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Nestled in the hills above the Loutre River in Montgomery County, you’ll find Graham Cave State Park. The park provides opportunities for both recreation and education.
The main feature of the park, Graham Cave, was formed at the point of contact between Jefferson City dolomite and St. Peter sandstone. Gradual water flowing through the sandstone, along with a combined action of wind and freezing, worked to make a relatively large cave. The cave originally extended about 100 feet into the hill, but an accumulation of debris over the years filled the lower part of the cave with about seven feet of deposits. An archlike entrance, 120 feet wide, as well as, 16 feet high, provided human and animals with easy access to shelter.
Graham Cave is named after the first settler who owned the cave property. In 1816, Robert Graham bought some bottomland along the Loutre River from Daniel Boone’s son, Daniel Morgan Boone. In 1847, he purchased the property that housed the cave. It remained in the Graham family until its transfer to the state in 1964.
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
As a result of important archaeological findings, Graham Cave was the first archaeological site in the United States to be designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. It was also placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Surrounding the cave is naturally diverse land. The park is a combination of moist bottom land forests, as well as, rocky oak-hickory forest and glades. Graham Cave Glades Natural Area is an 82-acre tract made up of sandstone and dolomite glades that support a rich diversity of characteristic glade species. Several hiking trails wind through the park allowing visitors to enjoy an up-close look at the park’s natural features. In addition to interpretive panels throughout the park, there are displays in an interpretive shelter on Graham Cave Trail, as well as, in the park office/visitor center, featuring the natural and cultural resources of the park.
Scattered picnic sites, as well as, an open picnic shelter and playground equipment make Graham Cave State Park an ideal family retreat. For overnight guests, basic and improved campsites are nestled in a wooded area of the park. The camping area provides a dumping station and modern restroom, as well as, hot showers. A boat ramp on the Loutre River offers access for boating and fishing.
Please note there will be times when the office is temporarily closed while staff are working on the grounds.
PARK HOURS & FEES
Contact Park
PARK PHONE
573-564-3476
PARK ADDRESS
217 Highway TT
Montgomery City, MO 63361
For more information click HERE.
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