Who the heck am I?
Michael R - The Compulsive Hiker
Recent Comments
Marty on More new maps Michael R on Ouachita Trail – Foran Gap to… Andy on Ouachita Trail – Foran Gap to… Michael R on West Elk Wilderness, CO… steve on West Elk Wilderness, CO…
Tag Archives: Missouri Ozarks
St Francois Mountains trip wrap-up
At 9 nights, this was the longest outdoors trip I’ve ever done and the longest I’ve been away from home in at least 30 years. I saw a lot of areas I’d been wanting to see, hiked parts of 3 … Continue reading
Dillard Mill State Historic Site
The final stop on the St Francois tour was the Dillard Mill State Historic Site. This turned out to be far more interesting than expected. You can wander the main floor for free, but for $4 I got the 40-minute … Continue reading
Return to Bell Mountain
This was my second backpacking trip to the Bell Mountain Wilderness.
Council Bluff Recreation Area
Sunday afternoon (May 13 – day 3) I headed for Council Bluff Recreation Area (no, not in Iowa) to begin a week-long Volunteer Vacation with 3 other people, repairing parts of the 12-mile trail around the lake.
Hughes Mountain Natural Area
Hughes Mountain Natural Area was the next stop on day 3 and another wonderful surprise. The glade on top was far bigger, and the view was far more expansive than I imagined.
Elephant Rocks State Park
Day 3 started at Elephant Rocks State Park, a bit north of Johnson’s Shut-ins.
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Saturday afternoon was spent at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. The park has reopened in stages following the Big Flood, with the final piece being the new campground opening April 2010.
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park
Saturday morning I headed for Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. Besides being the highest point in Missouri, it’s also home to the tallest waterfall and deepest valley in the state so I expected some great scenery.
Crane Lake Recreation Area
Crane Lake Recreation Area was next on the itinerary. It’s a 100 acre man-made lake circumscribed by a 5 mile trail that is one of the few National Recreation Trails in the state.
Rock Pile Mountain Wilderness
My adventures started with a day hike at Rock Pile Mountain Wilderness, the smallest of Missouri’s wilderness areas and probably the least-visited. The trail begins on Little Grass Mountain and proceeds south to the top of Rock Pile Mountain. The … Continue reading
The Compulsive Hiker 