Mammoth Spring State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mammoth Spring State Park |
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Mammoth Spring near average flow conditions
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 Mammoth Spring State Park
Location in Arkansas
Mammoth Spring State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mammoth Spring, Fulton, Ozarks, Arkansas, United States |
| Area | 62.5 acres (25.3 ha) |
| Established | 1957 |
| Named for | Mammoth Spring |
| Governing body | Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism |
| Website | Mammoth Spring State Park |
| Designated: | June 1972 |
| Official name: Mammoth Spring Dam and Lake | |
| Type: | Structure |
| Designated: | July 15, 2009 |
| Reference #: | 09000512 |
| Official name: Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad Depot | |
| Type: | Building |
| Designated: | June 11, 1992 |
| Reference #: | 92000617 |
Mammoth Spring State Park is a cool place in Fulton County, Arkansas. It's about 62.5 acres big and is built around a huge natural spring called Mammoth Spring. This park is perfect for having fun outdoors, learning about history, and seeing beautiful nature. You can go fishing, boating, or hiking here. There's also a welcome center and an old train station that's now a museum! The park became a state park in 1957.
Contents
About Mammoth Spring
The amazing Mammoth Spring is right here in the park. It's one of the biggest springs in the world! Every hour, about 9.78 million gallons of water flow out of it. This water is always around 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius). Where does all this water come from? Rain in southern Missouri soaks into the ground. It then travels underground, even through a place called Grand Gulf State Park, before bursting out here as Mammoth Spring!
Park History
The Old Dam and Power Plant
Back in 1887, a company built a big limestone dam here. It was 198 feet long! This dam created Spring Lake. At first, it helped power a flour mill and a cotton mill. Later, in 1925, another company took over. They built a hydroelectric plant that made electricity until 1972. This company then gave the land to the state. The dam, lake, and old power plant are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
The Historic Train Depot
Before 1957, there was a cattle sales barn near where the park's welcome center is now. Farmers would come to sell animals and other goods. In 1957, the state decided to turn this area into a state park.
The park also has an old train station, called the Frisco Depot. It was built in 1885 and looks like a Victorian-style building. It was fixed up in 1971. Today, the depot is a museum. You can see old items and cool things from the area's past there. This depot is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992.
Fun Things to Do
Mammoth Spring State Park has lots of fun things for visitors!
- Visitor Center: Start at the visitor center. It's also an Arkansas Welcome Center. You can learn about the park's history and the area.
- Walking Trail: A short path leads you to the old train depot.
- Train Museum: Inside the restored depot, you'll find a museum. It has artifacts and even a restored caboose (the last car on a freight train).
- Old Power Plant: You can see the old hydroelectric plant and mill. This helps you understand how important the spring was for the town long ago.
- Picnic and Play: The park has picnic areas, a pavilion, a baseball field, and a playground.
- Boating: During certain seasons, you can rent boats at the visitor center to explore Spring Lake.
Images for kids
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Hydroelectric dam on Spring River in Mammoth Spring State Park
