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Mastodon State Historic Site
636-464-2976

Trails

Three hiking trails lead visitors through various points of interest at the historic site. Two of the trail heads are located in the picnic area at the first parking area.

Spring Branch Trail
Spring Branch Trail offers an easy three-quarter-mile walk through a portion of the Rock Creek bottomland. The trail follows a small stream flowing from Bollefer Spring, past remains of the Bollefer family springhouse, loops through the lowlands and continues along Rock Creek back to the picnic area. The spring keeps the stream's temperature constant year-round, promoting an abundant growth of watercress.
Comments:View comments from hikers of this trail during 2007

Limestone Hill Trail
Limestone Hill Trail is a steep and rugged two-and-one-fourth-mile trail that leads visitors along the base of a limestone bluff, up hill through an oak and hickory forest, across the hilltop and past an old quarry. In spring, the hillside is bright with dogwood, redbud and serviceberry.

Wildflower Trail
The one-half-mile Wildflower Trail begins next to the museum and guides visitors down a series of stairs to the bone bed. The trail passes by the Callison Memorial Bird Sanctuary, a wildflower area, across an old quarry, and down a limestone bluff and talus slope to the bone bed. It is estimated that three acres of ice age deposits are below the ground in this area.