First visit found much to like about Montauk

When I interviewed new Jefferson County conservation agent Dominick Montileone III earlier this month, I was not surprised to learn that one of the places he identified as part of his indoctrination to the outdoors was in the woods and water at Montauk State Park.

Our new agent, who begins his assignment on July 1, is from Jefferson County, and it seems like everyone from here has a Montauk story. One notable exception is the guy who has been writing about the outdoors in Jefferson County for 35 years. I had never visited the popular property.

I have been to the state Department of Conservation’s trout parks at Maramec Spring in St. James and Bennett Spring near Lebanon. Whenever the topic came up, it was almost embarrassing to say I hadn’t been to Montauk, but I rectified the situation with a stay in the park near Salem at the end of May.

After a weekend of fun along the trout stream and a great float trip on the Current River, I understand why so many people in Jefferson County consider it their “go-to” place. Even the roller coaster state Highway 119 leading to the park adds to the allure.

Families and fishermen of all ages found space along the streams trying to satisfy their dreams of a lunker lurking in the depths. Unlike the opening day images of elbow-to-elbow activity, the stretches of spring branch provided plenty of room for everyone on a spring weekend. The flies-only section of the Current River inside the park offered Sunday morning solitude for wading anglers in the clear water.

When the 6:30 a.m. whistle blew to signal the start of the day’s fishing, the action was fast in the any-bait section just downstream from the rearing ponds and hatchery. Throughout the day, anglers tried their luck, including people standing in water up to their waders and others in lawn chairs enjoying a more casual approach.

Montauk State Park is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, while the hatchery is operated by the conservation department. The tandem agencies provide an enjoyable experience for all visitors.

I stayed in one of the park’s 33 cabins and found the accommodations outstanding. With a full-sized kitchen, bathroom and shower, two beds, covered porch and campfire ring, I was not roughing it. The concessioner also offers 18 motel rooms in Montauk Lodge. Most visitors filled the 150-plus campsites in four camping loops along the river. A fifth camping area is under construction.   

A paved trail connects the camping area to the park store, restaurant and snack bar, which serves hand-dipped ice cream. A couple of longer trails offer hiking options. The Montauk Lake hike is mostly flat and on service roads for those who are looking for an easy way to add extra steps to their day.

With a couple of steep climbs and natural surface through the woods and along bluffs, the Pine Ridge Trail is a challenging 1.4-mile hike. The out-and-back route offers nearly three miles of solid workout, or the walk can be turned into a two-mile loop by using park roads between its two trail heads.

For those with a taste for history, Montauk State Park offers several preserved relics including a gristmill. Built in 1896, the mill was once a center of attraction for the town. With much of its original machinery still intact, the two-story structure offers a glimpse into the past. 

Montauk is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a state park this year, and its history includes assistance from the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Several of the original works of those craftsmen still stand, including an old stone bridge over the fishing stream and a stone shelter for family picnics.

The park’s other claim to fame is its status as the starting spot of the Current River, the most spring-fed of all the Ozark streams. My weekend float trip from Cedargrove to Akers Ferry passed Welch Spring, the sixth largest spring in Missouri.

A personal high point from my visit came a week or so later when I was talking with a Jefferson County resident who told me he had just returned from Montauk. He and members of the Missouri Disabled Sportsmen group donated another special wheelchair to the park to provide stream access to those with mobility issues.  

I complimented him and the group for their work with those who need extra assistance, and took pride in telling him, “I was at Montauk a couple of weeks ago. What a great place.”

John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 35 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.