;Over 300 million years ago, the Panama Rocks were Sea Islands of sand and gravel, along the shore of a vast inland sea that extended west toward what is now Utah. These islands were part of the delta of a great river, larger than the Mississippi. What remains of that delta extends from the Allegheny River toward Lake Erie, and from eastern Ohio into southwestern New York.

165 million years ago, there were major earthquakes on what are now the east and west coasts of North America. The layer of rock which became the Panama Rocks was raised to its present altitude [1650 feet at that time]. After this rock layer had been fractured, the seepage of water through overlaying sediments carried minerals and deposited them in the fractures in the rock below.

The present day Panama Rocks formation was most dramatically affected by a glacier in the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. The weight and pressure of the glacier accelerated widening of fractures in the rock, creating thousands of crevices and alley passageways. When the glacier melted, this unique rock outcrop was first revealed. Eventually a forest grew over the site. The Panama Rocks are reputed to be one of the most extensive formations of glacier-cut, ocean-quartz conglomerate in the world. The ridge is about 1/2 mile long.

(quoted from http://www.panamarocks.com/history.htm#geology)