![]() First off it IS a natural site, not a theme park, so be cautious. Even after traveling the world, it still ranks in my top 10 places. daily November through February.įor more information, including details on how to reserve a camp site or cabin, contact the park office at (573) 546-2450 or visit am a geologist and have visited Johnson's Shut-ins many times. daily the day after Labor Day through Oct. daily the Thursday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, 8 p.m. daily March 1 through the Wednesday before Memorial Day, 8 a.m. The park is open for valley day use from 8 a.m. Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is located in Lesterville, Mo., off Hwy. Hikers can choose from more than 45 miles of trails that run through the park, including one that follows the path of the scourge. Visitors looking for a bit more comfort during their stay can choose from the six one-bedroom cabins available. In addition to the new sites, there are new shower and restroom facilities, a general store selling groceries and camp supplies plus laundry area, and a Wi-Fi area. The campground includes a combination of basic and electric sites, as well as a few equestrian sites that can accommodate horse trailers. There is also a new campground, now located a safe distance away should disaster ever strike again. Exhibits inside give visitors a detailed explanation of how the breach happened, the destruction it caused and the subsequent restoration project. This included clearing debris from the shut-ins and nearby wetland fen, rebuilding and widening the boardwalk, recreating the river’s streambed and building a brand new state-of-the-art visitors’ center. Millions of dollars in settlement money from Ameren went toward the restoration effort. Who needs overpriced theme parks when you can have this much fun for free? Fortunately, I had thought to bring a swimming suit for our daughter, who had the time of her life sitting quite happily in a 6-inch pool of water trying to catch minnows and looking at rocks. And so into the water we went in our shorts and T-shirts. ![]() I hadn’t brought a swimming suit, but the cool, clear water was too enticing to resist. Waterproof shoes with rubber soles (plain, canvas tennis shoes work great) are a must if you don’t want to slice your foot open. Visitors should also bear in mind the wet rocks are slippery and can be razor sharp. That said, a little common sense goes a long way. There is no lifeguard on duty and all visitors enter the water at their own risk. Beneath the collection of rock formations there is a deeper pool where I saw several adults swimming. Most of the shut-ins are shallow and great for kids. Everywhere we looked men, women and children of all ages were splashing around in the pools and sliding through waterfalls. The rhyolite rock formations had escaped permanent damage from the flood. Approximately 1.3 billion gallons of water carried this rock 1 ½ miles, dropping it here. 14, 2005, this granite boulder was torn from its resting place high atop Proffit Mountain during the Ameren upper reservoir breach. One particularly massive boulder greets visitors as they enter the park. ![]() The only obvious signs of the disaster was the massive “scourge trail” that marked the spot where the water came flooding down the mountainside and the dozens of boulders that littered the site of the former campground. In fact, the park seemed even better than before. We were thrilled to discover that the shut-ins appeared exactly as they had during our last visit. Nearby Elephant Rocks State Park is only 20 minutes away, making it possible to visit both parks during a day trip to the area. The park is located in Lesterville, Mo., roughly a 2 hour and 20 minute drive from the metro-east in Illinois. Would there be anything left worth seeing? I was eager to visit again to find out exactly how bad the damage was. The state park officially reopened in 2010. If Elephant Rocks State Park is nature’s playground, then Johnson’s Shut-Ins is its water park. These rock formations jut up out of the water creating small pools, chutes and waterfalls formed as a result of millions of years of erosion. From the moment I caught my first glimpse of the shut-ins, I was enchanted by the breathtaking natural beauty of this place.įor those unfamiliar with the shut-ins, the term refers to the geological formations made of volcanic rock called rhyolite. My husband and I were just weeks away from getting married and desperately needed to escape from the stress of wedding planning. The last time I visited was in June of 2005, just six months before the reservoir disaster.
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