MO-Washington+State+Park


 * =Birding in Missouri=

Washington County
=Washington State Park= 13041 State Highway 104 De Soto, Missouri 63020 Washington State Park Website Washington State Park Map

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Washington SP
Coordinates: 38.0826421, -90.6901863 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Washington State Park
Petroglyphs, quaint hiking shelters and incredible Ozark overlooks define the Washington State Park experience. Easy access to the Big River makes the park great for swimming or fishing and the park’s three hiking trails address every type of hike, from easy strolls to power hikes. Buildings constructed by African-American Civilian Conservation Corps stonemasons complement the park and add to its sense of history. Washington State Park is perhaps best known as having been the location of prehistoric ceremonies associated with the Indian culture that archaeologists call Mississippian. Petroglyphs, or rock carvings, remain as evidence of their beliefs, and give clues to understanding the lives of these people who are believed to have inhabited the area around A.D. 1,000. The park contains the largest group of petroglyphs yet discovered in Missouri. Because of the number and exceptional quality of the carvings, these sites were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The petroglyphs are not Washington State Park's only claim to masterful craftsmanship in stone. Not long after the land was donated to the state for a park in 1932, an African-American company of the Civilian Conservation Corps began to develop the area. Inspired by Indian petroglyphs in the park, the all-black company named their barracks "Camp Thunderbird," and continued that theme at the former dining lodge, which now serves as a camper store and snack bar. The lodge has an Indian thunderbird symbol carved in its stone chimney, and the theme is repeated in the handmade iron door hinges. The stonemasons also did extensive roadside work, laid stone for what is known as the 1,000 Steps Trail, and worked on 14 buildings, including an octagonal lookout shelter of interesting rustic design. The exceptional quality of their craftsmanship in stone earned them high praise in the National Register of Historic Places' citation for the park.

Representing both characteristic and unique features of the eastern Ozarks, Washington State Park contains a rich mixture of native forests. The Washington State Park Hardwoods Natural Area, bordering the Big River floodplain, is moist and robust with a wide assortment of trees. Under the canopy of tall Kentucky coffee, sugar maple and slippery elm trees, the ferns and wildflowers mingle with understory pawpaw and bladdernut trees. In early spring, the natural area hosts one of the park system's most spectacular wildflower shows as blue-eyed Marys, celandine poppies, bluebells, trilliums and violets burst into bloom.

In contrast, on the hills above are limestone glades and savannas, which are remnants of the area's earlier, presettlement appearance. These open forests and sparse grasslands are scattered throughout the park's uplands and along most of the trails. The trees are often quite small, even though they may be more than 200 years old. Many of the flowering species found on these glades, such as Fremont's leather flower, the delicate blue-violet nemastylis and a rare primrose, are found in few other parks. Animal life is unusual, too. The eastern collared lizard is a favorite of visitors as it folds its front legs up against its chest like a miniature dinosaur and sails along on its hind legs, jumping over rocks.

Another notable natural feature of the park are the towering dolomite bluffs overlooking the Big River, a popular floating and canoeing waterway. Below the bluffs, anglers enjoy catching bass, catfish, bluegill and carp. Swimmers and sunbathers have a choice between a natural gravel bar in the river or an Olympic-size swimming pool. A picnic gazebo located at the scenic overlook provides a majestic view of the Big River and surrounding area. During the summer, naturalist-led programs explain the significance of the park features.

There are three marked hiking trails, including the 1,000 Steps Trail, Opossum Track Trail along the bluffs overlooking the river, and the more rugged Rockywood Trail, which includes a backpack camp.

Other campers can make use of both basic and improved campsites at the campground, which includes a dumping station, modern restrooms and hot showers. One and two bedroom, air-conditioned cabins with fully equipped kitchens are also available for rent. From Washington State Park Website

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