya ...

, near

Rimrock Lake Rimrock Lake is a lake along the course of the Tieton River, in Yakima County, Washington state, US. The lake is used as a storage reservoir for the Yakima Project, an irrigation project run by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. An impou ...

on the

Tieton River The Tieton River is a tributary of the Naches River, in Yakima County, Washington in the United States. The Tieton River begins in two forks, the North Fork Tieton River and South Fork Tieton River. The North Fork originates at McCall Glacier ...

west of Yakima. * Rim Rock Colony, Montana; Toole County, north of

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Saint Helena (disambiguation), this includes places Places Greece * Helena ...

. Canyons: * Rim Rock Canyon,

Orange County, California Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...

* Rimrock Valley,

Modoc County, California Modoc County () is a county (United States), county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 8,700 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,686 from the 2010 census. This makes it California's third-least ...

* Rimrock Gulch,

Moffat County, Colorado Moffat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,292. The county seat is Craig. With an area of 4,751 square miles, it is the second-largest county by area in Colorado, behind Las ...

* Rimrock Canyon,

Nye County, Nevada Nye County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 51,591. Its county seat is Tonopah, Nevada, Tonopah. At , Nye is Nevada's largest county by area ...

* Rim Rock Canyon,

Lincoln County, New Mexico Lincoln County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,269. Its county seat is Carrizozo, while its largest community is Ruidoso. History Prior to the creation of Lincoln County, the Mescal ...

* Rimrock Draw, Washakie County, Wyoming * Rim Rock Draw,

Johnson County, Wyoming Johnson County is a county in the north central part of the U.S. state of Wyoming. At the 2020 United States census, the population was 8,447. The county seat is Buffalo. Kaycee is the only other incorporated town in the county. Johnson Cou ...

Cliffs: * Rimrocks,

Yellowstone County, Montana Yellowstone County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,731. Its county seat is Billings, the state's most populous city. Like the nearby national park, Yellowstone County ...

*Rimrock,

El Paso County, Texas El Paso County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 865,657, making it the ninth-most populous county in the state of Texas. Its county seat is the city of El Paso, the sixth-mos ...

* The Rimrocks,

Kane County, Utah Kane County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,667. Its county seat and largest city is Kanab. History The county was created on January 16, 1864, by the old federal Utah Terri ...

Lakes: *Rimrock Lake, Modoc County, California *Rimrock Lake, Carbon County, Montana *Rimrock Lake,

Colfax County, New Mexico Colfax County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,387. Its county seat is Raton. It is south from the Colorado state line. This county was named for Schuyler Colfax (18231885), seventee ...

*Rimrock Lake,

Marion County, Oregon Marion County is one of the Oregon counties, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The population was 345,920 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of counties in Oregon, 5th most populous county in Oregon. The ...

Yakima County, Washington Yakima County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and most populous city is Yakima, Washington, Ya ...

*Rimrock Lake,

Teton County, Wyoming Teton County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 23,331. Its county seat is Jackson, Wyoming, Jackson. Its west boundary line is also the Wyoming state bounda ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada Mountains: *Rimrock,

Kootenai County, Idaho Kootenai County ( ) is located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, its population was 171,362, making it the third-most populous county in Idaho and the largest in North Idaho, the county accounting for 45.4% of the region's ...

* Rimrock Butte,

Glacier County, Montana Glacier County is located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,778. The county is located in northwestern Montana between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, known to the Blackfeet as the "Backbone ...

* Rimrock Mountain,

Hidalgo County, New Mexico Hidalgo County () is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,178. The county seat and largest city is Lordsburg. A bill creating Hidalgo from the southern part of Grant County was p ...

Ridges: *Rim Rocks,

Routt County, Colorado Routt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,829. The county seat is Steamboat Springs. Routt County comprises the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

*Rim Rock,

Grant County, New Mexico Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. At the 2020 census, the population was 28,185. Its county seat is Silver City. The county was founded in 1868 and named for Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United S ...

*Rim Rock,

Elko County, Nevada Elko County is a County (United States), county in the northeastern corner of Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 53,702. Its county seat is Elko, Nevada, Elko. The county was established ...

*Rim Rock,

Hood River County, Oregon Hood River County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,977. The county seat is Hood River. The county was established in 1908 and is named for the Hood River, a tributary of t ...

High Schools: *Rimrock High School in

Bruneau, Idaho Bruneau is a Census-designated place in Owyhee County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. The mouth of the Bruneau River is to the northwest and Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park is to the east. As of 2014, Bruneau has a populatio ...

References

{{reflist Mountains

Geographic placenames

See also

References