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You have to drive about 90 minutes south of St. Louis to do this, but I submit that the hike into the Tiemann Shut-Ins is worth it—especially if you picnic there with your boothang.
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Tiemann is on the St. Francis River, in Madison County, west of Fredericktown. The geologic curiosity here is that masses of igneous (volcanically-formed) rock act to “shut in” parts of the current, creating pools, chutes, and rapids. Kayakers love it; the Missouri Whitewater Association holds annual races here. But it’s also fun to look at from the bank, and there are many places where you can relax on benches or granite boulders and just take it all in. Here’s my recommended itinerary.
Getting there and hiking in
Park at the Silver Mines trailhead. The parking fee is $5. There’s no online payment option, and you may be out of mobile data range anyway, so bring exact change and an ink pen. Pluck out an envelope from the self-serve kiosk, write your info on it, enclose your cash, and then stuff the envelope through the slot in the brown post next to the kiosk. (You have to crouch to see the slot.) Just past the bathroom you’ll see a sign that says “Trail to dam.” That’s the trail that takes you to Tiemann. It’s well marked with blue diamonds. Consider bringing the ten essentials and head out.
And this is why you came: To smell the short-leaf pines and cedars, to hear the river’s rush, to touch the granite boulders that fascinate the climbing community. If you’re quiet, you might spy some armadillos. (I ran across two on Sunday.) Half a mile in, there’s an old rock dam you can check out, for those who don’t mind the steep way down. Speaking of gradient: This trail is only moderately challenging at most. According to AllTrails, the round-trip elevation gain is only 656 feet.
About one mile in, you cross the bridge over Turkey Creek. On the left you’ll see a series of picnic tables receding into a field along the river. Follow that field to the end to pick up the trail again. From there, you’ll leave the Silver Mines Recreation Area and enter the Millstream Gardens Conservation Area. The trail winds away from the riverbank a bit so that you can’t hear the water anymore. At one point, you’ll come to a fork with no blue trail makers, but don’t fret: These two divergent paths quickly come back together.
Pick your picnic
At 2.3 miles, you finally arrive at the Pine Rock overlook. This, in my opinion, is the best picnic spot—and the Missouri locale that, to me, feels the most like Colorado. Here’s the view looking west:
Post up high on the overlook or pick your way down to the big granite boulders closer to the water. Either way, you’ll be facing south, and thus getting maximal sunlight. You might even see some kayakers on the current below.
If Pine Rock doesn’t suit your fancy, just continue down the trail. You’ll see several other spots on the left to gaze out at the river. Some even have benches.
A half mile down the trail from Pine Rock is a parking lot at Millstream Gardens. There’s a pavilion there and some bathrooms. In fact, you can, in theory, even park there for free and skip the hike on the front end. But what fun is that?
I ran into a nice lady and her big dog on the trail on Sunday. She said they often hike there but seldom run into other hikers. That raised my eyebrows, given the quality of the scenery. But all the more reason that I’m recommending it for Valentine’s Day: It’s a superb place to hike in, throw down a blanket, sip hot cocoa from your thermos, cuddle up to your sweetie, and be peaceful.
