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Find Caves and Waterfalls at Kress Farm Garden Preserve
Kress Farm Garden Preserve is a hidden gem in Hillsboro, Missouri. The 142 acres preserve is dedicated to maintaining native plants and wildlife habitat under a conservation easement through Ozark Land Trust. The preserve features gardens, fields, forests, wildlife habitats, streams, and scenic bluffs. Volunteers work daily to maintain this scenic place for all to enjoy. The preserve features four different hiking trails plus a trail that combines several of the trails together. All are of easy to moderate difficulty.…
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Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
Back in Civil War times, the area near Powder Valley was full of caves. Federal forces stockpiled gunpowder in these caves to blow up bridges if the Confederate army attempted to invade St. Louis by way of the Meramec River. Now interstate 270 covers where the caves were and peaceful Powder Valley Conservation Area is full of nature instead of gunpowder. Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center covers 112 acres of oak hickory forest tucked away near the hustle of the…
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10 Great Spring Hikes Around St. Louis
After what felt like an extra long and cold winter, spring is finally here. If the warm weather and budding trees have you ready to explore outside, here is a list of 10 great St. Louis area hikes that really shine during the spring. While most of the flowers are just starting to pop out, in the next couple of weeks these trails will be awash in color. 1. St. Francois State Park St. Francois is a lovely Missouri State…
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Weldon Spring Conservation Area Lewis & Clark Trail
The Weldon Spring Conservation Area is located in St. Charles County, Missouri. The area features many miles of trails and borders the popular rails-to-trails Katy Trail. One of the more popular trails here is the Lewis and Clark trail system. The path consists of the 5.3 mile Clark Loop with an optional secondary loop called the Lewis Trail to make an over 8 mile total trek. Lewis and Clark Trail With kids, we opted for the shorter Clark Trail Loop.…
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View Missouri’s Best Swimming Spot from the Johnson’s Shut-Ins Trail
The scenic and popular Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is well known as a great spot to cool off on sticky summer day. This park in southeast Missouri features a section of dramatic rock gorges and chutes carved out by the Black River. Visitors climb over and along the rocks looking for the perfect natural water slides and swimming holes. While the day use area of the shut-ins can be bustling with summer swimmers, few people take the time to explore…
