GHTA © 2006-2011
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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