Powers Bluff is a worn down peak of an ancient mountain range that once covered northern Wisconsin and, in geology, is known as a monadnock. It is comprised almost entirely of solid metamorphic rock called quartzite. Powers Bluff originated eons ago at the bottom of a primeval sea, where great depths of sediment accumulated and were transformed into sandstone. In a later cycle, compression and heat changed that sandstone into quartzite, and during this stage other minerals invaded it, catalyzing and coloring it. The final colored quartzite made it suitable for use as gemstones. After being formed, the quartzite, in association with other softer sedimentary rocks, became warped and folded, forming almost vertical strata as a result of natural forces. These were influenced by volcanic action and in time became uplifted and rose as ancient mountains. The softer sedimentary rocks, including sandstone and limestone, were worn away, leaving Powers Bluff in its present elevated state. As a survivor of one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America, Powers Bluff is among the most ancient landmarks of Wisconsin and is claimed to be about the 13th highest point in the state, at an elevation of 1,472 feet.