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Hiking Safety Rules

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Before we get to the hike, here is a little bit of information about Grand Gulf State Park geology, history, and opportunities.

The Grand Gulf State Park (322 acres, day-use only) offers many hiking opportunities for all skill levels. Anything from observing the chasm via the boardwalk, using one of the four overlook platforms, on-trail hiking around the rim of the canyon, to off-trail hiking within and around the gulf are available. You can explore this Ozark wonder by hiking a few hundred yards to several miles, depending on your adventure level. With permission from the Missouri State Park staff, there are a few caves that may be explored (some caves require a special permit, all require permission). A 118 step decent offers easy access to the floor of the Shiloh Church Creek branch. Picnic tables and facilities are also available within the parking lot area.

 "Missouri state parks and historic sites preserve and interpret the states outstanding natural and cultural features while providing recreational opportunities. Grand Gulf State Park preserves one of the state's most significant geological wonders - a major collapsed cave system often called the 'Little Grand Canyon.' When a portion of the cave roof collapsed, it created a three fourths mile long canyon and one of the largest natural bridges in Missouri."

Grand Gulf is a true chasm (deeper than it is wide) and a Missouri Ozarks geological wonder. Featuring exquisite Karst geology, this masterpiece has been formed over many thousands of years. During these years, mildly acid groundwater percolated into the ground and found its way to fissures and fractures within the limestone and dolomite bedrock. Over time, these fissures and fractures turned into caves, as the rock was slowly dissolved by the passing acidic water. An estimated 10,000 years ago, the large cave system's roof collapsed and formed the Grand Gulf chasm. The result is a near vertical walled canyon that is 3/4ths of a mile long, and anywhere from 50 to 200 feet wide and 120 feet deep. Through a process called stream piracy, the waters of Grand Gulf Sink disappear into a cave. 

The main contributor of water to the Grand Gulf chasm is Bussell Branch. This stream drains 25 square miles into the canyon, and then disappears into a cave. At Grand Gulf Sink there is a cave that "pirates" the stream underground, only to remerge a day or so later, 9 miles away, at Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

The chasm's walls are covered with native greenery, and from the upstream end down Grand Gulf  gets rapidly deeper. About midway over the canyon is the 250 feet long natural bridge. This is a portion of the cave roof that did not collapse. The natural bridge's ceiling is some 75 feet high at the upstream end, but only 10 feet high on the downstream end. The floor of Grand Gulf is littered with tumbled dolomite blocks that were once part of the cave roof, now collapsed.

Referencing the above map, what is referred to as "Grand Gulf Sink" is the part of the chasm where Bussell Branch steam is pirated. Unfortunately for today's visitor, the mouth of the cave is obstructed a short distance into the cave barring human entrance. A tornado in the 1920's ripped out trees, blew them into the gulf, and washed them (along with other debris and mud) into the mouth of the cave. This storm plugged all human access to the cave from that point on. In the early 1990's a robot vehicle, equipped with a digging tool and camera, was sent into the cave to recon a route for visitors. After a significant penetration it was decided there was no feasible route for human travelers. Following heavy rains the gulf may fill upwards to 100 feet, but the water from Bussell Branch slowly percolates through the debris lodged in the cave. It may take up to several weeks to fully drain the gulf.

Prior to the plugging of the cave, the exploration of the cave was documented by Luella Agnes Owen, a pioneering Missouri female caver and geologist. In her book, Cave Regions of the Ozarks and Black Hills (1898) she described her exploration of the cave at Grand Gulf Sink; "The ceiling dipped so we were not able to stand straight, and the guide said he had never gone farther; but to his surprise here was a light boat which I am ready to admit he displayed no eagerness to appropriate to his own use, and swimming about it, close to shore, were numerous, small, eyeless fish, pure white and perfectly fearless; the first I have ever seen, and little beauties..." Owen continued exploring in her boat for a considerable distance using only candlelight.

July 1, 2002

With only a few hours to explore the geological wonders of Grand Gulf Sink, we set out at 11:00 AM to hit the trails (on-trail hiking), as well as do a little off-trail hiking. The first point of exploration was a westward view of Bussell Branch from the natural land bridge. Much to our dismay, the gulf was still filled with an abundance of water from the exceptionally wet Ozark spring and summer of 2002. Another noticeable characteristic (and expected) was that Grand Gulf was overgrown with Ozark flora. After all, what did we expect for early July in the Ozarks?

As we followed the rim trail around the north side of Bussell Branch, we encountered numerous trails leading from the rim down towards the floor of the Grand Gulf chasm. Being the explorers we are, we naturally followed each of these trails downward toward the floor to see what we could find. It was never the downward hike that bothered us, but coming back up to the trail to the rim was a chore. 

As was to be expected, several of these excursions yielded spectacular views of the gulf, while others were merely views of greenery 5 to 30 feet in front of your face (too much overgrowth to view the gulf from some positions in July). After the first off-trail excursion downward (and the inevitable upward trip back to our original position) we wised up and started dropping our ruck sacks on the trail at the rim, and only traveled downwards with the camera and water. One lower trail vantage point (which I forgot to mark with my GPS) offers a fantastic view of a huge sycamore tree across the gulf, close to a sheer elevation drop for Bussell Branch. The southeasterly view toward the natural bridge was totally obstructed by greenery from this position. 

Hiking further down the northerly rim trail of Grand Gulf we came to another downward off-trail hike that led to an access point for the Bussell Branch Creek bed. We hiked the creek bed for a short distance in both directions, but the hikes were brief due to time constraints. Nothing of major importance was discovered, but I did snap a few photographs. Hiking northerly would normally follow the muddy stream bed toward the pirating cave entrance at Grand Gulf Sink, but due to the amount of retained water the hikeable terrain down Shiloh Church Creek branch was limited. Upstream of the creek was wide open, but time constraints limited our exploration.

Downstream view of Bussell Branch

Deciding too much time had expired to hike farther on the marked rim trail (which ventured farther up Bussell Branch Creek) we headed back. The trail is well marked and at modest inclines suitable for most hikers. Once we returned to the parking lot area, we followed another boardwalk to the Grand Gulf Sink overlook deck. 

From this vantage point one is offered a fantastic rim view of where the stream is pirated into the cave. Unfortunately for our visit, the water level was way too high to view any portion of the stream piracy or cave (we plan a return trip). Even though the water was high, the sink still made for a spectacular view.

Grand Gulf Sink viewing platform

Also accessible from the parking lot is another trail which splits into a lower trail to the natural bridge (this on-trail hike went unexplored this trip) and a set of 118 stairs to a viewing platform at the floor of Shiloh Church Creek branch. The platform can be left rather easily to access the streambed directly. Once again, we were short of time and didn't venture past 50 yards of the platform to snap a few photos. There was a cave begging to be explored, but we were unaware of the permission/permit requirements beforehand and had secured neither. So we looked on in awe and thought of nothing else other than planning a return trip (our caving gear was in our ruck sacks). 

• Caution: Because of the many sheer cliffs in the park, use caution at all times.
• Please follow all safety rules when hiking.
• This hike can be as gentle or as challenging as you want it. Please be prepared.
• Be sure and notify someone of your hiking route, time of return, and pack plenty of water and snacks for the trip. A compass, map, and the knowledge to use them are recommended.
• Contact Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites for more information
• Email the Webmaster if you have any questions about this report.
• Distance: About 60 miles from the ROLF

Related Links

Grand Gulf State Park, Official Missouri State Park Site
Directions to Grand Gulf Sate park
MDC official page
Grand Gulf Sink and Greer Spring, Missouri Outdoors