This Hidden Trail In Missouri Leads To A Magnificent Archaeological Treasure
By Liz Oliver|Published January 23, 2018
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Liz Oliver
Author
Liz is a Missouri native with a B.A. in English from Mizzou and a M.A. in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood University. She works for a STL metro-area community college and enjoys writing, traveling, and indoor cycling. Her true passion is forcing her encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri facts on uninterested strangers from across the globe!
Did you know that Missouri has a hidden little park dedicated to preserving an important archaeological and paleontological site? The Mastodon State Historic Site, in Imperial, was excavated by Albert C. Koch, Ph.D., in 1839 after locals reported finding bones along Rock Creek. Dr. Koch eventually uncovered the bones of an American mastodon. Later, additional excavations uncovered human artifacts from the “Clovis” culture. This discovery proved that humans and mastodons existed in Missouri together over 10,000 years ago. Today, visitors can hike the Wildflower Trail through the park for a view of the protected bone bed after visiting the awesome on-site museum.
The Mastodon State Historic Site is the perfect place to explore on a sunny Saturday. You can hike or bike the trails, hit the playground, picnic, and learn about prehistoric Missouri all in this amazing park!
At the top of a tall hill, tucked into the trees, is the Mastodon State museum and visitor center. Inside, you'll find an impressive mastodon skeleton replica as well as many artifacts found in the protected bone bed.
Paleontologists believe that the animals that visited the springs may have become trapped in the mud, which helped preserve their bones. One amazing example of the prehistoric animals found in the area is the giant beaver skull. The skull on the left is from a modern beaver, while the one on the right dates back more than 10,000 years!
The Wildflower Trail will take you from the museum down to the creek below where the protected bone bed lies. Past the bone bed, the trail continues to a small foot bridge over a spring. Although the trail is less than a mile in length, it is rated moderate due to the many steps and incline.
Continue uphill through a dense oak forest to the limestone bluff. In the spring and summer months you can often find many types of wildflowers growing here. The trail intersects to lead visitors back to the museum.
Mastodon State Historic Site is a beautiful nature spot tucked into the hills just south of St. Louis. This little park is a treasure that simply can't be missed.
You can find the visitors center and museum at 1050 Charles J Becker Dr. Imperial. For information about special events, visit their Facebook page here.
Have you been to Mastodon State Historic Site? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
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