Bryant Creek State Park to open near Rockbridge with ribbon cutting Sept. 23

Rockbridge-area Bryant Creek State Park, one of Missouri’s newest state parks, is scheduled to open to the public Sept. 23 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m.

Located in southern Douglas County, just a couple miles from the Ozark County line, Bryant Creek State Park is home to impressively large oaks and shortleaf pines spanning rugged, steeply dissected river hills that front the stream for which it’s named. 

With 2,917 acres, the new park features many natural attributes, such as almost two miles of Bryant Creek frontage. Four tributary hollows go through uncut forest and sandstone outcrops, providing lots of character and scenic views.

The park is still in the development phases, but it has two completed trails and an accessible overlook, vault toilet and finished parking area. 

When it is fully developed, the park will have two day-use areas with parking, picnic tables, vault toilets, potable water and informational/interpretative kiosks. A camping area with fire rings and picnic tables will also be established for primitive camping.

Eventually, visitors will be able to hike, bike or ride their horses on specially-marked trails throughout the park. In the years prior to automobiles, Bryant Creek was the main north-south travel route through the watershed. All the smaller tributary creeks fed into this larger creek, much like smaller roads feed into a highway. Until well into the 1900s, the most direct route to travel somewhere in the watershed was by walking, riding your horse or driving your wagon and team of horses up or down Bryant Creek. 

For more information concerning Bryant Creek, please visit Bryant Creek State Park at mostateparks.com/park/bryant-creek-state-park.