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HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT: GIANT ROCK

It has been a sacred gathering point for Native American tribes, hideout for a suspected Nazi spy in World War II, site of a remote airfield replete with cafe, and present-day loverā€™s lane. Storied Giant Rock in Landers is the subject of todayā€™s historical highlight. Hereā€™s reporter Mike Lipsitz with more about the monolith some claim to be the worldā€™s largest freestanding boulderā€¦

Giant Rock Tami Roleff photo

In the desert wilderness north of Landers is a granite rock as tall as a seven-story building. Rising from the desert landscape in stark contrast to its surroundings, a visit there makes obvious why Native Americans would revere the rock as sacred. In the 1930s immigrant prospector Frank Critzer excavated a home underneath the rock. Rumored to be a Nazi spy, Critzer met his end there under circumstances mired in mystery. Broadcasting from there in the 1950s, Walter Cronkite called the rock and its environs a Valhalla for UFO enthusiasts. In February 2000 a south facing portion of the rock split off and crashed to the desert floor fulfilling some doomsday predictions. Although tarnished by graffiti and litter, today Giant Rock is popular among campers, off-roaders, and randy teens.

Giant Rock Tami Roleff photo

The Legend of Giant Rock
https://www.z1077fm.com/the-legend-of-giant-rock.pdf

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