A new state park in Jefferson County will open next Friday.
Gov. Jay Nixon announced Friday that 818-acre Don Robinson State Park, located near Cedar Hill, will be open for day use and will feature hiking trails and picnic areas.
The park is in the upper watershed of LaBarque Creek, which feeds into the Meramec River. The park includes a network of sandstone cliffs and box canyons and approximately 650 species of plants.
The park is named in honor of a businessman who produced and marketed a cleaning product called Off, a press release from Nixon's office said.
With his profits, Robinson bought land in the Jefferson County area and when he died he donated it as well as a trust fund to help manage the park to Missouri State Parks.
“Here in Missouri, we cherish our nationally recognized state parks system, as seen by the record 20 million visitors to our parks in 2016 and the overwhelming 80 percent vote in November in favor of renewing the Parks, Soil and Water sales tax,†Nixon said.
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He added: “This gift to the people of Missouri from the late Don Robinson will have an enduring impact for generations to come, and is a reminder of our state’s celebrated outdoor heritage.â€
Don Robinson State Park will be open to the public starting at 8 a.m. Jan. 6. The entrance to the park is at 9275 Byrnesville Road in Cedar Hill. Callers can find out more about the new park at 636-257-3788.
Don Robinson State Park is the newest of several state parks. In July, Gov. Nixon dedicated Echo Bluff State Park in Shannon County. On Dec. 10, the Governor opened 47.5 miles of trail between Pleasant Hill and Windsor along the Rock Island spur of Katy Trail State Park, enabling hikers and bicyclists to travel cross-state from the Kansas City area to the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area.
Nixon also announced recently that Missouri is adding three other new state parks: Bryant Creek State Park in Douglas County, Eleven Point State Park in Oregon County, and Ozark Mountain State Park in Taney County. With the addition of those parks, Missouri will have 91 state parks and historic sites.