St. Francois Mountains, MO - Igneous Rock Formations

When I was a child, I visit the St. Francois Mountain located in the south-eastern portion of Missouri. I recall the many formations towering over me, most likely due to my size and nature as a kid! These extrusive igneous formations are indicators that even volcanic eruptions can have have an affect where no volcanoes exist presently. I remember learning how two iconic minerals, iron and granite, were mined from these mountains and how the locals still mine them to this day. The intrusive granite was cooled slowly over time underground and had enough time to develop crystals of quartz, feldspar and mica. However, most of the topical formations consist of rhyolite, a brown, igneous rock that consists of the same chemical and mineral composition as granite but was formed from magma cooling rapidly as a result of a volcanic eruption. There was little red granite visible, and it was awesome to feel the sense of discovery as a kid when I saw the crystals glitter in the sun, especially since the rhyolite didn't have any visible crystal. Nostalgia is getting the best of me, and I feel I may have to make a return as a young adult to get the same sensation again!