The summer of 2024 may not have been the most memorable for Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial, but it certainly will not be forgotten soon. A big change this week will allow the park to get back to making memories again.
A nearly $3 million project to raise Seckman Road out of the flood plain and improve the entrance to the picnic and playground area at Mastodon is nearing completion. The road, which bisects the park, has been closed since May 28 and was scheduled to reopen Aug. 19.
The project began in 2021, so it has become part of daily life at the park and for its neighbors in the Imperial area. But it was the flooding potential in the Rock Creek valley that made the last few months so notable.
“We had five flood events between May and July,” said Josh LaMouria, park superintendent. “I've been here for six years and have never seen anything like it. We had quite a bit of rain.”
The most significant of the flash floods damaged the playground and Spring Branch Trail in July. The packed gravel trail is suitable for strollers, and with very little elevation change along its three-quarter-mile loop, it provides a great opportunity to introduce young children to the bottomland forest and the wonders of creek water.
“We had quite a bit of damage to the trail,” LaMouria said. “We had to bring in 120 cubic yards of screenings.” The crushed gravel compacts and forms the solid surface for the trail.
“The flood water made a channel directly through the middle of the playground. We had to bring in 30 yards of mulch, and we had just added 90 yards of new mulch in May.”
The thick layer of wood chips helps limit injuries on the playground. Two large fall-mats by the playground equipment were swept away by the water and others were displaced. Several of the large wooden timbers that enclose the play area were dislodged and had to be replaced, LaMouria said.
Other damaged areas included the pit latrines that were filled with floodwater and had to be pumped out twice over the summer. Mud coated just about everything, and more than the regular maintenance was needed on washed-out areas on the park's Wildflower and Limestone Hill trails, on the north side of Seckman Road.
“You can still see some of the debris in the tree line (along the Spring Branch Trail), and tires keep being exposed in the creek,” LaMouria said. “We remove them as soon as we find them, for the safety and protection of our guests. Safety is always the first priority.”
Park staff has kept a record of the number of calls received from people asking for driving directions since the road closed in late May.
“As of today (Aug. 15) we have had 611 calls with questions for directions to get to the park,” the superintendent said. “Overall park visits are down 42 percent this summer, but everybody is excited about the road reopening. I'm not going to miss the 14-minute detour,” referring to the reroute from the museum portion of the property on West Outer Road to the day-use area on Seckman Road.
In addition to the hiking trails and picnic and playground areas, the Mastodon State Historic Site museum features evidence of the coexistence of humans and the American Mastodon. A replica skeleton of the elephant ancestor stands tall among the artifacts and exhibits detailing the history of the discoveries made on the property.
The museum is operating on its summer schedule, open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays. On Mondays and Tuesdays, staff does outreach programs, LaMouria said. The trails and other areas of the park are open daily from 8 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.