Ball’s Pyramid: World’s Largest Volcanic Stack
Ball’s Pyramid is a sea stack, a great jagged spire rising from the Tasman Sea. Its steep base, roughly 650 feet across, is battered by the rugged sea, making the landing a serious challenge. Royal Navy Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball is credited with discovering Ball’s Pyramid in 1788, which was named in his honor. It is located off the southeast shores of Lord Howe Island, over 400 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia.
Lord Howe Island has a spectacular landscape with the volcanic mountains of Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird looming over the island. Ball’s Pyramid is one of many sea stacks off shore, the eroded remains of what once were much larger volcanoes that formed about 7 million years ago.
It is 562 meters (1,844 ft) high, while measuring only 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) in length and 300 meters (980 ft) across, making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world.
Ball’s Pyramid looks like a place where nothing could survive, but isn’t devoid of life. It is home to the rarest insect in the world, the Lord Howe stick insect, famous for being big as a human hand. The Europeans labeled it a “tree lobster” because of its size and hard exoskeleton. It’s 12 centimeters long and the heaviest flightless stick insect in the world. Local fishermen used to put them on fishing hooks and use them as bait.
Location: Near Lord Howe Island, Australia
Thank you Aija for the submission.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Ball’s Pyramid, Lord Howe Island Marine Park, New South Wales, Australia
- Coordinates
- -31.75368, 159.25119
- Access
- Ball’s Pyramid is an offshore sea stack about 23 km southeast of Lord Howe Island, not a walk-in attraction. The Lord Howe Island Tourism Association describes boat-based fishing charters and diving in the surrounding waters. The 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook says access to this sensitive site is strictly regulated and climbing permits are generally restricted to scientific or management purposes. Do not attempt a landing or climb; confirm any permitted vessel or dive activity with a local licensed operator and the Lord Howe Island Board.
- Admission
- There is no walk-in entry or general visitor ticket. Boat, fishing and dive trips are separately booked and priced by operators; no standard fee applies. Any landing or climbing permission is not a normal visitor admission and must be confirmed with the relevant authorities.
- Time needed
- One local operator has advertised an approximately four-hour Ball’s Pyramid and island nature-watching cruise, but this is an operator-specific estimate rather than a standard visit length. Confirm trip duration, route and sea conditions when booking.
- Best season
- No single preferred season is published. Local operators have listed dedicated expeditions in selected months, but departures depend on weather, vessel and permit availability; confirm the current schedule rather than relying on historical dates.
- Opening hours
- There are no walk-in opening hours. Boat or dive activity is arranged with operators and depends on sea conditions and applicable access permissions; climbing is not general recreation and requires a government permit, generally for science or management purposes.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-26
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-21
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Ur thing sucked i used informacion on this for my project and i fail. u guys should get this thing shut down for being so bad
Have you worked out why you failed yet?
It’s a tricky place to get to and probably isn’t a good place to land, especially for someone who doesn’t take responsibility for their own confusion.