Thanks to alert Leader reader Karen Wenzel, I can correct this information for “Don’t Call Me Outdoor John.” My photo is tagged in my computer file as “created on Jan. 1. 2004,” but when Karen saw the picture in the paper, she new it was 2014 when I made my first, First Day Hike at Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial.
She said she was there with her dog Buddy who injured himself later that day and ended up at the veterinarian for the holiday. Buddy was born in 2011, so there is no way that first walk was in 2004, as my photo file indicated.
Mastodon Park is on the First Day schedule this year, with two separate hikes at 10 a.m. All Missouri State Parks First Day Hikes require advanced registration, so that participants can be notified in case of inclement weather. Obviously that’s a possibility this time of year.
The two, free guided hikes at Mastodon are designed to be inclusive. The 0.8-mile walk along the Spring Branch Trail is described as “a relaxing stroll.” The 2-mile climb of the Limestone Hill Trail is labeled an “an invigorating challenge.” According to the park’s invitation, the two events are “the perfect way to start your year – surrounded by nature, history and community.”
Links to online registration can be found at mostateparks.com. Mastodon State Historic Site is at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive, but the Spring Branch Hike will depart from its trailhead at 1800 Seckman Road. For more information call 636-464-2976.
The state lists 34 First Day Hike opportunities including eight that are close enough to call in the Jefferson County region. Options exist at Edmund Babler Memorial State Park in Wildwood, First State Capitol Historic Site and Katy Trail State Park in St. Charles, Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve County, Meramec State Park in Sullivan, Missouri Mines State Historic Site and St. Joe State Park in Park Hills, St. Francois State Park in Bonne Terre, and Robertsville State Park.
I considered adding Onondaga Cave State Park in Leasburg to the Jefferson County collection, but its event is interesting enough to stand alone. The First Day Hike there is actually on a remote piece of property near Bourbon. While the name of that town always gets my attention, the name of the road to access the hike scores its own points as fun to say.
The 10 a.m. hike begins at the Vilander Bluff trailhead, along Thickety Ford Road, about 30 minutes east of the cave property. Vilander Bluff Natural Area is a 206-acre tract, and its namesake is considered the highest bluff along the Meramec River. The area is known for its eastern red cedars, which are estimated to be up to 500 years old, growing out of the rocks along the bluff.
My map app says Onondaga (also fun to say) Cave State Park is about an hour and a half from home, but the First Day Hike provide an excellent opportunity to expand your horizons. Over the past 20 years, I have completed New Year’s Day hikes in Illinois, Indiana and Texas.
Earlier this fall we stopped at Wolf Creek State Park in Shelby County on our return from the Amish country in Arthur, Illinois. That trek is one of 16 scheduled by the Illinois State Parks.
The First Day Hikes are a tradition started in 1992 by the America’s State Parks Foundation. It went nationwide in 2012. To find a hike in any of the 50 states go to stateparks.org. Hikers are also reminded to share images on social media with the #FirstDayHikes tag and #MOStateParks if you stay local.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.
Don't Call Me Outdoor John 