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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages Missourians to discover nature this fall by seeking out remote trail hiking experiences on conservation areas in northeast Missouri.
Traversing longer trails on foot, forces us to slow down; to observe and appreciate elements of the natural world on a more intimate level. While bicycling, horse riding, or even a car ride can take us to remote places of natural beauty, hiking forces us to engage with the very ground on which we walk. Small, quiet interactions of tiny pollinators feeding from the fall’s final flowers, field crickets rustling beneath dry grasses, or the silent flight of a watchful owl, all become harder to miss. And the splendor of trees changing color and dropping leaves, turns forests into wooded wonderlands.
Autumn offers opportunities to engage with the natural world during a season of change. Finding a remote nature trail can provide a powerful reminder of how we’re all connected to these natural communities and seasonal cycles.
Many conservation areas are in remote settings, and most have no potable water onsite. Before hitting the trail, remember to make a plan, tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll return, and pack water, food, and any other provisions you’ll need for your time on the trail.
MDC’s free MO Outdoors App for mobile devices provides a convenient way to carry digital maps and other information, even outside of cellphone service range. Always pack a paper map and compass, too, as a failsafe.
Always check hunting season dates before hiking during the fall. If hiking during an open firearms season, wear hunter orange clothing to ensure you’re seen and identifiable as a human hiker.
“There are so many great trails on conservation areas, it’s easy to find the experience you’re looking for,” said MDC Recreational Use Specialist, A.J. Campbell.
Many conservation areas in northeast Missouri offer excellent trails for long nature hikes this fall, just a short drive from home. Some areas feature more than ten miles of designated paths, and many of these areas offer multiple loops, allowing hikers to customize their experience. Learn more about these, and other hiking opportunities at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places.
Charlie Heath Memorial Conservation Area
Located near the Iowa state line in Clark County, this area offers 6 miles of multi-use trail with two distinct loops. Both loops take hikers, bikers, and horseback riders through forested hills and bottomlands along the Fox River and Burnt Shirt Branch Creek. The trail is open year-round for hiking, but closed to bikes and horses during firearms hunting seasons for deer and turkey. Primitive hike-in camping is allowed, and designated campsites are also available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis.
Located north of Lewiston in Lewis County, this area offers 18 miles of multi-use trail with several distinct loops. This trail takes hikers, bikers, and horseback riders through hilly forests and woodlands, and near wetlands along the North Fabius River. The trail is open year-round for hiking, but closed to bikes and horses during firearms hunting seasons for deer and turkey. Primitive hike-in camping is allowed, and individual campsites with gravel parking pads are also available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. The area also offers excellent day-use facilities near its 48-acre lake.
Henry Sever Lake Conservation Area
Located just north of Newark in Knox County, this area offers a 7-mile, multi-use trail that forms a partial loop around Henry Sever Lake. Trail users can complete the loop by hiking rural roads on the north and east sides of the area. The trail takes hikers, bikers, and horseback riders through woods and prairies. The trail is open year-round for hiking, but closed to bikes and horses during firearms hunting seasons for deer and turkey. Individual campsites with gravel parking pads are available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. The area also offers excellent day-use facilities near its 158-acre lake.
Located just south of Kirksville in Adair County, this area offers a 2-mile hiking loop (The Ironwood Trail), and 10 miles of multi-use trail with three distinct loops. Each multi-use trail loop is blazed with a different color. All loops take trail users through hilly oak forests, and the longest loop (Yellow, 5 miles), travels near a waterfall on Elm Creek. Trails are open year-round for hiking, but the multi-use trail is closed to bikes and horses during firearms hunting seasons for deer and turkey. Primitive hike-in camping is allowed, except during firearms hunting seasons for deer and turkey. Designated campsites are also available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis.
Located north of Greencastle in Adair, Sullivan, and Putnam counties, this area offers 35 miles of service roads. MDC mows these paths periodically during the summer, but hikers should expect to walk through shaggy grass if the paths haven’t been mowed recently. These service roads are open to hiking and travel throughout the area, forming several distinct loops, as well as many out-and-back segments. Trails take hikers through savannas, woodlands, prairies, and forests. Union Ridge Conservation area contains a restored savanna and prairie in the scenic Spring Creek Ranch Natural Area. Primitive hike-in camping is allowed, and designated campsites are also available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis.
