Places To Go

Trail Guide

Pickle Springs CA

• Trails: 2-mile Trail Through Time
• Unique features: Waterfalls, "hoodoos" and migrating birds
• Contact by phone: (573) 290-5730
• Detailed information: visit our online atlas, keyword "Pickle"
  

When you find yourself surrounded by waterfalls, “hoodoos” and migrating warblers, you know you are in a pickle—Pickle Springs Conservation Area. This 256-acre area in Ste. Genevieve County, including a 180-acre natural area, is a geological and biological treasure trove. Its sandstone bluffs and canyons support an assemblage of plants and animals that make it a National Natural Landmark. Pick up a brochure at the trailhead for a self-guided nature hike. Bring binoculars for a close look at migrating warblers. Also watch for wild azaleas, rattlesnake plantain, cinnamon, lady and maidenhair ferns and liverworts as you hike past Cauliflower Rock, Rockpile Canyon and The Keyhole, plus sandstone chimneys, arches and other “hoodoos”—fantastic rock formations sculpted by wind and water over millions of years. The spring for which the area is named feeds Pickle Creek.

Deer Season Preparation

Get ready for deer season at Scrivner Road CA.

Responsible deer hunters strive for shots that produce quick, clean kills. That means honing shooting skills and ensuring that sights are properly adjusted. To help hunters meet this obligation, the Conservation Department provides 87 staffed and unstaffed shooting ranges statewide. Scrivner Road Conservation Area off Highway AA in Cole County has one such facility, with covered ranges for pistols, rifles and shotguns. For more information about Scrivner Road CA, call (573) 884-6861. For information about other Conservation Department ranges, see our online atlas, keyword "Scrivner".

Season of Splendor

Seeing the best of Missouri fall color.

Missourians anticipate the flaming hues of autumn, planning day trips and vacations to take advantage of this season of splendor. The spectacle begins when cool weather shuts down leaves’ production of green chlorophyll, exposing underlying red, yellow, orange and purple pigments. Fall color is especially vivid in years when cool, dry weather follows a good growing season. The change normally begins in late September and peaks in mid-October. Fall colors appear first in northern counties and linger latest in southern Missouri. In the best years, spectacular foliage sets the landscape ablaze everywhere you look. In drought years, river valleys are the best bet for fall color. A few routes offer spectacular views year after year. Maps of these routes are available at Conservation Department offices or by contacting MDC, Missouri’s Fall Colors, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.