“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” ~ Lao Tzu
This year, our country is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks System, deemed by writer Wallas Stegner as “America’s best idea.”And it sure has been. Who hasn’t heard about Yosemite, the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, to name a few? People from all over the world come to the U.S. to visit these unique places. Yet as much as all of us admire our national parks, let’s not forget that Missouri has an abundance of wonderful parks, too.
The movement for establishing the Missouri park system began at the turn of the century, although the Missouri General Assembly did not create a state park fund until 1917. In 1924, the state made its first acquisitions — Big Spring and Round Spring on the Current River, Alley Spring on the Jacks Fork, Bennett Springs on the Niagua River, Deep Run near Ellington and Indian Trail near Salem. And in 2013, the state made its 88th acquisition — Echo Bluff.
Big Spring, Alley Spring and Round Spring are no longer in the state system but they are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. As for Echo Bluff, it will officially open its grounds at the end of the month.
One of the things that has made the Missouri State Parks system so successful is the diversity of the state’s natural resources: some of the oldest rocks on the continent and the youngest landforms are found here, as well as a multitude of caves and natural springs.
Missouri’s flora also varies widely. Tall grass prairies are found to the west and woodlands to the east. Missouri also includes the southern limit of northern boreal plants and the northern limit of southern coastal plants.
The cultural diversity of Missouri mimics its natural diversity. Because of its location at the junction of the two longest North American rivers, the Mississippi and the Missouri, our state played a leading role in the country’s history. Here, native people made contact with mastodons and they lived in both woodlands and prairies for more than ten thousand years. Key sites of the Osage, Missouria and Illiniwek are found in the state.
Later, French fur traders established outposts here. Later still, settlers moved in, especially after the Louisiana Purchase, and after 1830, so did immigrants, mostly from Germany and British Isles.
A rich agricultural state, Missouri is also known as the birthplace of many prominent people, including George Washington Carver, Mark Twain, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Harry Truman and Thomas Hart Benton. And in the 20th century, the state excels at creating a wonderful system of parks and historical sites. In fact, the mission of the Division of State Park states:
“preserve and interpret the finest examples of Missouri’s natural landscapes; preserve and interpret the finest example of Missouri’s cultural landmarks; and provide healthy and enjoyable outdoor recreation opportunities for all Missourians and visitors to the state.”
And so, for nearly 100 years, the state parks have been doing just that, preserving nature and history and by doing so attracting people from around here and also from afar.
Enjoy the ghostly silhouette of the Ha Ha Tonka Castle, hike Taum Sauk Mountain, fish for trout in Bennett Springs, explore the caverns of Onondaga, take a float trip down Current River, and don’t forget to leave everything exactly the way you found it — pristine and inviting. Free for us all.
Celebrate the centennial of our state park system at the Columbia Public Library on July 18 at 7 p.m. with a presentation by Susan Flader. Flader is professor emerita of environmental and western history at the University of Missouri and editor and co-author of the beautiful newly updated book, “Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites: Exploring Our Legacy.”
