Mastodon State Park - Missouri State Park - Affton -lorton -tonia -rnold, Ballwin

National and State Parks - Recreational Areas

Home Page
Parks Starting With: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Mastodon State Park

State Park Information

State Park Overview
Mastodon State Historic Site contains an important archaeological and paleontological sitethe Kimmswick Bone Bed. Bones of mastodons and other now-extinct animals were first found here in the early 1800s. The area gained fame as one of the most extensive Pleistocene ice age deposits in the country and attracted scientific interest worldwide.

Archaeological history was made at the site in 1979 when scientists excavated a stone spear point made by hunters of the Clovis culture (14,00010,000 years ago) in direct association with mastodon bones. This was the first solid evidence of the coexistence of people and these giant prehistoric beasts.

Today, the 425-acre property preserves this National Register of Historic Places site and provides recreational opportunities. A museum tells the natural and cultural story of the oldest American Indian site one can visit in the states park system. A full-size replica of a mastodon skeleton highlights the exhibits. A picnic area, several trails and a special-use campground offer chances to explore the land where the lives of Native Americans and mastodons once intertwined.

Camping

Trails
Three hiking trails lead visitors through various points of interest at the historic site. Two of the trail heads are located in the picnic area at the first parking area.

Spring Branch TrailSpring Branch Trail offers an easy three-quarter-mile walk through a portion of the Rock Creek bottomland. The trail follows a small stream flowing from Bollefer Spring, past remains of the Bollefer family springhouse, loops through the lowlands and continues along Rock Creek back to the picnic area. The spring keeps the streams temperature constant year-round, promoting an abundant growth of watercress.

Limestone Hill TrailLimestone Hill Trail is a steep and rugged two-and-one-fourth-mile trail that leads visitors along the base of a limestone bluff, up hill through an oak and hickory forest -cross the hilltop and past an old quarry. In spring, the hillside is bright with dogwood, redbud and serviceberry.

Wildflower TrailThe one-half-mile Wildflower Trail begins next to the museum and guides visitors down a series of stairs to the bone bed. The trail passes by the Callison Memorial Bird Sanctuary - wildflower area -cross an old quarry and down a limestone bluff and talus slope to the bone bed. It is estimated that three acres of ice age deposits are below the ground in this area.

Picnicking

More Info

Department of Natural Resources, Information concerning state parks and state historic sites in Missouri.
Mastodon State Historic Site contains an important archaeological and paleontological site
...ail this page to a friend MASTODON STATE PARK 5050 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 289-4444 www.cyberspacemuseum.com
beds" here at Mastodon State Park have yielded some great

of Natural History KYBig Bone Lick State Park MNThe Science Museum of Minnesota MOMastodon State Park MTMuseum of the Rockies NEAgate Fossil Beds NYAmerican Museum of Natural History PA
...TODON STATE PARK Jefferson County, Missouri During the Ice Age, over 10,000 years ago Mastodons roamed this area. This is the
is the entrance to Mastodon State Park, the Kimswick Bonebed

teeth of Mastodons have been found in St. Louis. At Mastodon State Park in adjacent Jefferson County - Paleo-Indian spear point
Lake Neosho Shale Mastodon State Park (Jefferson County, Mo

Shakin Goin On" (New Madrid 1811 Earthquake in Mississippi Valley) Mastodon State Park (Imperial, Mo.) Missouri Archaeology Time Periods (Missouri Archaeology Society) Archaeological Survey of

Louis Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions
bed in 1976. The site became Mastodon State Park, which was renamed Mastodon State Historic Site

Sloth This reconstruction of a Harlans ground sloth is in the museum at Mastodon State Park at Kimmswick, Missouri. The park is located at the Kimmswick Site. This archaeological site is one of

mastodon skelton mount produced for the museum at Mastodon State Park (Missouri) by the Illinois State Museum. It is composed of
Memphis, TN) Mastodon State Park (Kimmswick, MO) Peale
...erts. Dr. Jeffrey Saunders, Illinois State Museum. We have been fortunate to have the help and support of Dr. Jeffrey Saunders, vertebrate paleontologist and world-known mammoth expert. He is...

Nature Programs
A slide show is started in the museum every half hour beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, the slide show is started every half hour beginning at 12 p.m. and ending at 4 p.m. During January and February, the last slide show begins at 330 p.m.

From December through February, the museum is open Monday and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The remainder of the year, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 430 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 430 p.m. It is closed on New Years Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.