Park Information
State park and historic site day-use areas, lodging, campgrounds, boat ramps and trails continue to operate under normal off-season hours. Missouri State Parks has implemented a number of measures designed to maintain required social distancing and protect visitors, volunteers and staff, including the closure of visitor centers, nature centers, offices and museums. The latest information from Missouri State Parks on COVID-19 can be found here. A full list of temporary closures can be found here.
Mastodon State Historic Site contains an important archaeological and paleontological site – the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Here, scientists discovered the first solid evidence of the coexistence of humans and the American mastodon in eastern North America.
Today, visitors can learn about this discovery and how the landscape of Missouri looked in pre historic time. The site features a museum with an interpretive video, displays of ancient artifacts and fossils, and an impressive mastodon skeleton replica. Programs explain more about the significance of the site.
For anyone wanting to stretch their legs, the site offers three trails, including one that leads to the site where the bones and artifacts were found. The park also offers picnic sites, a picnic shelter, a playground, a special-use area for organized youth groups, and a wildflower garden that attracts birds and butterflies.
