Park Trails

Braille Trail

Trail Rating: Easy

The 7.5-acre Elephant Rocks Natural Area can be easily viewed from Braille Trail. Designed especially for people with visual or physical disabilities in 1981, Braille Trail is the first of its kind in Missouri state parks and is designated as a National Recreation Trail. The trail passes by a quarry pond, which now supports a variety of animal life. A short spur off of the trail takes visitors to the top of the granite outcrop, where they can explore the maze of giant elephant rocks. A second spur brings visitors to a point overlooking an old quarry site where Missouri red granite (Missouri Red) was quarried from the 1860s through the early 1900s. The asphalt trail features interpretive signage.

This .mp3 file provides the same information as the interpretive signage.

You may experience:

• Slippery conditions and/or downed vegetation
• Natural surface, dirt, mud, gravel, shifting rocks, slippery surface, etc.
• Wood or stone steps
• Bluffs or drop-offs next to trail
• Bridges and/or structural crossings

Find the trailhead on the park map

Missouri State Parks Trail Rules and Etiquette

Engine House Ruins Trail

Trail Rating: Easy

Accessed from the Braille Trail, this level trail at the east entrance is paved for approximately 430 feet to the ruins of an old engine house. The engine house was originally built to repair train engines and cards from the Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad in the 1890s and service Sheehan Quarry operations in what is now the state park. By 1902, 16 granite cars were being operated regularly, shipping Missouri red granite throughout the country. At the engine house or at the west entrance to the trail, is a largely dirt wide path that leads the visitor around the back side of the old quarry and over natural terrain.

You may experience:

• Natural surface, dirt, mud, gravel, shifting rocks, slippery surface, etc.
• Rocks, roots and/or downed vegetation on trail           
• Bluffs or drop-offs next to trail

Find the trailhead on the park map

Missouri State Parks Trail Rules and Etiquette