Conor Watkins' Ozark Mountain Experience
Article 20, 21, & 22 Combined
By Conor Watkins

Meramec State Park
-A Scenic Retreat
(Sit back, relax, and start reading the text.  All the pictures are going to take a while to load.)

Meramec State Park is a scenic state park administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) located near Sullivan.  It is not far off the interstate and is well worth a visit if traveling between Rolla and St. Louis.  Meramec State Park offers picnicking, camping, spelunking opportunities (both guided and non-guided), hiking, photography, fishing, swimming, inner tubing, and canoeing.  In addition, multiple historical sites are present in the park.

The visitor center is a good first stop.  This building is located just inside the entrance and provides information on various areas within the park.  Exhibits on the natural and human history of the surrounding area are present in a small museum within the visitor center.  A large fish tank contains fish native to the Meramec River.

Meramec State Park has had a unique history that began long before the area became a park.  The Upper Meramec Basin was home to isolated but high-grade mineral deposits that have since been mostly exhausted.  Mining in the area is reported to have started in 1796.  Multiple small iron mines operated throughout the upper Meramec Basin.  Copper Hollow, in the northern section of the park, was once mined for both copper and lead.

The Hamilton Iron Works operated in the Hamilton Valley of Meramec State Park in the 1880’s.  This operation smelted iron ore to create pig iron using a pre-Bessemer style blast furnace.  Pig iron is a brittle and impure form of iron that is usually refined further before use.  The ore originated from hematite filled sinks in the area.  See article60-62combined.htm for more information on filled sinks in the Ozarks.  These filled sinks are located throughout the upper Meramec Basin and contained easily mined high-grade iron ore.  One of the largest of these deposits was located at Maramec Spring, once the site of Maramec Iron Works.  None of the ore processed at Hamilton originated from the Maramec deposit, as the Maramec Iron Works closed before Hamilton began operation.

Today, the old blast furnace is crumbling and covered with vines and other vegetation.  Slag (waste material) from the smelter is located throughout the valley.  It most closely resembles the igneous rock scoria (somewhat like pumice), which is not naturally occurring in the area.  Evidence of iron mining and prospecting can be seen in and around the park.  These operations show up as small steep-sided pits that resemble sinkholes at first glance.

The remains of the Hamilton Iron Furnace sits in the forest crumbling.
A vandalized sign is visible in front of the structure.

More pictures of the Hamilton Iron Works from inside.  The top picture shows
the view when looking out the top while the lower picture shows the view
looking out the top.

Hamilton Valley is in a remote section of the park.  Attempts were made to develop the area around the old smelter in the early 1990’s.  A parking lot was built close to the smelter ruins and signs and displays highlighting the history of the area were installed nearby.  Unfortunately these signs were repeatedly vandalized and the park no longer maintains the area.  This part of the park is quite scenic with trails and caves worth exploring.

The famous Ozark fiddler and riverboat captain, John Hartford, named his last album, Hamilton Ironworks, after this location.  The song “Hamilton Ironworks” on the album is typical of Hartfords’ laid back, humorus works.  He lived in the Ozarks much of his life and mentions Bourbon, MO in the song.  Sadly, Hartford died of lymphoma before the album was released.  Although the work has received excellent reviews, publicity has been limited as the album was coincidentally and unfortunately released on Sept 11, 2001, when our attentions were elsewhere.

As Route 66 was constructed, residents of St. Louis began to hit the road and explore rural areas of Missouri, which were previously almost inaccessible do to the lack of good roads.  These recreation seekers found the Ozarks to be a pleasant retreat from the city life.  In the 1920’s, cabins and resorts were built along the Meramec, Gasconade, Big Piney, and other rivers in the Ozarks.  The state started buying land at the site of present day Meramec State Park in 1926 to provide a recreation area along the Meramec River.  In 1928, Meramec State Park was officially dedicated and became the first of five state parks along the river.

One may notice large chimneys and other stone ruins near the T-junction in the road past the visitor center.  These ruins are from a hotel that was started in 1928.  The owner declared bankruptcy at the beginning of the depression before the hotel was complete.  The construction contractors partly dismantled the building in an attempt to obtain money.  It was later sold at a public auction in 1931 to the Sayman Investment Company, which was owned by Thomas Sayman.  Although the hotel was never used, it became known as Sayman Hotel.  Thomas Sayman planned to make the ruin into a resort but died before his plan was complete.  The property was sold multiple times before it ended up in the hands of the Connie and Frank Pullium family.  The husband and wife made improvements to the building in order to make it livable.  They lived in the building comfortably for 30 years until 1971.  When the Meramec Dam project (discussed later in this article) started up, the two sold the property to the Corps of Engineers who tore down most of the building.  Only two Chimneys, some stairs, and a foundation remain.  Similar ruins of smaller personal cabins and resorts are present along the Meramec and other Ozark rivers.  As with the Sayman Hotel, many of these cabin and resort owners went broke during the depression.

Only two chimneys and some other stone ruins remain after the Sayman Hotel
was dismantled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1970's.

In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began constructing improvements in the park.  These included picnic areas, shelters, trails, and other facilities.  The CCC facilities were constructed of native stone and timber, which allowed them to fit well in the rugged landscape of the park.  Most CCC constructed buildings continue to serve visitors and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Meramec River runs through the park and a put-in/take out for boats and canoes is located near the park store.  The Meramec Store and Canoe Rental sells gifts, outdoor supplies, and rents canoes.  The floater has a choice of trips varying in length from 4 hours to 2 days at this location.

The park has six hiking trails ranging from ½ to 10 miles in length.  Hiking allows the visitor to experience the scenic hills and valleys of the park firsthand.  Deer, beaver, heron, kingfisher, squirrel, and other wildlife are commonly seen on the trails.  A variety of wildflowers and ferns grow in the park.  Multiple caves in the area discharge cool, moist air, which encourages the growth of very unique flora.  Some of these very rare plants are relict from the Pleistocene (past ice age) when the local climate was cooler and wetter.

The ten-mile Wilderness Trail is the longest trail in the park.  The trail consists of two loops, which traverse the remote northern section of the park.  The southern loop is six miles long while the northern loop is four miles long.  The northern loop winds through the Meramec Upland Forest Natural Area, the most remote and rugged part of the park.  This section heads to Copper Hollow.  Copper and lead were once mined in this area.  Green colored copper minerals can still be found in some locations.  Copper Hollow Spring is a scenic spring that cascades down cliffs in the valley.  The Wilderness Trail is the only trail in the park where overnight backpack camping in permitted.  Eight backpack camps are located along the trail.  Overnight backpackers must register near the trailhead.

Meramec State Park contains 120 basic campsites, 60 campsites with electricity, and 20 campsites with both electricity and sewer service.  The campground, which charges a small fee for each night of camping, is located near both the Meramec River and Fisher Cave.  Some campsites may be reserved but most are on a first come, first serve basis.  Facilities include hot showers, restrooms, laundry, and a sanitary dump station.  Rustic and modern cabins are also available within the park but reservations must be made in advance.  In addition, the park also runs a dining lodge where the visitor can eat.

As with much of the Missouri Ozarks, Meramec State Park lies on a karst terrain of carbonate dolomite and limestone bedrock.  Acids from the soil and atmosphere have dissolved caves into the bedrock.  The park contains at least 44 sizeable caves and numerous springs.  The largest of its caves is Fisher Cave.  Most of the caves were once spring conduits.  As the Meramec River and its tributaries cut down through the hills, they sliced into these water filled caves, which allowed them to drain.  The water table dropped in elevation along with the rivers.  Now, many of these caves are dry enough to be entered by air breathing creatures.  The caves are home to six species of bats, frogs, salamanders, and multiple invertebrate species.

Fisher Cave, a cave commercially operated by the park, is decorated with many interesting speleothems (cave formations).  These formations range from tiny crystals to enormous columns.  Perhaps the most interesting speleothems in the cave are three sets of calcite encrusted bear prints.  The cave varies in size from relatively low passages partly occupied by streams to enormous rooms.  It is thought that Fisher Cave may have once connected to Indian Cave, which is located nearby in the same bluff.  Clay sediment fillings block the rear of both caves, and the passages seem to line up if one looks at a map.  These blocked sections may have once been a connecting passage.  One might want to wear a light jacket while visiting, as caves in this part of the country remain 57 degrees all year round.  Admission to the cave is $4 for adults, $3 for teens, $2 for those 6-12 years of age, and free for those five and under.

Greens Cave is another notable cave in the park.  The entrance is 93 feet tall and 110 feet wide, which makes it clearly visible from the river and classifies it as one of the largest cave entrances in the country.  The cave consists of a single passage with a cold spring fed stream flowing in the bottom.  Its passage is filled with pretty flowstones, columns, and other formations and has a reported length of 3,500 feet.  For its close proximity to the river, Green’s Cave is in remarkably good condition and free of vandalism.  The cave is located in bluffs on the east side of the river.  It may be reached by a four-mile (one way) hike from the nearest parking lot at the Hamilton Iron Works in Hamilton Hollow or by a canoe while floating the river.  The cave is completely natural so proper equipment must be brought if visiting.  Caves in the Hamilton Valley and other parts of the park were also mined for cave onyx, a decorative mineral, at one time.  Mining or removal of any formation from caves in now prohibited.

In the 1960-1970’s, Meramec State Park was almost changed forever by a large dam project, which called for 31 dams within the Meramec River watershed (drainage area).  The largest of these, Meramec Dam, was to impound 42 miles of Meramec River, 9 miles of the Courtois Creek, and 12 miles of the Huzzah Creek to form Meramec Park Lake.  The 180 foot tall dam was to consist of earth fill and impound a 23,000 acres lake.  It would have flooded the upstream part of the present day park.  The dams were proposed with the rationale that they would improve water quality by capturing suspended sediments, control flooding, aid in navigation, and provide recreational waters.

<Click image for larger and more comprehensive plan>
The 180 foot high Meramec Dam was to consist of one large earth embankment.
A cut through an adjacent saddle was to contain emergency spillways.

The Harry S. Truman Dam near Warsaw, MO is located on the Osage River just
upstream from Lake of The Ozarks.  It is an example of an earth dam of a similar
style to the proposed dam on Meramec, but is shorter in height.

Various proposals to dam the river started being drafted in the 1830's, but nothing concrete happened until 1938.  It was at this time that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Congress authorized multiple large dams on the Upper Mississippi and Meramec River basins after extreme flooding in both 1927 and 1937.  Plans for the projects were delayed and altered until the 1960’s when the project started moving forward.  These changes involved moving the main Meramec Dam upstream from St. Clair to Sullivan along with the addition and removal of some supplemental dams.

As plans evolved, various groups organized to support or fight the project.  Most residents of nearby towns such as Sullivan, Cuba, and Bourbon were proponents of the Meramec Dam due to the potential of increased tourism, industrial revenue, and water supplies.  Evironmentalists and cavers organized to fight the project, as caves and other wildlife habitat containing endangered species would be affected.  Canoeists and landowners set to lose their land also organized against the project.  Opponents to the project claimed that politicians were catering to the wants of these residents and that the dam had simply become another pork barrel project.

"Please No Dams"
This picture from an unknown source was obviously produced
by opponents of the dam.

Hundreds of caves are present in the Meramec River Basin with several being present in the area where the dam was to be built.  These caves led to concerns about the geology of the site although engineers assured the caves would be dealt with in a manner that the dam would remain stable.

This figure shows borings through Mushroom Cave, a cave located near the dam.
<Click image for a larger and more comprehensive figure.>

It is possible to build dams in karst terrains.  This has been shown by the success of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and other agencies.  On the other hand, dams not designed around their karst surroundings have experienced problems, with some being potentially serious.

It appeared that political support was behind the dam for years.  In the 1970’s, both public and political support for the dam started to diminish.  Farmers and residents didn’t want to give up their lands and some doubted the safety of the project.  The Teton Dam in Idaho had just failed in 1976, which caused one billion dollars worth of damage and 14 deaths.  When members of the public asked questions about the safety of the project with respect to its geology, the Corps of Engineers skirted the subject.  This led many members of the public to believe that the proposed dam was not safe.  Soon politicians began to oppose Meramec Dam.  President Carter evaluated many Corps of Engineers projects and deemed them unnecessary.  He cancelled funding for 19 including the Meramec Dam in his first 1977 budget.  Congress soon reinstated funding for all but the Meramec Dam.

By 1978, construction on the dam had started but was on hold due to lack of funding.  Work had uncovered a large cave with no natural entrances near the future dam.  A large diameter boring was drilled into the cave with a calyx drill rig in order to allow people to be lowered into the cave.  After investigating, it was found that the elevation of the cave was entirely above the level of the proposed reservoir but the fact that a previously unknown cave had been discovered invigorated the opposition.  Today this cave is known as Moore’s Cave.  Excavations also tapped into a spring, which flows to this day.  Five other known caves in the left abutment were possibly interconnected.  Evidence also indicated that there was a large cavern 90 feet below the downstream edge of the proposed dam.  It was obvious that Mother Nature wasn’t going to make this a cheap and easy project.  Projected costs just kept rising higher, due to non-ideal geology of the site and the delaying tactics of anti-dam activists.  In 1966, the estimated completion price was $38 million but that had risen to $124 million by 1977.

Large diameter calyx cores are displayed adjacent to Truman Dam near Warsaw, MO.


Dr. John Rockaways, UMR Professor Emeritus in Geological Engineering,
is getting ready to be lowered down a large diameter calyx boring
to investigate the newly discovered Moore's Cave.

Missouri Senator Tom Eagleton decided that he couldn’t support funding for the dam without a public referendum.  On Aug 8, 1978, a nonbinding voter referendum was held in 12 counties to be directly affected by the dam and the city of St. Louis.  As a whole, 64 percent of voters opposed the dam.  Reisdents of the St. Louis metro area voted heavily against the project while residents in communities near the dam voted somewhat in favor of the dam.  Although this vote was nonbinding and carried no legal clout, it forced Congress to re-evaluate the project.  On December 29, 1981, President Regan signed a bill from Congress to deauthorize the project.  This vote was the first time in history that the public had a direct say in a Corps of Engineers project.  Never before had a Corps of Engineers project been stopped once progress had started.

During the fight over the dam, both sides exaggerated and twisted their points and often brought up topics irrelevant to their originally stated concerns in order to further their cause.  Public meetings were heated with passionate arguments being commonplace occurances.  A 1977 public meeting in Sullivan filled the city hall and resulted in very intense discussions.  The meeting is now referred to as “The Meramec Shootout” although no actual shots were fired.  Fighting got particularly nasty when extremists from both sides of the debate began exchanging death threats and personal property was sabotaged.  Don Rimbach, the geologist/activist hired by Lester Dill, was attacked and nearly run down by earthmoving equipment while investigating at the dam site.  To this day, both sides still hold strong beliefs in support of their cause and suggestions to restart the project have been discussed as recently as 1998.  Pro-dam sentiments are still strong among residents of nearby towns such as Sullivan, Leasburg, Cuba, and Bourbon.  There were no black and white answers to questions about the project.  It would not have been known if the reservoir had leakage problems until after it was filling .  Only the presence of a reservoir would have demonstrated the changes to recreation, culture, and the economies of surrounding towns.

The law signed by Reagan to decommission the project also gave the Corps of Engineers options on how to deal with acquired properties.  In 1974, the Corps of Engineers had built a visitor center and overlook above the area and held thousands of acres of land.  80 percent of the land was sold back to the public with first options given to the original landowner.  Unclaimed land was sold at three public auctions.  Scenic easements were established along the banks to insure that the riverbanks remain clean and natural.  The remaining 20 percent of the lands with unique natural values were given to the state of Missouri and are now public areas.  Parts of the Huzzah State Forest, Onondaga State Park, and areas of Meramec State Park were acquired by these gifts.  The portions of Meramec State park containing Hamilton Valley and Greens Cave were acquired in this manner.  The Corps of Engineers visitor center became the Hickory Ridge Conference Center at Meramec State Park.  The scenic overlook remains nearby.

During and after the fight over the dam project, residents of St. Louis and other nearby areas came to see what all the fuss was about.  Although people had always floated canoes on the Meramec River, the pastime became much more common and floaters soon jammed the river on summer weekends.  This occurrence has continued to this day and shows no signs of letting up.

Over twenty years have passed since voters defeated the dam project.  The area where the dam was to have been is now overgrown and one wouldn’t even know that it was once the site of such a large project.  There are two small ponds, one on each side of the river, left from excavations during the first part of the construction.  These two ponds show up as Turtle Pond and Beaver Spring Lake.  The site on the northwest side of the river (Turtle Pond) is easily reached by walking 1,000 or so feet upstream from the Meramec Store and Canoe Rental in Meramec State Park.  A dirt 4-wheel trail leaves the parking lot and heads into the woods back several hundred feet from the riverbank. This trail leads directly to the north part of the dam site.  Beaver Spring Lake is located just across the river from Turtle Pond and is fed by the spring that was tapped into during construction.

Turtle Pond is one of the few recognizable remnants of the Meramec Dam Project.

The Meramec Motel was built near the Hickory Ridge Conference Center after the deauthorization of the dam and serves as a place for visitors to stay.  The casing surrounding another calyx boring sits almost directly in front of the motel and closely resembles the one above Moore's Cave.  One can park near the motel and walk to the scenic overlook built by the Corps of Engineers, which is at the very end of the parking lot.  This excellent overlook provides a scenic view into the hills and farms of the surrounding area.  If Meramec Dam had been successfully completed, the overlook would have looked directly down the axis of the dam and much of the forest below would now be a lake.  It is hard to imagine that this area led to so much public and political turmoil as one sits and admires the scenery from this peaceful location.  On the other hand, one can see why so many wanted the land left alone.

This scenic view is visible from the overlook built by the Corps of Engineers
to show the Meramec Dam and its lake.  If the dam had been completed, much
of this picture would now be underwater.

Today the Meramec is one of seven free flowing rivers (meaning no large dams have impounded the river) in Missouri.  The other six rivers are the Big Piney, Gasconade, Little Piney, Big Piney, Current, Jack’s Fork, and Eleven Point Rivers.  If all dams proposed throughout the years had been constructed, none of these rivers would be free flowing through their entire length today.  For more information specifically on the Meramec Basin Project, see "The Meramec Basin Project - A Look Back 25 Years Later" or the book “Damning The Dam: The St. Louis District Corps of Engineers and The Controversy Over the Meramec Basin Project from its Inception to Its Deauthorization” by T. Micheal Ruddy

To get to Meramec State Park, take I-44 east to the second Sullivan exit (exit 226), which is labeled Hwy 185 south.  Follow Hwy 185 south for around five miles to the park entrance on the right.  For a map of the developed areas of the park, stop at the main visitors center or store.  Maps and trail information can be obtained at the visitor center.  To get to Hamilton Hollow, continue past the main part entrance and turn right at the first road after crossing the Meramec River.  Follow the road until it turns to gravel and turn right at the next intersection.  If you run back into Hwy 185, you have gone too far and need to backtrack.  Once on the road off to the right road, stop at the gravel parking lot off to the right.  A small trail leads to the iron works ruin.  The area is completely unmarked due to sign vandalism so be sure to ask park staff for directions if unsure of this location.

Highway map showing location of Meramec State Park in relation to Rolla.

Thanks to the “WPA Guide To Missouri: Route 66 Tour” (http://members.aol.com/hsauertieg/rt66/wpa_mo.htm), The Independent Caver (http://home.earthlink.net/~tic/Vol.1/No.1), Fisher Cave Biology (http://www.missouri.edu/~jad4bc/biology.htm), U.S. Forest Service Program in Missouri - Gardner Unit (1935), Missouri-Illinois Forest Picture” by John D. Woerheide, “Toward a Vision For Missouri’s Public Forests” (1992), "Weathering - Some Topographic Clues To Its Depth" (1964) by George D. Roberts, personal conversations with Greg Hempen of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, “Geologic Wonders And Curiosities of Missouri” by Thomas R. Beveridge and Jerry Vineyard, “Passages of a Stream” by James P. Jackson, “Stop Meramec Dam – It’s A Damsite Worse The Teton” by Don Rimbach, “The Lake That Never Was” by Tom Uhlenbrock (6-8-2003) of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the friendly staff at Meramec State Park, The Missouri Earth Advocate newspaper, personal and e-mail conversations with Jo Schaper, “Geology 260 – Karst Hydrology: South-Central Missouri Karst Field Trip” (UM-Rolla course - 2003) and personal communication with by Jim Vandike of the Missouri DNR, “Meramec Park Reservoir – Site Geology” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, brochures present at the park visitor center, and the users of the MOCAVES listserve for much of the information presented in this article.  Other excellent references on the Meramec Basin project are the book “Damning The Dam: The St. Louis District Corps of Engineers and The Controversy Over the Meramec Basin Project from its Inception to Its Deauthorization” by T. Micheal Ruddy and “Silver Anniversary of the Meramec Dam Defeat, August 8, 1978” by Jo Schaper (http://members.socket.net/~joschaper/meradam.html).