Elephant Rocks State Park, Belleview

Elephant Rocks State Park, located in the Saint Francois Mountains, is a beautiful tourist destination best known for its elephant-shaped granite boulders, public recreation, and natural resource preservation.

This park displays gigantic granite boulders that are shaped like an elephant. These huge elephant rocks were formed about 1.5 billion years ago from granites, that stand like a queue of circus elephants, end to end. People enjoy climbing upon them. The structures created by these granite boulders have intrigued geologists into studying further about them. The one-mile loop Braille trail in this area is the first of its kind in Missouri, and is ideal for visually and physically challenged visitors.

A second spur leads visitors to a vantage point overlooking an old quarry. This red granite, which was commercially quarried for the first time in the late 1800s, has been used as a building material as well as paving blocks for the St. Louis levee and downtown streets. Today, "Missouri Red" granite is primarily cut and polished for use as monuments. Thirty picnic areas allow visitors to rest and refresh themselves among the stone pachyderms. Come see for yourself why Elephant Rocks State Park is a destination you won't forget!

• Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
• Area: 133.75 acres
  
• Opening Hours: Daily 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
• Admission: Free
• Address: 7390, 7406 MO-21, Belleview, MO 63623