Grand_Gulf_State_Park_(Missouri)
Grand Gulf State Park (Missouri)
State park in Missouri, United States
Grand Gulf State Park is a state-operated, privately owned and publicly accessible, geologic preserve near Thayer, Missouri, United States, encompassing a forked canyon that is the remnant of an ancient collapsed dolomite cave system.[5] The land that is now the park was acquired by conservationist Leo Drey (1917–2015) before becoming part of the Missouri state parks system. The 322-acre (130 ha) state park has been operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources under a lease agreement with the L-A-D Foundation since 1984.[6] Grand Gulf was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1971 as an excellent example of karst topography and underground stream piracy.[7] A 60-acre (24 ha) portion of the park was designated by the state as the Grand Gulf Natural Area in 1986.[8]