Tag: Walking

The Sunday After the French Heritage Festival Levee Wildlife Refuge Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-880- The famed ornithologist John James Audubon lived for a short time in Ste. Geneviève. Audubon’s Walk is a naturalist lead hike atop the Ste. Geneviève Urban Levee. Come see what shows up: cliff swallows, horned larks, red-winged blackbird, eastern bluebird, and more! Read more…

Hwy 144 off Highway 32 Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 573-883-3603 Just 25 minutes west of Ste. Geneviève, Hawn State Park is one of the best wilderness experiences that nature has to offer. The nearly 5,000-acre park features beautifully manicured areas for day use tent or RV camping. The River Aux Vases and Pickle Creeks provide added fun for staying cool in the summer. Dogwood and redbud trees along with numerous types of wildflowers give the park a stunning backdrop for your experience in the spring. Fall is especially colorful with the trees in their full autumn attire. Maps are available to guide visitors in hiking the many trails ranging from 2 to 10 miles in length. Read more…

Hickory Canyons Natural Area, Sprott Road Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Lamotte sandstone formed box canyons here from the sandy beaches of a shallow ocean that existed 500 million years ago. Millions of years of erosion and uplift of the Ozark Plateau exposed the sandstone we see today. After a rain event, a wet-weather waterfall can be enjoyed from the end of the 1/4 mile hiking trail on the east side of the county road. Another 1-plus mile trail loops through a canyon on the west side of Sprott Road. In the winter, the bluffs drip with icicles that sparkle in the sun. This area is botanically rich, supporting glacial relics, species that were more common in Missouri 12,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. Since then, the climate has warmed, forcing some species to inhabit micro-climates that mimic the cool, moist conditions of glacial times. Glacial relics at Hickory Canyons include hay-scented fern, fir clubmoss, and winterberry. The area is rich in fern species with over a dozen species represented. Read more…

Birding in Kaskaskia – Where the Mississippi Creates a Haven for Waterfowl and Rare Visitors In the heart of the Mississippi River Valley, where the river’s powerful currents once carved through a peninsula to create an island, lies one of the region’s hidden birding treasures. Kaskaskia Island and the surrounding wetlands managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offer bird enthusiasts a remarkable opportunity to observe herons, egrets, waterfowl, and—if fortune smiles—even the magnificent and critically endangered whooping crane. This is birding with history, where sloughs and backwaters that once sustained a thriving French colonial settlement now provide essential habitat for migrating and resident birds along the Mississippi Flyway. A Geographic Anomaly Creates Birding Opportunity Kaskaskia Island holds a unique place in American geography: it’s the only inhabited piece of Illinois located west of the Mississippi River. This geographic quirk resulted from the New Madrid Earthquake of 1811-1812 and subsequent flooding that dramatically altered the river’s course. What was once a peninsula became an island, separated from mainland Illinois but accessible only through Missouri. This isolation and the island’s low-lying, flood-prone nature have preserved it as largely agricultural land interspersed with wetlands—exactly the kind of habitat that waterfowl and Read more…

Magnolia Hollow Drive Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area’s rugged 1,740-acre area is bordered by Establishment Creek and Schmidt’s Island and the Mississippi River. This recreation and outdoor lover’s paradise has steep bluffs and scenic river views. Eagles are commonly sighted along the river in the winter months. Finally, the management of Magnolia Hollow and Establishment Creek corridors is minimal and designed to protect the steep and sensitive watersheds. Read more…