One of our Backyard Geographers came upon two mysterious, man-made stone circles while tramping a section of the Lake Michigan shoreline in Illinois.  There are two circles, each about 70 feet in diameter.  The one closest to the shore is made of black stones and the one further inland is comprised of white stones.  Each circle is comprised of 1- to 8-inch stones arranged carefully in a ring about 8 inches wide.  The stones seem to have been collected locally as evidenced by the nearby stash of buckets.  Plants have grown up through the stones indicating they have been here a while.

Who made the circles?  What do they symbolize?  Please contact us with your observations and speculations.

Black Stone Circle with Lake Michigan in the Background.

Our Backyard Geographer Recording GPS Track Around Black Stone Circle.

Our Backyard Geographer Recording Data – White Stone Circle detail in Foreground.

GPS track of Stone Circles – Each circle is approximately 70 feet in diameter and they are located in shallow swales between low dunes along the Lake Michigan shore.