Elephant Rocks State Park

Elephant Rocks State Park
Map showing the location of Elephant Rocks State Park
Map showing the location of Elephant Rocks State Park
Location in Missouri
Map showing the location of Elephant Rocks State Park
Map showing the location of Elephant Rocks State Park
Elephant Rocks State Park (the United States)
LocationIron County, Missouri, United States
Coordinates37°39′16″N 90°41′17″W / 37.65444°N 90.68806°W / 37.65444; -90.68806[1]
Area133.75 acres (54.13 ha)[2]
Elevation1,273 ft (388 m)[1]
Established1967[3]
Visitors106,869 (in 2022)[4]
Governing bodyMissouri Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteElephant Rocks State Park

Elephant Rocks State Park is a state-owned geologic reserve and public recreation area encompassing an outcropping of Precambrian granite in the Saint Francois Mountains in the U.S. state of Missouri. The state park is named for a string of large granite boulders which resemble a train of pink circus elephants.[5] The park was created following the donation of the land to the state in 1967 by geologist Dr. John Stafford Brown.[6] The park is used for picnicking, rock climbing, and trail exploration. It is managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Elephant Rocks State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference parkdata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference acquisition was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Missouri State Park Attendance For January - December, 2022" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. February 3, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference parks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference naturalareas was invoked but never defined (see the help page).