From now until Dec. 9, Elephant Rocks State Park is asking people to fill out a survey on the Missouri State Parks website to help plan for the future of the park.
The survey is the first step toward as the park works to create a new Concept Development Plan to outline area use, site goals, development objectives, research needs and project phasing, all while taking into consideration of the natural, cultural, and recreational use of the park.
Brick Autry, an interpreter with the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site, explained the purpose.
“It is simply a target for the park on what we need to develop, and what exactly has changed in our area around the park,” said Autry.
The survey is available through the Elephant Rocks State Park page on the Missouri State Park Website under the Park File tab.
People are also reading…
After filling out the information, the participant will be asked how satisfied they are with the recreational activities, birding, camping, swimming, hiking and more, available at the park. The survey also asks about what recreational activity or activities are possibly missing and should be added. The form also asks what infrastructure or amenity, if any, is possibly missing and could be added to the park.
Elephant Rocks State Park is located in Iron County, and has been nationally recognized as a popular landmark over and over again. According to the Missouri State Parks, in 2020 the park had 184,329 attendees, and has seen attendance continue to be high, especially on the weekend.
There are many different trails which allow for observation of the boulders, including the Braille Trail. The Braille Trail is a specially designed trail for people who have visual and physical disabilities and has a paved surface for easy travel and on average takes around a half hour to complete.
Recently, Elephant Rocks was voted upon by 3,113 Americans as the third most popular natural landmark in the United States, losing only to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Niagara Falls in a poll by Aqua Expeditions. Elephant Rocks ranked higher than many other popular parks such as Yellowstone.
Questions about Elephant Rocks State Park can be directed to either Autry or Natural Resource Manager Bryan Bethel at 573-546-345.
Danielle Thurman is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be contacted at dthurman@dailyjournalonline.com or 573-518-3616.
