Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park lies about 5 km south of downtown Columbia and offers a quick escape into the Missouri woodland. The main attraction is the natural rock bridge itself — a limestone arch crossing the entrance to Devil's Icebox cave — along with sinkholes, springs, and the wooded creek valleys of the Gans Creek watershed.

The park has well-maintained trails ranging from a short walk to the rock bridge (less than a kilometre) to longer loops through the upland forest. The cave is accessible only on guided tours, which run seasonally; check the state park website for current schedules. In spring, wildflowers cover the forest floor. The park is free to enter and gets much less traffic than similar geological features in the Ozarks.

things to do sight
A story
The park's name comes from a natural rock bridge — a flat stone arch spanning a cave entrance — that was used as a ford by travellers on the old Booneslick Trail. The cave system beneath, called Devil's Icebox, stays at a constant 56°F year-round and is home to cave crayfish and other rare species adapted to permanent darkness.