Distance: About 5 miles, out and back
Official Site: [www.conservation.state.mo.us]
My Pictures: [www.mohiking.com]

(Tiemann Shut-Ins) Millstream Gardens to Silver Mines at Turkey Creek.

I took a tip from a book I have and started my hike not at the official trail head but at the very beginning and I advise you do the same. When you are on the last bit of road out there, you will see a fork in the road with a sign. The sign says the hiking trail is one way, and ‘river access boat dock’ is the other way. Go to the river access. When you get to that lot, as you cross the grass toward the river you will see a sign that says ‘Trail Head”. This is the really the start of the trail. The other place is just a paved path down to the actual trail.

At the parking lot there are restrooms and a wooden box that said “maps’ which was paddle locked shut. Lot of good that did me. But you really don’t need it as the trail was fairly easy to follow.

The first ˝ mile or mile of this trail is not only gorgeous but really fancied up. There are park benches scattered here and there at look out points, and a bridge over a creek. One of the look out points even had an observation deck with a bench on it. Each look out point is marked with a little sign with a cute name on it. The trail is not down by the water, but rather up on a bluff and this place just looked so picturesque!! It looked different that the first place, not the same feel.

The creek was wider and scattered thick with rocks. I plan to go back with friends and climb around on those rocks. They beg to be climbed on! I want to see how far down the creek we can go by chiming on the rocks, like Eric does at Crane Lake. Please see the photos (not posted yet). The tall pines and clear water and rocks in the autumn just had a clean crisp feel.

There was one over look I was kind of disappointed in. A sign said ‘Double Drop Shut In’, but the over look was overgrown with brush and I couldn’t see anything. Past there, make sure to take the spur when you see the sign that says ‘pine rock’. That is a nice lookout but you have to take a short spur trail backtracking a bit and getting closer to the bluff. It’s worth it to check it out.

After a while, the trail turned away from the river and more into the woods for a ways. When it comes back by the river, you are then officially on the “Silver Mines Recreation Area” land.

In the grassy field on my way back up to the parking lot, I saw a tree with a big kink in it’s trunk. (Took photo).

This place was beautiful. If you are going to hike this trail do not just figure in your hiking time for the 5 mile trail. You must figure in extra time to drink in the beauty from the lookout spots, and maybe even tine play in the creek and clime the shuts ins. I know I will when I go back!






Edited 4 times. Last edit at 10/30/05 12:53PM by Nick Kasoff.