GHTA © 2006-2007
design by MJ
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River Forks Trail - 2 miles
(Hiking, Biking)
This loop trail begins at the beach parking lot and is marked with blue blazes. Hikers and bicyclists will travel the rugged, hilly terrain through a woodland on loess/glacial till soils dominated by white oak and shagbark hickory. In the spring the ground is carpeted with wildflowers and ferns from valley floor to ridgetop. The Thompson River is briefly visible from the trails' farthest point.
Tall Oaks Trail - 3.2 miles
(Hiking, Biking)
Access to this trail is from the beach parking lot, picnic area #3, or the campground (for campers only). The trail is marked with yellow blazes and traverses a wide variety of the natural communities found throughout the park. It follows the shoreline of Crowder Lake on the north and west, then leads through a mesic bottomland forest composed of sycamore, river birch, cottonwood, and black walnut trees. Rising out of the bottoms, the trail traverses a mature woodland dominated by white oak and hickory trees and, at the summit of the ridge, an old field. The south loop of the Thompson River Trail can be accessed from this trail via the Steep Creek Connector (.9 mile) or the Northwest Passage Connector (.8 mile). Additional trail mileage includes the .2 mile spur across Crowder Lake Dam and the .5 mile spur from the campground.
Thompson River Trail - South Loop - 3.6 miles
(Hiking, Biking, Equestrian)
This loop trail can be accessed via a .9 mile connector from the Thompson River Trail - North Loop or from Tall Oaks by either the .8 mile Northwest Passage or the .9 mile Steep Creek connectors. Horses are not allowed on the Northwest Passage or Steep Creek connectors. The majority of this trail traverses loess/glacial till woodlands dominated by white oak and hickory. In places, it provides a scenic view to the wooded valley below. A small section of the trail crosses an old agricultural field on the ridgetop. This trail is marked with green blazes.
Thompson River Trail - North Loop - 3.8 miles
(Hiking, Biking, Equestrian)
The north loop is marked with red blazes and can be accessed from the equestrian trailhead or from the south loop connector. Much of this trail is on the open, low-lying floodplain of the Thompson River and crossed through a mature mesic bottomland forest including cottonwood, hackberry, silver maple, and pin oak trees. The floodwaters of the Thompson River, easily visible from the trail, provide nourishment to the bottomland forest. A small section of trail crosses a level ridgetop, that has been restored to native tallgrass prairie to reflect the historic vegetation that once dominated the highest elevations. The ruins of the Thompson house and cemetery are accessible a short distance from this trail.
This trail may be susceptible to periodic flooding. Exercise good judgement and use the trail only when conditions will not promote erosion and deterioration of the trail surface.
To reach the equestrian trailhead from the park entrance, travel west on Highway 146 for 1.3 miles and turn right (north) onto NW 52nd Avenue. Travel 2.1 miles and turn right (east) onto Dove Lane. Dove Lane ends at the equestrian trailhead after .4 mile.
Redbud Trail - 2 miles
(Hiking)
The Redbud Trail portion of the map is in progress
This loop trail is marked with orange blazes and can be accessed across from the tennis court parking lot, the campground (for campers only), or the special use area. Moderately rugged, this trail takes hikers into an area similar to the Ozark Highlands of southern Missouri. The trail follows a headwater stream through rich bottomland forest, lined with prominent sandstone outcrops mantled in ferns and mosses and ascends a hill through woodlands dominated by white oak and hickory trees. A connector trail allows for shorter hikes of approximately 1 mile.
Trail Signing
All trails at Crowder State Park open for public use are identified with entrance signs and marked at intersections with colored directional arrows. Occasional colored markers called blazes are used to identify trails where the route is not clear. Trail users are advised to watch closely for trail markers, especially where trails intersect old roads.
Crowder State Park trail descriptons provided by:
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102
1-800-334-6946
moparks@dnr.mo.gov
mostateparks.com
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