| Rock Bridge Memorial State Park | |
|---|---|
 Rock Bridge in 2006 | |
  Location in MissouriShow map of Missouri Rock Bridge Memorial State Park (the United States)Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Boone County, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°52′21″N 92°19′33″W / 38.87250°N 92.32583°W / 38.87250; -92.32583 |
| Area | 2,272.83 acres (919.78 ha) |
| Elevation | 617 ft (188 m) |
| Established | 1967 |
| Administered by | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Visitors | 587,200 (in 2023) |
| Website | Official website  |
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is a geological preserve and public recreation area encompassing 2,273 acres (920 ha), five miles (8.0 km) south of Columbia in Boone County, Missouri off of Missouri Route 163. The state park is home to 12 caves and is noted for its excellent examples of karst landforms including the rock bridge, sinkholes, and an underground stream at the cave known as Devil's Icebox. The rock bridge was created by the collapse of a section of a cave which resulted in a small arch of rock being left to form a natural bridge over the creek. The park is the only known home of Kenkia glandulosa, a flatworm commonly known as the pink planarian.
History
Throughout the 1800's, the Devil's Icebox stream that flows through the rock bridge was a power source for settlers, with a stone dam being built to harness the power to operate a gristmill. In 1834, the first paper mill west of the Mississippi River was built at the site, then a whiskey distillery was built in 1847. Later, a blacksmith, stores, homes, and roads made up the historical community of Rockbridge Mills, also known as Pierpont.
Although privately owned, the area was open to the public for more than a century and became a gathering place for people in the surrounding area. In 1961, a University of Missouri professor, Lew Stoerker's, nine-year-old daughter, Carol Louise, was killed in a hit-and-run accident. In order to memorialize her and create a safe area for children, the state park opened in 1967.
Activities and amenities
The boardwalk on the Devil's Icebox Trail gives access to the park's primary karst features and the opening at Connor's Cave. Park trails are available for hiking and cycling, and horseback riding is offered in the 750-acre (300 ha) Gans Creek Wild Area.
See also
References
- ^ "Rock Bridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Data Sheet: Rock Bridge Memorial State Park" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. August 25, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- Staff (June 19, 2020). "Getaway to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park". Inside Columbia. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- "Rock Bridge Memorial State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. December 10, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- Elliott, W.R. (2007). "Zoogeography and biodiversity of Missouri caves and karst". Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. 69 (1): 135–162.
- ^ "Rock Bridge Memorial State Park: General Information". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. February 6, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- Adix, Kaelyn (November 3, 2017). "Rock Bridge park, originally envisioned as a child's memorial, celebrates 50 years". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- "Trails at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. December 7, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
External links
- Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Map Missouri Department of Natural Resources
