Finger Lakes State Park
Encyclopedia
Finger Lakes State Park is a state park
in the state
of Missouri consisting of 1128.69 acre (456.77 ha) in Boone County
near the city of Columbia
. Activities available at the park include camping
, fishing
, picnic
king, swimming, mountain biking
, and all-terrain vehicle
(ATV) riding.
The park is unusual in that the site of the park was reclaimed
after having been strip mined
for coal
. Between 1964 and 1967 the area was known as Peabody Coal's Mark Twain Mine, from which the company removed 1.2 million short ton
s (1.1 Tg) of coal. Peabody donated the land to the state for use as a park, and the state restored the site with one of a dozen federal grants issued with the intent to demonstrate the conversion of strip-mined land to recreation
al use.
The park has many hills and gullies that are crossed by more than 70 miles (112.7 km) of trails for off-road motorcycle
s, ATVs, and motocross
. Finger Lakes is one of two state parks in Missouri used for off-road vehicles. The history of the other, St. Joe State Park
, is also connected with mining.
A 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long corridor of water, created by joining small isolated lakes left by the mining, are used for canoeing
, fishing, swimming, and scuba diving
. The lake features a large sand beach. A shaded camping area has 35 sites, 16 of which have electricity.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Missouri consisting of 1128.69 acre (456.77 ha) in Boone County
Boone County, Missouri
Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone...
near the city of Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
. Activities available at the park include camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king, swimming, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, and all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
(ATV) riding.
The park is unusual in that the site of the park was reclaimed
Land rehabilitation
Land rehabilitation is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process has resulted in its damage...
after having been strip mined
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
for coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. Between 1964 and 1967 the area was known as Peabody Coal's Mark Twain Mine, from which the company removed 1.2 million short ton
Short ton
The short ton is a unit of mass equal to . In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton or the long ton ; rather, the other two are specifically noted. There are, however, some U.S...
s (1.1 Tg) of coal. Peabody donated the land to the state for use as a park, and the state restored the site with one of a dozen federal grants issued with the intent to demonstrate the conversion of strip-mined land to recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
al use.
The park has many hills and gullies that are crossed by more than 70 miles (112.7 km) of trails for off-road motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, ATVs, and motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
. Finger Lakes is one of two state parks in Missouri used for off-road vehicles. The history of the other, St. Joe State Park
St. Joe State Park
St. Joe State Park is a Missouri state park located in Park Hills, Missouri on the flanks of the Saint Francois Mountains. It encompasses with a off-road vehicle riding area located on the old St. Joe mine tailings dumps. It also contains camping facilities and trails for hiking, bicycling, or...
, is also connected with mining.
A 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long corridor of water, created by joining small isolated lakes left by the mining, are used for canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, fishing, swimming, and scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. The lake features a large sand beach. A shaded camping area has 35 sites, 16 of which have electricity.
See also
- List of Missouri state parks
- Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is the primary federal law that regulates the environmental effects of coal mining in the United States....