Aufgelassener Steinbruch, Natural monument in Eppertshausen, Germany.

The abandoned quarry in Eppertshausen is a former mining site that has transformed into a natural landscape with two water basins formed in the deeper excavated areas. The exposed rock layers along the quarry walls still reveal the geological composition from the extraction period.

Trachyte was quarried here for gravel and building stones until the mid-1930s, when the deeper pits filled with water to form two ponds. Ammunition from the Münster munitions depot was sunk in the ponds, and the area later served as a blasting site. It was designated a natural monument on 27 May 1959, and the site was systematically cleared of munitions only between 1966 and 1972.

The site has become a refuge for amphibians and insects that inhabit the water basins and surrounding areas. Visitors can observe how nature gradually reclaims abandoned industrial spaces.

Access to the site is restricted and visitors should verify beforehand whether entry is possible, as safety regulations apply. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the terrain is uneven and can be wet in places.

The trachyte at Sporneiche was dated by potassium-argon dating to 69 million years, making it one of the oldest volcanic rock occurrences in the northern Upper Rhine Graben volcanic area. The ponds also host freshwater jellyfish in some years.