Simply Grand: Grand Gulf State Park (guest blog)

In my exploration of Ripley County, Missouri, I began to wonder what lay in her neighbouring counties such as Oregon County.  Today, I decided to venture out and discover.  I drove to Grand Gulf State Park outside of Thayer and was not in the least disappointed.
The small size of this state park makes it easily traversable.  Further boarded stairways with rails make it possible for almost everyone to enjoy the scenic beauty that this fine state park has to offer, and it is very fine indeed.

To the right of the parking and picnic areas is a walkway down to the overlook point of the Grand Gulf Sink — a collapsed cavern that now fills with rainwater to form a small pond of immense blue hues, resembling in some regards Blue Spring near Eminence, Missouri.  However, do not be fooled by the sink’s appearance.  The small pond can reach depths of up to 100 feet with heavy rains and water marks along the cliff walls clearly indicate her awesome potential.

A side trail leads to the Natural Bridge — a part of the cave that did not crumble for some reason and now forms a natural dolomite bridge over the sink hole and Shiloh Creek.  Were it not there, one would see a huge mass of water to his right that would be quite frightening in the wet season.  A 1-mile spur trail off this meanders along Shiloh Creek, offering close portraits of The Narrows, another small hole along the creek bed and the Natural Bridge.  However, it is not yet complete and dead-ends in the woods, forcing one to turn around and follow the same path back.  The path however is gravelled for the most part and marked with blue blazes.

Once back at the parking area, I ventured to the other side where the Grand Gulf Canyon trail leads one down 119 steps to an observation deck at the bottom of the canyon.  In wet months, this would be an awesome sight with the roar of thousands of gallons of water pouring down beside you into an opening that feeds Shiloh Creek below the falls.  However, the weather has been unseasonably dry, so there was not as much as a trickle, save a small spring jutting out from the side of the cliff near the observation deck.

This alone would have provided a nice exploration, but I was not satisfied.  I left the park and drove along Hwy W to my right, where it turns into a gravelled county road.  About ½ mile down, I noticed a dry creek bed and decided to park and explore.  This is where the fun truly began.
Dry paths of rock and gravel do not just appear in nature.  It takes the awesome force of swiftly flowing water to deposit such specimens for miles in such a uniform manner.  Where there is a creek and a canyon, there is a waterfall.  Though there was no water flowing on this day, I decided to follow Shiloh Creek above the falls and see if I could locate the source.  After a short walk of about ¾ miles that took me into thickets around fallen trees and over large dolomite and limestone boulders, I discovered the top of the canyon and the beautifully-carved, white rocks that are hidden beneath a torrent of water during the wet season.  It was truly a sight to behold!

I shall be returning someday to this beautiful state park and natural area for further exploration into the canyon and caverns.  I may even return during the wet season and sit above the waterfalls as the water rushes by and makes pure my soul.  I suggest to anyone within driving distance of Thayer, Missouri, to do the same.  You shall not be disappointed. -Aaron Jackson