Rules and park information
Here is a trail map
Park Hours
7:00am to 7:00pm Summer
7:00am to 5:00pm Winter
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Rules and Regulations
1. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
2. Do not litter.
3. Weapons are prohibited.
4. Please stay on trails at all times. These trails have been designed to discourage erosion and harm to natural communities.
5. Please stay within park boundaries. Respect land owner's rights and private property signs.
6. No fires.
7. Day use only.
8. Destroying, cutting or removing gegetation, including wildflowers, is prohibited.
9. Foot traffic only. No motorized vehicles allowed.
10. Please keep dogs on a leash and clean up after them.
Hiker's Guide
This trail involves a strenuous hike which includes 338 stone steps to the bottom and a difficult return climb. Be aware that surfaces may become slippery during inclement weather or depending of the season. Please follow the instructions below:
Stairway Rules
1. Use handrail at all times.
2. Children under age 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
3. Stay on the established trail at all times.
4. Running is not allowed.
5. Throwing or dropping of objects is prohibited. (You could cause serious injury or even kill people that might be below you on the trail)
6. Footwear suitable for wet walking surfaces is recommended (sandals, slick soled shoes and high heels are not recommended).
7. No animals allowed on steps, except service dogs.
8. Hiking the steps is not recommended if you have heart or breathing difficulties, have had recent surgery or illness, you are pregnant, you have a fear of heights, or any condition that may prevent you from strenuous exercise.
Branson Park and rec department nor the maker of this earthcache is responsible for your safety
The Geology
Tafoni (singular: tafone) are small cave-like features found in granular rock such as sandstone, granite, and sandy-limestone with rounded entrances and smooth concave walls, often connected, adjacent, and/or networked. They often occur in groups that can riddle a hillside, cliff, or other rock formation. They can be found in all climate types, but are most abundant in intertidal areas and semi-arid and arid deserts.
Current favored explanations controlling their formation include
salt weathering, differential cementation, structural variation in permeability, wetting-drying, and freezing-thawing cycles, variability in lithology, case hardening and core softening, and/or micro-climate changes and variation (i.e. moisture availability).
Tafoni features have been found across the Earth, with different dramatic forms found everywhere.
Here are some examples from around the world
Timna Valley, Negev Desert, Israel
Südpfalz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
In the mountains near San Francisco
**Logging requirements**
DO NOT POST ANSWERS IN YOUR LOG.
Send the following answers to me via email.
- The text "GC5577V Branson Geology Tour stop 3" on the first line
- What are the general dimensions of the tafoni along here?
- What’s the elevation here?
- What do these tafoni look like to you (Bookshelves, Animals, People, or Flowers)?
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