Valley View Glades Natural Area
Valley View Glades Natural Area
My hike on Saturday 11/26/2022 was the Valley View Glades Natural Area. It was a short 34-mile drive to the parking area near Hillsboro, MO. There is only one trailhead and its at the back of the parking lot. The plan for the day was to hike the Valley View Glades Trail at 2.77 miles in length. I added a few scrambles to get better pictures of the stream, which added to the total distance. The Natural Area only has one trail. I was by myself for this hike.
The Glades is an area that has been only slightly disturbed by human activity. The plants and animals are similar to those that were here at the time of settlement. There are small, intermittent streams that drain the glades and add diversity to the habitat. For such a small area, remarkable examples of stream ledges, waterfalls, overhangs and pools can be found along the hiking trail. There are many kinds of snakes, lizards, as well as deer and turkey that inhabit the natural area, although on my hike I did not see any.
The day was overcast and chilly with the temperature just above 45 degrees. The trail was mostly dirt and rock, but overall, the path was both easy to follow and just fine to hike. It rained the 2 days prior and the some of the trail was quite muddy. About a half mile into the hike, you come to the first stream and cross over. I took some pictures of the small waterfall and posted in the gallery below. As you ascend out of the valley you get a great view of the glades.
There is an active Ecological Restoration program run by the Missouri Conservation Department (MCD) at the Glades. The MCD is restoring the forest communities at the site. These communities support a diversity of native plants, wildflowers and animals including wild turkeys, songbirds and reptiles. It was good to see this restoration activity on my hike and looking forward to seeing more results when I return in the spring.
As with most of my recent fall hikes, the main animals I saw were small blue birds and grey squirls. I did see a few spots of Christmas Fern and added a picture in the gallery. On this Saturday morning the trail was not crowded and I saw only 2 people during the hike.
The hike took me 1 hour and 22 minutes with an elevation gain of 687 feet total. Given how close this park is to my house and the ease in getting on and off the trail, I will plan to visit this park again in the Spring.
