Day-Trippin' from St Louis: Elephant Rocks
by Nickaroni - Written: Apr 15 '01
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Pros: 2 hours SOUTH of St Louis
Cons: To appreciate, you have to CLIMB
The Bottom Line: THINK PRIMITIVE, and bring a camera! In the fall, the colors will be SPECTACULAR, but early spring, you'll have no ticks and chiggers!
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| Nickaroni's Full Review: Elephant Rocks State Park |
The boys were on Spring Break this week, and I didn't just want to sit around the house, so we packed up a cooler with some food, and a box of CapriSun, and headed down to Elephant Rocks State Park.
Now, for those of you visiting St. Louis CITY, you must add a half-hour to your trip, as I'm writing this as a resident of a town a half-hour CLOSER to the Rocks than you'd be in the City.
We left home at 10am, and hopped on Highway 21 (which to you locals is Tesson Ferry Road, in the County). It was a very nice drive, and for the most part, the highway was two-lane 55 miles per hour. Laws, I thought we'd NEVER get there! I had been to the Elephant Rocks before, but I wasn't driving then, but I did know that the State park was on Highway 21, and I had absolute FAITH in my State Parks Department that they'd post a sign, SOMEWHERE!
Luckily, for me, the boys slept on the way, so in addition to my nagging suspicion that I'd somehow missed it, I didn't have to listen to them saying "Are we THERE yet?!". The total trip took about an hour and a half. From the City, just go ahead and figure two hours.
You'll pass through some pretty quaint towns, like Hillsboro, Potosi (where they execute criminals at the prison), and Caledonia. Caledonia was REALLY rich in old buildings that have been converted into modern-day businesses. Really neat.
I saw the Elephant Rocks from the highway, so I knew we were close. The mountains on the East are very large for Missouri, but because of their age, they're worn down, and have huge forests of oaks on them. I would truly recommend this trip in the Fall!
The entrance to the Park comes up on your left, and you have sufficient time to put on your signal, so no one tries to pass you for being a slow tourist.
The parking was very level, and there were a number of handicapped spots for parking. For whatever reason, there weren't very many people there that day, so we chose an ideal parking spot, in the shade, near an "outtie" (that's outhouse for those of you who didn't know!), and between two different parts of the park.
A little history on the park itself: The formation of the Elephant Rocks began during the Precambrian era, over 1.5 BILLION years ago. Magma leaked out onto the surface of the earth here, and cooled very slowly, forming an unusual red granite. As the effects of erosion took its toll, horizontal and vertical cracks appeared in the granite, and fractured it into huge, angular blocks. These blocks were worn smooth from further erosion, creating huge rounded masses that look like elephants.
A quarry was opened in 1869, just outside the boundaries of the Park today, and a deep quarry lake now fills this spot. The granite from this quarry was used in the Eads Bridge construction, in St. Louis. In addition to that, millions of pavers were taken from here to form the St. Louis Levee and Downtown Streets. You can see these for yourself at The Landing.
For those of you who are wheelchair-bound, or visually impaired, this is a great Park for you to visit. A 1 mile, PAVED and ROPED Braille Trail winds around the main part of the park, allowing everyone a great view of the pachyderms. The descriptions on the trail markers give a pretty good visual clue for those who have to see with their fingers. Along the way, we found one station that had a box filled with granite sand, and we were encouraged to touch it.
Although visitors should not leave the paved pathway, there are places for you to access the Elephant Rocks for climbing. You can see for miles, near the top, and while you're up there, you can have your picture taken with "Dumbo" - the largest boulder estimated to weigh over 680 tons! It's massive.
There are many great photo ops on the Rocks, and a little history as well. In one section, there are names and dates carved professionally into the granite. These were Master Carvers - when they had earned their Master status, they were allowed to carve their names into the stone for posterity. Somehow, grafitti carvings have been kept to a minimum to prevent the minimalizing of the Carver's stature.
Who knows? You may even find a long-lost relative carved in the stone there?
We did not see any snakes while we were there, nor did we get chigger or mosquito bites. Highway 21 is close by, so we did have to listen to cars driving by.
We did bring sunscreen, and bug spray, just in case. If you're coming for the day, I would suggest wearing tennis shoes or hiking boots. DON'T BE A DWEEB AND WEAR FLIP-FLOPS! Sunscreen, a bottle of water for each person, and a cooler with snacks and drinks. There are no fast-food restaurants or vending machines near the park - you'd have to go all the way to Pilot Knob or Belleview to find a store. Be sure to secure your car keys in a deep pocket or a fanny pack, because you may never find them again should you lose them in these rocks!
And be sure you put any valuables in your truck, and lock your car. It pays to be wise, and there's no sense in
tempting the criminal element who just might be on vacation, too.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has a website for you to visit: www.mostateparks.com Check it out for more information on day trips from St. Louis, and The Elephant Rocks State Park!
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: September-November
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Hiking & Trails
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