St. Francois State Park
St. Francois State Park - Bonne Terre, MO
My hike for Sunday morning November 20, 2022, was St. Francois State Park in Bonne Terre, MO. From my house the drive was around 45 minutes. The planed hike for the day was to complete the Swimming Deer Trail for a 3.1-mile hike. It was a cold, but sunny day with temperatures around 36 degrees. I was by myself on this hike.
The wild forested terrain of the Pike Run Hills in the St. Francois State Park was once a refuge for desperate Civil War outlaws. The park is 2,256 acres. Although the park land was explored for minerals and some surface mining was done, no significant deposits were ever found in the park. During my hike I did come across an old mining structure and the photo is in the gallery below. The park trails provide access to this wild area covered with woodlands of white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory and dogwood. Many rare northern plants continue to thrive in the moist, sheltered conditions of the park.
From the parking area I had no trouble finding the trail head. About a quarter mile into the hike the trail runs alongside the Big River and the cliffs alongside the river for about a mile. From the bluffs overlooking the river you get some great views. I took a selfie on one of the bluffs which shows how nice the view is from the trail. There were a couple of spots where you could scramble off the trail down to the river. That would be cool to do during the spring or summer and I will probably put that on my list for spring hikes.
Along the trail you can see various areas where past settlers had dug shallow surface mines in search of lead deposits (part of the park’s cultural history). There were also a couple of cool wooden foot bridges. I took pictures and posted in the gallery. The trail itself was mostly a dirt trail with limestone rock poking out in a number of spots and overall, it was generally easy to navigate. According to my Apple Watch my elevation gain was 550 feet.
On the trail I saw many gray squirrels and various birds. Was surprised I did not see any deer as the park is closed next weekend for a special deer hunt to thin the overpopulated herd. This was my first hike in Missouri where I did not see a single person on the hike.
St. Francois Park was a great looking park with three main trails, including the Swimming Deer Trail as well as the Mooner’s Hollow Trail and the Pike Run Trail. The views and access to the Big River make this a fun Park in the Spring and Summer. It’s on my list for further hikes and possibly a camping night or two.
