Candy Cane Mountains

Part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, the Candy Cane Mountains earned their nickname thanks to their striking resemblance to the classic Christmas treat.

The color of these rocks is a product of the area’s geology. The mountains are made of shale, a type of sedimentary rock made of many thin layers stacked atop of each other. Long before the rock was formed, changes in the environment led to differing mineral composition as the layers of sediment were deposited.