Johnson's Shut-ins State Park

Truly "Nature's Waterpark".  The park will again be open during the 2008 summer season. After the breach at the Ameren UE Hydroelectric Plant atop Proffit Mountain on December 14, 2005, the park was opened off and on for day visitors during the restoration process.  Truly one of Missouri's natural geologic wonders; Bearcat Lodge, Cabins and Resort are near Johnson's Shut-ins. We're only 20 minutes away from the park. 

The swift waters of the East Fork Black River flow through a canyonlike gorge called a "shut-in" in the 8,549-acre Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. These igneous rocks were formed nearly 1.5 billion years ago when violent volcanic eruptions threw ash and hot gases into the air. As these materials settled to the ground and cooled, they formed the rhyolite rock seen at the park today.  For more information from the MO Department of Natural Resources on how this natural wonder was formed, click here.

Elephant Rocks State Park

"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 forming coarsely crystalline red granite, which later weathered into huge, rounded boulders. Standing atop a granite outcrop, one of the largest elephant rocks, Dumbo, tops the scales at a whopping 680 tons!

Visitors to Elephant Rocks State Park can easily 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. This red granite, first commercially quarried in the late 1800s, has been used as building material and as paving blocks for the St. Louis levee and downtown streets." Find out more about Elephant Rocks from the MO Dept. of Natural Resources here.  Bearcat Mountain Lodge is only 30 minutes away.

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

The highest point in Missouri ~ "Make the great escape to Missouri's wilderness - Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. The park provides 7,448 acres of solitude amid unspoiled land with a wilderness quality hard to find in today's world. Taum Sauk Mountain literally stands above others as the highest point in Missouri, rising to 1,772 feet. An easy walk leads visitors to the top. From there, the moderately rugged three-mile Mina Sauk Falls Trail continues to the tallest wet-weather waterfall in Missouri. Mina Sauk Falls drops 132 feet over a series of rocky ledges. A portion of this trail also serves as part of the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail. Farther down the trail lies Devil's Tollgate, an eight-foot-wide passage through volcanic rhyolite standing 30 feet high. The Ozark Trail continues on to Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, a distance of 12.8 miles."  Read more about the park from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources here.

Bearcat Mountain Lodge and Cabins at Bearcat Getaway Resort are only 20 minutes from Taum Sauk State Park.

Fort Davidson Sate Historic Site

Scene if the Missouri Civil War Battle of Pilot Knob.  "Today, the Arcadia Valley in Iron County is a peaceful setting in one of Missouri's most scenic areas. But in 1864, the valley was the scene of one of the largest and most hard-fought battles waged on the state's soil - the Battle of Pilot Knob.  Fort Davidson State Historic Site preserves Fort Davidson and the Pilot Knob battlefield where so many Confederate and Union soldiers lost their lives. A visitor center interprets the battle and Maj. Gen. Price's raid. It features exhibits, a research library, an audiovisual presentation and a fiber optics diorama of the battle.  Nearby, a playground and picnic area make Fort Davidson State Historic Site an ideal place to get away with the family."  Read more from the MO Dept. of Natural Resources here.  Every 3 years, a full-scale Reenactment of the Battle of Pilot Knob takes place.  On September 22 & 23rd, the 2007 Reenactment takes place.  Click here for information from the Arcadia Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

Bearcat Resort and Lodge are only 25 minutes away.