Warren County: Trails, Water and History

If you want to combine nature, trails and history during a stay in Warren County, you’ll find a range of options. Wooded hills and creek landscapes sit alongside trails, museums, historic buildings and a memorial. For planning, the length and terrain of a trail, as well as the themes of a visit, can help you decide.

Creek Landscapes and Forests

Daniel Boone Conservation Area encompasses deep valleys, forests, savannas, clearings and rugged wooded hills. Within the area is Razor Hollow Natural Area, which provides habitat for forest birds and three species of Ambystoma salamanders. The landscape can therefore be viewed from two perspectives: its varied forests and valleys, and the habitats it supports.

Little Lost Creek is a partly spring-fed Ozark stream with clear water and a rocky bed. In Little Lost Creek Conservation Area, seasonal waterfalls, channels and St. Peter Sandstone outcrops can be found in valleys and side valleys. In Frank, Emma Elizabeth and Edna Reifsnider State Forest, the North Fork of Charrette Creek flows for about two miles. The creek, rock and terrain each give these natural features a distinct focus.

Trails for Different Activities

Lizard Rock Trail in Frank, Emma Elizabeth and Edna Reifsnider State Forest is 1.3 miles long and rated moderate. Its features include some climbs and easy creek crossings. The multi-use trail in Daniel Boone Conservation Area is considerably longer, at 6.8 miles, and is intended for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. These details help you weigh distance against your planned activity without treating the trails as interchangeable.

Daniel Boone Conservation Area also has several basic tent campsites for independent camping. In addition to the trails, tent camping is another option for experiencing nature. Katy Trail State Park offers a different way to enjoy the outdoors: the trail is 240 miles long in total and open to hiking, running, walking and cycling. Its flat surface of crushed limestone is another distinctive feature.

Museums, Buildings and Remembrance

The Warren County Historical Society Museum combines interactive exhibits, models, presentations and events with original photographs and documents, arrowheads, miniatures and quilts. Admission is free. Tours with volunteer staff are offered during regular museum hours. The variety of objects and formats offers more than one way to engage with local history.

Historic buildings and memorials offer different perspectives, too. Schowengerdt House is listed on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places. Peers Store is a historic shop built in 1896 for the arrival of the KATY Railroad. It is also included on a federal list of properties worthy of preservation and recognition for its significance to Warren County’s economic and social history.

The Tribute To Veterans Memorial honors 72 soldiers from Warren County who have died in service to their country, from World War I to the present, with a red granite wall. The memorial also includes full-scale replicas of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Personal remembrance and key documents in U.S. history thus come together in one place.

Marthasville and the Katy Trail

Marthasville is in the far south of Warren County, right on the Missouri Wine Road, also known as Wine Road. Katy Trail State Park runs through the town. Cyclists and hikers can stop there to rest, eat or enjoy the scenery. The trail and the wine road thus offer two different starting points for a stay in Marthasville, without requiring one activity to go along with the other.

In Marthasville, Thierbach Orchards offers seasonal fruit picking, including berries, peaches and apples. Big Joel's Safari is a petting zoo and educational park where visitors can see animals such as alligators and lemurs from very close up. Cedar Lake Cellars winery is open exclusively to people aged 21 and over. Take this age restriction into account when planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Warrenton, Wright City, Taney, Cass County, Polk County, New Madrid County, Marion County, Ste. Genevieve County.

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