Showing posts with label Belleview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belleview. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2007

Elephant Rocks State Park




We visited the Elephant Rocks State Park in Belleview, Mo. Imagine giant granite rocks standing end-to-end like a train of circus elephants. That's what you'll see at Elephant Rocks State Park. About 1.5 billion years ago hot magma cooled coarsely crystalline red granite, which later weathered into hug, rounded boulders. Standing atop a granite outcrop, one of the largest elephant rocks, Dumbo, tops the scales at a whopping 680 tons! Visitors view the granite boulders from the one-mile Braille Trail, designed to accommodate people with visual or physical disabilities. The trail passes by a quarry pond, which now supports a variety of animal life. A short spur off of the trail takes visitors to the top of the granite outcrop, where they can explore the maze of giant elephant rocks. The 1890's Engine House used to service trains for Sheahan Quarries private railroad which incorporated as the Middlebrook and Graniteville Railway Company still stands today.


.

Elephant Rocks Braille Trail








The Braille Trail at the Elephant Rocks State Park has several trails that can be explored. Eddie found a Blue Tailed lizard when they visited. Also, they found a beautiful lake off the trail. My sister-and brother-in-law took Becky and Eddie sightseeing and they came back and told us about the park. So we went and visited and we saw sights that they didn't see. They found the lake and we found the quarries. If you visit Missouri go and check it out and I'm sure you will see something new too.