Redstone quarry was active until the 1930s and many of Burlington's buildings were built with this stone. The site is managed as a natural area by the University of vermont.

The Cambrian sedimentary rock formed from sand deposited in shallow water along the continental margin in the Iapetus Ocean, a precursor to the Atlantic Ocean. The rock is a reddish- purple rock called Monkton Quartzite. Bedding is defined by the nearly horizontal layers, marked by different colors, minerals and grain sizes.