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Chillicothe, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will welcome visitors to the 37th annual fall driving tour at the Poosey Conservation Area from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15. The driving tour gives visitors a chance to enjoy fall color while touring on gravel service roads that are not normally open to public vehicle traffic. Visitors can drive uphill and down on winding lanes through forest and woodlands. MDC will provide a tour brochure at the entrance that point out nature interpretive stops along the route.
The tour route has some steep grades in places and a few creek crossings. A vehicle (or other mode of transport) with high clearance is recommended. Each year the tour draws families and community groups riding on trailers or on wagons drawn by pickups or horses. Couples in horse-drawn buggies are common, as are riders of all ages on horseback. Cars, pickup trucks, and the occasional bicyclist also traverse the tour.
Visitors can count on a slow driving pace, all the better to enjoy the fall foliage. The interpretive stops along the route showcase conservation practices such as timber stand improvement and native warm season grassland. At a midway point, visitors will find exhibits on nature, conservation, and the Poosey area history. They can visit with MDC staff about conservation issues. A popular stopping point is where a short trail leads to a limestone outcrop called the Panther’s Den.
For tour information, contact MDC Forester Samantha Anderson, 660-646-6122. Maps and information about Poosey Conservation Area are at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZFd.
