Lone Elk Park is a county park in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
consisting of located in
St. Louis County west of the town of
Valley Park.
The park is located adjacent to
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...
, the World Bird Sanctuary,
Castlewood State Park
Castlewood State Park is a public recreation area and Missouri state park occupying which straddle the Meramec River in St. Louis County, Missouri. The most visited section of the state park lies on the north side of the Meramec; the park acre ...
, and
Tyson Research Center.
Lone Elk Park was originally part of the Tyson Valley Powder Plant during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. After the war the area became a county park and herds of
elk and
bison were established in 1948. The land was reacquired by the federal government during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and the wildlife herds were destroyed for safety reasons in 1958, but one lone bull elk survived. In 1964 St. Louis County acquired for Tyson County Park, which became Lone Elk Park in 1966. The park officially opened on October 17, 1971, and six bison were acquired from the
St. Louis Zoo in July 1973.
There are driving routes that provide views of the elk and bison, often at close proximity. The park is also home to many deer, wild turkey and waterfowl.
[
Domestic animals are not permitted whatsoever, even if confined to a vehicle.
Research was conducted in 2016 to determine if a sinkhole was under the lake. The boat dock has been removed. Fishing was closed in 2017 in an effort to rebuild the fish population.
File:Bison in Lone Elk Park.JPG, Bison
File:Elk in Lone Elk Park.JPG, Elk
]
References
{{Protected areas of Missouri
County parks in the United States
Protected areas established in 1964
Protected areas of St. Louis County, Missouri
1964 establishments in Missouri
Tourist attractions in St. Louis