If you only plan to visit one state park in Missouri this fall, it should be Elephant Rocks State Park. Located south of St. Louis down Highway 67 near the Mark Twain National Forest, this park features huge — giant boulders that are some of the oldest rock formations in the Midwest.
You can climb up and on the huge boulders here, providing they are under 16 feet, without a permit. But you can apply for rappelling permits for the larger rocks here. This wooded park must be seen to be believed and is not just rare in the Midwest but is a beautiful oddity in the United States. Read below to plan your geological hands-on state park experience!
Always a wondrous place to visit, this state park is picture perfect in the fall.
The views from the tops of the rock formations are breathtaking!
The largest rock here is 27 feet tall and weighs more than 680 tons!
Before becoming a state park, this site was the first commercial granite quarry in Missouri. Producing what was called "Missouri Red," the quarry created granite stones for our own Eads Bridge piers, and millions of paving stones for our waterfront levee and downtown St. Louis streets in the late 1880s to the early 1900s.
This park, nested deep in the Missouri woods, is beautiful and peaceful.
The rocks of this geological wonder started forming 1.5 billion years ago and are still changing today!
Many of the huge granite rocks here have names, the largest is aptly named Dumbo.
The park is named Elephant Rock State Park, not just for the size of the boulders here, but also because their formation and layout resembled an old time circus elephant train.
Beyond the massive boulders here, you can see many other unusual geological formations.
Pictures can't do justice to the size and scale of these rock formations.
This park offers two walking trails that are both rated easy and are under one mile.
The Braille Trail is specially designed for people with visual or physical disabilities. The Engine House Ruins Trail will take you to the old site of the Sheehan Quarry Operations. Both trails are rated as easy but it should be noted that the rock paths here can become slippery, even in overall dry weather conditions.
A day trip here is like visiting another planet. A beautiful lush planet with rocks the size of buildings!
Elephant Rocks State Park is located at 7406 Missouri 21, Belleview, MO 63623.
This park offers several lakes for fishing, a playground, and picnic tables. As you plan your trip, plan to bring most of what you need for the day, as this park is remote and even roadside stops are scarce along the latter part of the drive. But the drive to this park is almost as beautiful as the destination!
For more natural Missouri wonders check out these amazing cave tours. You won't believe what you can see underground!
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