 |
 |
 |
 | ||
|
Area Attractions | ||
Caroline's Corner Caroline Sutherland Tourist Information Director |
 | |
|
Check out Caroline's Blog and keep up to date with events and activities at the Tourist Information Center and Caboose Museum. http://thayertic.blogspot.com/
| ||
|
Here is just a few of our area attractions and things to do in Thayer, Missouri. Have fun canoeing, swimming, hiking, enjoying the fall colors or spring flowers, fishing, camping, and hunting. Have dinner at one of our local restaurants or plan a picnic at one of our city parks. Visit our Rail Road Museum inside a real caboose! Sherwood Park- features large pavilions for picnics or meetings, tennis courts, basketball courts, an Olympic sized city pool, playground, walking trails, an authentic log home, and a rail road caboose on display. Near the park there is a rodeo arena and a truck/tractor pull track with events throughout the year. Warm Fork Park near downtown Thayer features a pavilion, picnic facilities, a walking trail, and Warm Fork River access. There are reasonable rates at our local hotel and motels. There is also an RV park available with electric hookups. | ||
| Grand Gulf State Park | ||
|
Grand Gulf State
Park preserves one
of the most spectacular geologic areas in Missouri. The major feature of
the park is the collapsed remains of a major cave system, with a sinkhole,
cave, natural bridge, and the gulf itself, which is often called the
Little Grand Canyon. Historic
Features As more water drained away, air-filled passages or caves were formed. Surface streams carved down through the rock and connected with the cave passage. In areas where the cave roof broke through, the stream was diverted or "pirated" underground. As this process continued for thousands of years, more and more of the cave roof eventually collapsed. Geologists cannot say precisely when the collapse of the gulf occurred. It may have been as recently as within the past 10,000 years. Today, the gulf is a canyon three-fourths of a mile long with walls reaching as high as 120 feet. A portion of the cave roof that did not collapse remains as a natural bridge that spans 200 feet and has an opening 75 feet high--making it one of the largest in the state. Bussell Branch,
which previously flowed above the intact cave system, now flows through
the canyon and into a part of the cave that did not collapse. The water
that flows into the cave eventually reappears at Mammoth Spring in
Arkansas, seven miles away. The gulf has long been a source of wonder to local residents and geologists alike. The first recorded exploration of the gulf was in 1884 by Maj. M.B. Norman of Alton, who owned the property, and a reporter from the West Plains Gazette. The adventurers used a boat to explore the cave and reported finding a large lake several hundred feet from the entrance. Eight years later, Luella Agnes Owen, author and one of the first women geologists, explored the depths of the cave. Using candles to light the way, Owen boated into the lake and reported seeing "small eyeless fish, pure white and perfectly fearless; the first I had ever seen, and little beauties." Like Norman before her, Owen was prevented from going more than 500 feet into the cave because the passageway became too small. The chance to explore the cave as Owen did was lost in 1921 when a fierce storm washed down trees and other debris into the gulf, temporarily damming the cave. Today, the cave is impassable a short distance from the entrance. After heavy rains, runoff from approximately 20 square miles drains into the gulf. This sometimes turns the gulf into a small lake, which slowly drains through the cave. Click here for a map of the Grand Gulf State Park | ||
| Mammoth Spring State Park | ||
|
Just across the
state line from Thayer is the Mammoth Spring State Park in Arkansas. The
park surrounds one of the nations largest springs. The Mammoth Spring is
the largest spring in Arkansas and the second largest in the Ozarks. The
spring puts out 9 million gallons of water an hour and makes up the head of
the Spring River.
In addition to the beautiful spring the park contains a hydroelectric dam, a restored 1886 train museum including a Frisco caboose, and a playground with picnic areas available. Visitors can also feed the ducks and geese in the park. Near the park are state and national fish hatcheries as well an aquarium open to the public. More tourist information is available at the park’s Arkansas Welcome Center. Click here for the Mammoth Spring State Park website | ||
| Other Area Attractions | ||
|
A few other attractions and things to do in the Ozarks near Thayer;
Visit near by
Grand
Gulf and Mammoth Spring state parks. | ||
|
|
||
|
Home
: Businesses
:
Tourism :
Events :
About Thayer
:
Industry Wanted | ||
The
park, which is designated a National Natural Landmark, was acquired by the
Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 1984 through a lease agreement
with the L-A-D Foundation of St. Louis, owners of the property.
|
