# Meramec State Park

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Meramec_State_Park
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Meramec_State_Park.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meramec_State_Park
> Source revision: 1355131372
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

State park in Missouri, United States

Meramec State Park A stalactiflat in Fisher Cave Location in Missouri Show map of Missouri Meramec State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States Location Franklin, Crawford, and Washington counties, Missouri, United States Coordinates 38°13′00″N 91°04′40″W / 38.21667°N 91.07778°W / 38.21667; -91.07778[1] Area 6,896.33 acres (2,790.85 ha)[2] Elevation 571 ft (174 m)[1] Established 1927[3] Administrator Missouri Department of Natural Resources Visitors 369,762 (in 2023)[2] Website Official website Meramec State Park Lookout House/Observation Tower U.S. National Register of Historic Places Nearest city Sullivan, Missouri Area Less than one acre Built c. 1934 (1934) Built by CCC; NPS Architectural style Rustic MPS ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR NRHP reference No. 85000530 Added to NRHP February 28, 1985 Meramec State Park Pump House U.S. National Register of Historic Places Nearest city Sullivan, Missouri Area Less than one acre Built 1934 (1934) Built by CCC; NPS Architectural style Rustic MPS ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR NRHP reference No. 85000531 Added to NRHP February 28, 1985 Meramec State Park Shelter House U.S. National Register of Historic Places Nearest city Sullivan, Missouri Area Less than one acre Built 1935 (1935) Built by CCC; NPS Architectural style Rustic MPS ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR NRHP reference No. 85000532 Added to NRHP February 26, 1985 Meramec State Park Beach Area Historic District U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. Historic district Nearest city Sullivan, Missouri Area Less than one acre Built by National Park Service Architectural style Rustic MPS ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR NRHP reference No. 91001772 Added to NRHP December 6, 1991

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (February 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

**Meramec State Park** is a public recreation area located near [Sullivan, Missouri](/source/Sullivan%2C_Missouri), about 60 miles from [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri), along the [Meramec River](/source/Meramec_River).[4] The park has diverse ecosystems such as [hardwood forests](/source/Hardwood_forest) and [glades](/source/Glade_(geography)). There are over 40 [caves](/source/Cave) located throughout the park, the bedrock is [dolomite](/source/Dolomite_(rock)). The most famous is [Fisher Cave](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fisher_Cave&action=edit&redlink=1), located near the campgrounds. The park borders the [Meramec Conservation Area](/source/Meramec_Conservation_Area).

## History

The park was acquired by the state in 1927, then saw active development by the [Civilian Conservation Corps](/source/Civilian_Conservation_Corps) (CCC) between 1933 and 1935. At that time, trails were laid out and numerous buildings constructed including a dining hall, recreation hall, concession building, and shelters.[5]

In the late 1970s, as part of the [Meramec Basin Project](/source/Meramec_River#Meramec_Basin_Project), the [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers](/source/U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers) began work on a dam in the park to impound the river. The resulting reservoir would have permanently flooded much of the park and imperiled many different species, including the endangered [Indiana bat](/source/Indiana_bat). However, in response to direct citizen action against the dam, the project was halted, marking a victory for the environmental movement.[6]

## Historic sites

Three surviving CCC-era structures were added to the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places) in 1985:

- **Meramec State Park Lookout House/Observation Tower**: The rustic-style stone and trussed timber octagonal lookout tower was built about 1934.[5]: 7

- **Meramec State Park Pump House**: The rustic-style stone pump house (well house) on the Lodge Trail has a medium-pitched front-gable roof with small [cupola](/source/Cupola). It was built in 1934.[5]: 326

- **Meramec State Park Shelter House**: The rustic-style shelter house on the Lodge Trail measures 12 feet by 16 feet and has a hipped roof supported by heavy wooden posts and brackets. It was built in 1935.[5]: 332

In 1991, the **Meramec State Park Beach Area Historic District** was also added to the list. The [historic district](/source/Historic_district_(United_States)) encompasses four contributing buildings, three contributing structures, and one contributing object. They include the picnic shelter, stone restrooms, water fountain, pump house, and stone steps.[7]: 5

The bottom southeast corner of the park includes the old Hamilton Ironworks, after which the Ozarks fiddle tune "[Hamilton Ironworks](/source/Hamilton_Ironworks)" is named.[8][9] The Hamilton Iron Works Trail has interpretive signage about the history the blast furnace that once operated "around the clock, seven days a week."[10]

## Activities and amenities

In addition to cave tours, the park offers hiking trails, fishing, swimming and boating on the Meramec River, and a campground. The visitor center houses an exhibit hall with a video presentation and information about the history and ecology of the area.[11]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-1) ["Meramec Park Lake"](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/735977). *[Geographic Names Information System](/source/Geographic_Names_Information_System)*. [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey), [United States Department of the Interior](/source/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-parkdata_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-parkdata_2-1) ["Data Sheet: Meramec State Park"](https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Datasheets_Meramec.pdf) (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 31, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-acquisition_3-0)** ["State Park Land Acquisition Summary"](https://mostateparks.com/page/59045/state-park-land-acquisition-summary). Missouri State Parks. August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-parks_4-0)** ["Meramec State Park"](https://mostateparks.com/park/meramec-state-park). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. December 10, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nomination_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nomination_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-nomination_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-nomination_5-3) Denny, James M.; Wright, Bonita Marie (November 7, 1984). ["Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Architecture in Missouri State Parks, 1933-1942, Thematic Resources"](https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/ECW%20Architecture%20in%20MSP.pdf) (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. Missouri Department of Natural Resources (includes photographs). p. 322–338. Retrieved December 24, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-watkins1_6-0)** Watkins, Connor (2006). ["The Meramec Basin Project: A Look Back 25 Years Later"](http://www.rollanet.org/~conorw/cwome/article69&70combined.htm). *Conor Watkins' Ozark Mountain Experience*. Retrieved October 24, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-DNR_7-0)** Bonnie Stepenoff (June 1991). ["Meramec State Park Beach Area Historic District"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161225081657/http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/91001772.pdf) (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Archived from [the original](http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/91001772.pdf) (PDF) on December 25, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016. (includes 8 photographs from 1991)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-lohraff_8-0)** Lohraff, Kevin (2009). *Hiking Missouri*. Human Kinetics. p. 139. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780736075886](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780736075886).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-beisswenger_9-0)** Beisswenger, Drew; McCann, Gordon (2008). *Ozarks Fiddle Music*. Mel Bay Publications. p. 186. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780786677306](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780786677306). Cecil learned "Hamilton Ironworks" from Gene, who learned it in the 1950s from Roy Wooliver.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-trails_10-0)** ["Hamilton Iron Works Trail"](https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/TrailDetails-HamiltonIronWorksTrail.pdf) (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 31, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-vc_11-0)** ["Visitor Center at Meramec State Park"](https://mostateparks.com/location/55987/visitor-center). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. February 10, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2014.

## External links

- [Meramec State Park](https://mostateparks.com/park/meramec-state-park) Missouri Department of Natural Resources

- [Meramec State Park Map](https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/4MER_ColorMap.pdf) Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Meramec State Park](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Meramec_State_Park).

v t e Protected areas of Missouri Federal National Battlefields Wilson's Creek National Fish Hatcheries Neosho National Forests Mark Twain National Historic Sites and Historical Parks Harry S. Truman Ste. Genevieve Ulysses S. Grant National Monuments George Washington Carver National Parks Gateway Arch National Trails Butterfield Overland California Lewis and Clark Oregon Pony Express Santa Fe Trail of Tears National Wild and Scenic Rivers Eleven Point Ozark National Wildlife Refuges Big Muddy Clarence Cannon Great River Loess Bluffs Middle Mississippi River Mingo Ozark Cavefish Pilot Knob Swan Lake Two Rivers Other National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks National Register of Historic Places Wilderness Areas State State Parks Annie and Abel Van Meter Bennett Spring Big Lake Big Oak Tree Big Sugar Creek Bryant Creek Castlewood Crowder Cuivre River Current River Don Robinson Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial Echo Bluff Elephant Rocks Eleven Point Finger Lakes Graham Cave Grand Gulf Ha Ha Tonka Harry S Truman Hawn Jay Nixon Johnson's Shut-Ins Jones-Confluence Point Katy Trail Knob Noster Lake of the Ozarks Lake Wappapello Lewis and Clark Long Branch Mark Twain Meramec Montauk Morris Onondaga Cave Pershing Pomme de Terre Prairie Roaring River Robertsville Rock Bridge Memorial Rock Island Trail Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry Route 66 Sam A. Baker Shepherd of the Hills St. Francois St. Joe Stockton Table Rock Taum Sauk Mountain Thousand Hills Trail of Tears Wakonda Wallace Washington Watkins Mill Weston Bend State Historic Sites Arrow Rock Battle of Athens Battle of Carthage Battle of Island Mound Battle of Lexington Battle of Pilot Knob Bollinger Mill Boone's Lick Bothwell Lodge Clark's Hill/Norton Confederate Memorial Deutschheim Dillard Mill Felix Vallé House First Missouri State Capitol Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home Gov. Daniel Dunklin's Grave Harry S Truman Birthplace Hunter-Dawson Iliniwek Village Jefferson Landing Jewell Cemetery Locust Creek Covered Bridge Mark Twain Birthplace Mastodon Missouri Mines Nathan and Olive Boone Homestead Osage Village Sandy Creek Covered Bridge Sappington Cemetery Scott Joplin House Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Towosahgy Union Covered Bridge Watkins Woolen Mill Conservation areas list State Forests list Category Missouri Department of Natural Resources Parks in Greater St. Louis Commons

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Lists by county Adair Andrew Atchison Audrain Barry Barton Bates Benton Bollinger Boone Buchanan Butler Caldwell Callaway Camden Cape Girardeau Carroll Carter Cass Cedar Chariton Christian Clark Clay Clinton Cole Cooper Crawford Dade Dallas Daviess DeKalb Dent Douglas Dunklin Franklin Gasconade Gentry Greene Grundy Harrison Henry Hickory Holt Howard Howell Iron Jackson: Downtown Kansas City Jackson: Kansas City other Jackson: Other Jasper Jefferson Johnson Knox Laclede Lafayette Lawrence Lewis Lincoln Linn Livingston Macon Madison Maries Marion McDonald Mercer Miller Mississippi Moniteau Monroe Montgomery Morgan New Madrid Newton Nodaway Oregon Osage Ozark Pemiscot Perry Pettis Phelps Pike Platte Polk Pulaski Putnam Ralls Randolph Ray Reynolds Ripley St. Charles St. Clair St. Francois St. Louis (city): Downtown and Downtown West St. Louis (city): Northwest St. Louis (city): Southwest St. Louis County Ste. Genevieve Saline Schuyler Scotland Scott Shannon Shelby Stoddard Stone Sullivan Taney Texas Vernon Warren Washington Wayne Webster Worth Wright Other lists Bridges National Historic Landmarks Keeper of the Register History of the National Register of Historic Places Property types Historic district Contributing property

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Meramec State Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meramec_State_Park) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meramec_State_Park?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.