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It is organized by trail, so that it will be easy for people to find information.
Please read our usage notes before starting. You can read reviews without joining the forum, but you have to join if you want to post. Click here to register.
Hickory Canyons
Posted by: ladyalite (IP Logged)
Date: October 19, 2005 08:45PM
Distance: 1.5 miles
Photos: [www.mohiking.com]
Website: [www.conservation.state.mo.us]
If you are heading to Hawn State Park or Pickle Creek Natural Area it is worthwhile to check out this little trail in that same area.
When you find the trail (I suggest you pick up “60 hikes in 60 Miles’ for great directions), you will find that it is divided with the 1 mile section of the trail one side of the road, and the other ½ mile on the other side of the road. The 1 mile trail is a loop, and the ½ mile trail is a 1/4 mile spur that you take out and back.
I was delighted to see we were greeted with a large sign that said ‘Warning! Steep Bluffs! Slippery Rocks! Stay on Trail!’ because I’ve come to learn that this means a cool trail that is more than just a boring walk in the woods.
The trail was marked to go clockwise but we did not know this until later, we went counterclockwise. There were not many trail markings at all, but they were not really needed because the trail itself was very well defined.
After a short while, we were surprised to find a new and well maintained wooden deck and stairway going down the side of the bluff. After you go down the stairs, you are really still up on some bluffs, or rather I should say, you are at the top of one of the canyons. I took photos but they really don’t do it justice because you can’t see the depth. You can look down into the depths of the canyon and marvel at the canyon wall. The canyon walls are horizontal layers of rock with deep horizontal spaces between them, it reminded me of flaky pastry.
At the bottom of the stairway, if you um, accidently don’t see the trail right away, you can wonder onto a little bluff ridge that has drop offs on both sides and enjoy some of the best views of the canyon. When we picked up the trail again it took us to the bottom of the canyon were we walked in the woods a ways and crossed a stream several times.
The stream crossings were easy, you could either just step across or walk on large solid rocks. We did not encounter any slippery rocks.
The 1/4 mile spur on the other side of the road is worth checking out also. This trail lets you get up close and personal with some of the canyon walls. It takes you right up to the wall where you can appreciate the layers of rock and how deep the spaces are in between. (I have some photos of the canyon wall). You can feel cool air by the canyon wall, I think it may be cave-air coming out of some of the deeper spaces. The trail ends where a little pool sits at the bottom of a canyon wall. The pool is the last photo of this place.
Edited 2 times. Last edit at 10/20/05 04:54PM by Nick Kasoff.
Photos: [www.mohiking.com]
Website: [www.conservation.state.mo.us]
If you are heading to Hawn State Park or Pickle Creek Natural Area it is worthwhile to check out this little trail in that same area.
When you find the trail (I suggest you pick up “60 hikes in 60 Miles’ for great directions), you will find that it is divided with the 1 mile section of the trail one side of the road, and the other ½ mile on the other side of the road. The 1 mile trail is a loop, and the ½ mile trail is a 1/4 mile spur that you take out and back.
I was delighted to see we were greeted with a large sign that said ‘Warning! Steep Bluffs! Slippery Rocks! Stay on Trail!’ because I’ve come to learn that this means a cool trail that is more than just a boring walk in the woods.
The trail was marked to go clockwise but we did not know this until later, we went counterclockwise. There were not many trail markings at all, but they were not really needed because the trail itself was very well defined.
After a short while, we were surprised to find a new and well maintained wooden deck and stairway going down the side of the bluff. After you go down the stairs, you are really still up on some bluffs, or rather I should say, you are at the top of one of the canyons. I took photos but they really don’t do it justice because you can’t see the depth. You can look down into the depths of the canyon and marvel at the canyon wall. The canyon walls are horizontal layers of rock with deep horizontal spaces between them, it reminded me of flaky pastry.
At the bottom of the stairway, if you um, accidently don’t see the trail right away, you can wonder onto a little bluff ridge that has drop offs on both sides and enjoy some of the best views of the canyon. When we picked up the trail again it took us to the bottom of the canyon were we walked in the woods a ways and crossed a stream several times.
The stream crossings were easy, you could either just step across or walk on large solid rocks. We did not encounter any slippery rocks.
The 1/4 mile spur on the other side of the road is worth checking out also. This trail lets you get up close and personal with some of the canyon walls. It takes you right up to the wall where you can appreciate the layers of rock and how deep the spaces are in between. (I have some photos of the canyon wall). You can feel cool air by the canyon wall, I think it may be cave-air coming out of some of the deeper spaces. The trail ends where a little pool sits at the bottom of a canyon wall. The pool is the last photo of this place.
Edited 2 times. Last edit at 10/20/05 04:54PM by Nick Kasoff.
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