For Wilderness Wanderers: Mark Twain National Forest
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1.5-hour drive
You could spend weeks exploring this expansive wilderness area, so it’s best to follow the golden rule of any wilderness excursion: be prepared. Plan your route ahead of time to avoid wasting precious hiking time fiddling with your navigation app. Explore this extensive listing of day-hikes. Look into the Greer Spring and Trail or the Eleven Point River section of the Ozark Trail—two beloved routes for their beautiful overlooks and points of interest. Plus, with The Ozark Trail Trip Planner, you don’t need to be a cartographer to find your way through Mark Twain National Forest. The site provides detailed maps and routes for most sections of the Ozark Trail. 401 Fairgrounds Road, Rolla, 573-364-4621.
For Science-Minded Hikers: Pickle Springs Natural Area, Hawn State Park
1-hour drive
Five hundred million years ago, it was a shallow ocean. Today, Pickle Springs is a sandstone spectacular. Eons of erosion have shaped the stone into double arches, canyons, and funky pillar-like blocks known as hoodoos. Interestingly, this special pocket of Missouri is a microclimate that’s home to some of the same species that thrived in the wet Missouri climate of thousands of years ago. On your two-mile “trail through time,” watch for four-toed salamanders and large whorled Pogonia. Plant lovers will go wild over hard to find flora like the rattlesnake plantain, shining club moss, over 40 species of liverworts and seven species of ferns. It’s no surprise Pickle Springs is a Natural Landmark. Dorlac, Ste. Genevieve, 573-883-3603.
For Nature Gazers and Hardcore Climbers: Shawnee National Forest
2.5-hour drive
Mark this adventure on your fall calendar. You won’t want to miss nature’s stunning slideshow of brilliant autumnal colors surrounding Garden of the Gods Wilderness. Observation Trail is a short trail (1/4 miles) but its beauty certainly won’t disappoint. Kiddos and adults can climb on the unique sandstone formations, take a breather (read: steep inclines!) at the trails’ educational signage that tells the geological history of the regional, and take in the breathtaking colors, textures and sounds at a slow and contemplative pace.
Up for more of a challenge? Jackson Falls is heaven for skilled and experienced climbers. Take your pick of 500 routes, some as high as 60 feet, and swap beta with other climbers. Shawnee is packed with other daylong hikes. Enjoy free camping at Shawnee’s many primitive sites. But don’t forget to spray your gear and clothes in Permethrin, an insecticide known to ward off ticks, as the park has issued tick warnings during the summer months. Glen St. Falls, Simpson, 618-253-7114.
For Hikers Seeking Natural Beauty: St. Francois State Park
1-hour drive
Just as much a destination for canoeing and floating, St. Francois offers easy access to the beautiful Big River, as well as three moderate hiking trails to make the drive worth your while. Named after bootleggers who discovered prime moonshine-makin’ conditions in the park’s cold springs, the Mooner’s Hallow Trail offers a moderate 2.75-mile loop that runs in tandem with the valley of Coonville Creek. Hikers looking for a long, rugged hike should opt for the Pike Run Trail—a 10-mile wilderness experience with rock terrain and water crossings without bridges. Finally, check out Swimming Deer Trail, a 3-mile hike with overlooks of the Big River. Like any out of town adventure, remember to call the Park Office to get the latest word on trail conditions. 8920 US Highway 67 North, Bonne Terre, 573-358-2173.
