Getting wild up close

Residents of our Health Center enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime trip, with a bus tour through Lone Elk Park.

Many of our residents had never been to the park before but were thrilled to learn that the tour took them so close to the wildlife, they could nearly reach out and touch the animals. Some remember a time when the park was in its infancy.

"I remember when there used to be one lone elk, he must have been lonely," said Joyce Rasbach, reminiscing about visiting the park with her family.

Lone Elk Park was once part of the 2,400 acre Tyson Valley Powder Plant that was used for testing and storage of ammunition during WWII. In 1948, herds of elk and bison were established, but later destroyed during federal re-acquisition of the land during the Korean War.

In 1964, St. Louis County acquired 405 acres of the original tract, changed the name to Lone Elk County Park and re-established an elk herd from Yellowstone National Park.

During the tour, residents were fortunate to see deer, bison, and elk.