I recommend to you Elephant Rock State Park in Graniteville, MO.

Directions: Cross the bridge at Chester, Illinois and proceed to Perryville, Missouri. Continue on Missouri 51 south to the junction with County J. Follow J to Fredericktown and then go west on Missouri 72 to Ironton. From there, take Missouri 21 north about 20 miles to the Elephant Rocks State Park. This Braille Trail is a one mile loop rail that is level, paved, and handicap accessible (including Braille trail signs). Any geologist will think he/she died and went to heaven.

This seven acre site is filled with massive granite boulders that vary in height from five to fifty feet. Each rock formation has its own unique shape. At some point in the trail, a boardwalk will enable one to walk on top of these rock elephants.

Standing atop a granite outcrop, one of the largest elephant rocks, Dumbo, tops the scales at a whopping 680 tons! Grasses and mosses fill the natural depressions in the rock, although none appear to be any rare species. In some places the trail leads thru maze canyons.

A second spur brings visitors to a point overlooking an old quarry site. This red granite, first commercially quarried in the late 1800s, has been used as building material and as paving blocks for the St. Louis levee and downtown streets. Today, "Missouri Red" granite is cut and polished mainly for use as monuments. This trail is also described in the new book, Hiking Missouri, by Kevin Lohraff.

More information is also available from Bob Tyson at 684-5643.  ■