Elephant Rocks State Park
This quirky little park sits in the south-west of Missouri between the towns of Belleview and Ironton on US-21 and is a mecca for families on hot summer days. The name comes from the large pink granite boulders that litter the park,some of which are unintentionally aligned in formation similar to a 'train of elephants'
for me this was just another lunch location and leg stretcher during my road trip in April 2014, I made good use of the picnic tables provided before heading off on the 2km trail that meanders around the rocks.
the trail is hardly necessary as there are tracks and routes throughout the place, many of which go up and over the rocks themselves and get enough foot traffic to maintain the pink granite in a lichen free state where they pass.
there is also a small disused quarry quarry which was worked until the 19th century and still bears the names of some of the miners who worked here and carved them into the surrounding rocks.
scrambling about on the tops is great fun and jumping between boulders even more so, you can see the lichen free landing spots of feet on every single boulder in the park.
back at ground level the trails run in all directions, even in the more open areas thousands of feet have trampled routes into every nook and cranny, it would be an absolute marvel to kids.
Where the gaps narrow and all are forced down the same route the ground underfoot is like concrete, testement to the number of feet that have travelled this way
back on top the giant boulders sit precariously perched on rounded slopes, I'm sure in the summertime when the trees have their colour this would be a lovely view across the treetops, perhaps even better in autumn.
There are some signs of springtime poking out from between the rocks but little in the forest as yet. This place is reminiscent of Robbers Cave State Park in Oklahoma that Sarah and I visited in 2008
I'll bet this rock is a target for kids like no other, I'm sure thousands of little hands have pushed for all they are worth on this rock over the years
After wandering around the tops for some time I found myself a nice sloped descent that returned me to the trail, again it was covered in boulders perched as if they may roll at any minute when in fact they have been that way for decades and will remain that way for decades more.
Another great little park worthy of a visit if you happen to be in the area and definitely worth stopping off on a road trip across the US