The landscape that we observe is a product of regional geology and subsequent erosion, both past and present. Columbia, Missouri, is built on a thick slab of Burlington Limestone, deposited in shallow, Mississippian seas, some 320 million years ago. Outcrops of this sedimentary rock are evident at roadcuts, along stream valleys and along portions of the MKT trail, which follows an old railroad bed to the Missouri River floodplain.
South of town, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park harbors a spectacular collection of bluffs, caves, sinkholes and springs, all products of our soluble bedrock. The rock bridge itself is the remnant roof of a limestone cave. A superb network of trails lead you through the Park and adjacent Gans Creek Wild Area, taking you past these classic "karst" features.
