Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is a geological preserve and public recreation area encompassing , south of
Columbia in
Boone County,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
off of
Missouri Route 163.
The park is home to 12 caves.
The
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
is noted for its excellent examples of
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
landforms including the rock bridge,
sinkholes
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
, 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
''Kenkia glandulosa'', the pink planarian, is a flatworm in the family Kenkiidae. It is found only in the Devil's Icebox (cave), Devil's Icebox cave in Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Boone County, Missouri, Boone County, Missouri, United Stat ...
'', more commonly known as the pink planarian.
History
In 1834, the first paper mill west of the Mississippi River was built at the site, then a whiskey distillery was built in 1847.
In 1967 the state park opened.
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 Gans Creek Wild Area.
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See also
*Three Creeks Conservation Area
Three Creeks Conservation Area is a nature preserve in Boone County, Missouri. Its Ozark terrain has many karst features including caves, springs, and sinkholes. It is located south of Columbia, Missouri and the more well-known Rock Bridge Memoria ...
*Gans Creek Recreation Area
The Gans Creek Recreation Area is a 320-acre public park in Columbia, Missouri, United States. Its name derives from Gans Creek, which flows through the property. It borders the Rock Bridge Memorial State Park on its western edge. The park is ow ...
References
External links
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Map
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
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State parks of Missouri
Protected areas of Boone County, Missouri
Landforms of Boone County, Missouri
Protected areas established in 1967
Parks in Columbia, Missouri