Hiking Millstream Gardens Conservation
Area 
This
614-acre tract of land boasts the Tiemann
Shut-ins of the St. Francis River before it passes in to
the Silver Mines Area. A wide variety of animals live here.
Species vary from the rare collared lizard to the more common
whitetail deer, turkey, dove, quail, rabbit and squirrels that
inhabit the uplands. Fish for bass, crappie, walleye, goggle
eye and sunfish. In March during high water, Missouri's
premier Whitewater Championships take place here. The granite
riverbed and mini-gorges of the St. Francis, geologically termed
"shut-ins," are a delight to view. Predominantly
a forest area, this wooded corridor is a part of Missouri's Natural
Area Systems. The facility features a boat ramp, picnic
area, pavilion and archery range. 12.5
miles from
21 and 221 via 21 south, then Hwy 72 East.
Hiking Buford Mountain State Forest and Trail
Rich
in history, this 3,743 acre forest is named after William Buford
who acquired the land through a Spanish Land Grant in 1812.
In the mid-to-late 1800s, the site served as the hub of the charcoal
industry in our region. Old kilns still dot the entire mountain.
Numerous Indian mounds, arrowheads and other artifacts have been
found at the site. The Missouri Department of Conservation
acquired Missouri's 3rd highest mountain (1740 feet) and the surrounding
property in 1979. A strenuous 10.2 mile hike on the Buford
Mountain Trail provides incredible views of the Arcadia
and Belleview Valleys. The areas most outstanding features
are its glades, ranging in size from less than 1 acre to over
10 acres, providing scenic views and excellent opportunities to
observe glade plants and animals. As the glades are very
sensitive, activity is restricted to walking only. A favorite
of turkey hunters, the area is suitable for deer hunting as well.
9.9
miles north of Highways 21 and
221.
Hiking Trails Ketcherside
Mountain Conservation Area and the Royal Gorge
The
Royal Gorge Natural Area (visible from Highway 21 just south of
Ironton), is a portion of this 3,276 acre segment of the St. Francois
Mountains Natural Area. Hike or backpack through igneous
(rhyolite) glades and cliffs, scarlet oak-pine forest, oak-hickory
forest and a headwaters stream of the Ozark Natural Division.
Mostly forest, birdwatchers will find glade and forest birds.
Hunt for deer, squirrel or turkey. With a special use permit,
furbearer trapping is also allowed. Horseback riding is
permitted on roads open to vehicles. The Taum Sauk section
of the Ozark Trail
passes through Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area (Horseback
riding is prohibited on this section of trail). Nuts, berries,
fruits, mushrooms and wild greens can be found in abundance and
may be taken for personal use. Highway 21, 5 miles south
of Arcadia/Ironton.
Hiking
Grasshopper Hollow
please tread lightly
This
is the largest, most significant fen complex in unglaciated North
America and the largest known prairie fen in Missouri. A
fen is a low, marsh-like area where water plays an important role
in how the ecosystem functions. It is usually very wet and grassy
with a variety of plant and animal species. Grasshopper
Hollow is controlled by the
Nature Conservancy whose mission is
"to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities
that represent the diversity of life on Earth" by protecting
the lands and waters they need to survive. This 223 acre tract
has a self-guided one-half mile long trail with 10 interpretive
stations including an observation deck. Its
wet, stony ground (in knee-deep water) is laced
with beaver runs among a rich assemblage of native grasses and
sedges. Among many native forbs and grasses, a visitor may find
swamp agrimony, arrowleaved tear-thumb, prairie cordgrass, big
bluestem, swamp aster, rough-leaf goldenrod and Michigan lily.
Notable animal species include beavers, the rare four-toed salamander
and the rare wood frog. In 2000, the federally endangered
Hine's Emerald Dragonfly was discovered to be breeding
at this site (renowned
for its beautiful emerald green eyes, it is the only dragonfly
on the Federal list of endangered species).
A spur of the Ozark Trail
borders the preserve.
Two miles south of Centerville on Highway 21, take Highway 72
west. Approximately one mile past the Highway B intersection at
Reynolds, turn right on County Road 860 and proceed about 0.6
miles to the parking area.
Hiking Logan Creek Conservation
Area
Totaling
approximately 12,000 acres in Reynolds County, Logan Creek Conservation
Area lies south of the Black River and north of the Current River.
Heavily forested with shortleaf pine growth and white oak, there
are sinkholes, fens and seeps in the water areas where buttonbush,
swamp rose, bulrush, groundnut, sedges and panic grass can be
found. When hiking, you may see a 1/2 acre shrub swamp, a gasconade
dolomite sinkhole, two roubidoux dolomite sink holes and a roubidoux
dolomite glade. Pond shrub swamp communities occur only
in sinkholes and other natural upland depressions. They are endangered
natural communities in Missouri. The area is a popular place
for hunters seeking deer, turkey and squirrel. There are no designated
trails, but area access roads may be hiked. Hwy
21 to Hwy 106, north of Ellington. The main tract is 3 miles north
of Highway 106 on Route B.
Hiking
Deer Run Conservation Area
Historically
significant in our region, Deer Run offers many recreational opportunities
for public use. Hunting, fishing, hiking, primitive camping, sightseeing
and photography may be enjoyed during all seasons of the year.
This 7,475 -acre tract of land lies in the middle of the vast
Ozark forest and is typical of the heavily timbered Ozark hills.
It supports healthy stands of pine and oak. About 0.6 miles
north on the logging road rests the remains an important piece
of Missouri's Civil War history. This fortification,
a type of earthen fort or Reden, is also known as Fort
Barnesville. For more on Fort Barnesville, on the National
Register of Historic Places, please see our Missouri
Civil War page. In addition the first steel fire tower in
Missouri was erected on the site in 1926. One of the first steps
in fire prevention in Missouri, the fire tower is still used today.
Covering three acres, Buford Pond
(a manmade pond thought to have been built by the Missouri Lumber
and Mining Company and named for Senator Wilbur Buford from Ellington)
is stocked with large mouth bass and channel catfish. The
pond has several shaded picnic tables surrounding it and is the
perfect serenely beautiful location to have lunch or just relax.
Deer Run also has a firearms shooting range and provides
shooters with 25-, 50- and 100-yard shooting stations and a shotgun
range. Restroom facilities are also located here. The Civilian
Conservation Corps, founded in 1933 as one of President Franklin
Roosevelt's New Deal programs, had a camp at Deer Run. The
rock house that still stands on the property was an administrative
center for the camp. Go 3 miles west of Ellington on Highway 106.
There are 3 entrances: one is located 3 miles west of Ellington
on Hwy 106. Another is located on South Road in Ellington. The
other is located on Reynolds County Road 626. |
