We certainly hope you are as fortunate as we feel right now. As we take our daily "urban hike" down sidewalk on Hopper Road in Cape Girardeau, we are lucky enough to have the fresh scents of the Black Locust (Robina pseudoacacia and may also go by the less commonly used False Acacia) floating on the breeze for us to enjoy throughout our trek. In the rare spots that we cannot smell the sweet fragrance from the Black Locust the fresh Honeysuckle fills our senses instead. The smell is so intense and so sweet, I wish I could bottle it to refresh my memory of a warmer time during the Midwestern winters...
Local Treks is a hiking blog dedicated to trails in Missouri, Illinois and more!
Showing posts with label trek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trek. Show all posts
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Breathe Deep: The Black Locusts Are Blooming!
We certainly hope you are as fortunate as we feel right now. As we take our daily "urban hike" down sidewalk on Hopper Road in Cape Girardeau, we are lucky enough to have the fresh scents of the Black Locust (Robina pseudoacacia and may also go by the less commonly used False Acacia) floating on the breeze for us to enjoy throughout our trek. In the rare spots that we cannot smell the sweet fragrance from the Black Locust the fresh Honeysuckle fills our senses instead. The smell is so intense and so sweet, I wish I could bottle it to refresh my memory of a warmer time during the Midwestern winters...
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Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Trail of Tears State Park II: Peewah Trail
After experiencing the beauty of Trail of Tears State Park while exploring the three mile Sheppard's Point Trail, we knew that our family would be heading back soon, this time to tackle a more "formidable" foe... The nine mile long Peewah Trail. Now, I say that the Peewah Trail is ten miles, and it is, but the beauty of this trail is that it is split into two completely different trails with two seperate trail heads, that forms a full on (if a bit askew) figure eight. These two sections of the Peewah Trail are simply referred to as the East Loop and the West Loop.
The "boys", Hudson (brown & white) and Hyatt, taking in a quick refresher from one of the numerous creek crossings on the East Loop of the Peewah Trail |
Twisted and snapped trees can be found from the 2003 tornado damage. |
Searching for |
The West Loop has a few creek crossings as well, Indian Creek is prone to flooding its banks and flash flooding is always a possibility during rain storms, so please be careful as you cross these areas. As with any area rich in water and cover, there is a great chance to spot wildlife on both trails, keep an eye out for turkey, whitetail deer, foxes, fat little squirrels and more. Concerning the squirrels, keep an eye on the sky, as we were convinced that one particularly fat little bugger was chucking branches and nuts at us, funny till you catch one on the noggin.
You may notice on the Peewah Trail Map that the West Loop is nearly bisected by trail that leads to a backpack camp located dead center of the loop. We did not explore this camp, but I can assure you, we fully plan to! In fact, we hope to use this as a refresher before taking on some longer backpacking trips this fall and next spring, so stay tuned for more information as we experience it.
Overall both trails offer fantastic hiking, well maintained and clearly marked trails (provided you know what you are looking for, so please print out a map), some breathtaking views and scenic spaces. We only encountered one other group of people out on the trail, another family, and immediately after they were out of earshot we were instantly transferred back into the solitude and serenity of the wild acres. The boys enjoyed all the smells and nature along the trail, while we enjoyed the family togetherness you can only experience on a hike. Even though we went during the late fall/early winter period there was still PLENTY to see and take note of, however, this trail would be truly breathtaking in early fall as the leaves change and the bottom-lands truly come alive in the early spring with a plethora of local wildflowers in full bloom at that time. I certainly hope you'll make time to explore at least one of the two loops available on the Peewah Trail, I'm sure you'll find it just as enjoyable as we did.
As always thank you for reading and let me know if you have any questions on the trail. If you dig the blog be sure to give it a +1 up there or subscribe with your email address up top, it won't bug you until the next update then. Happy trails till next!
More Information:
Flickr Gallery of Shots
Click here for Peewah Trail Map
Click here for Trail Listing in Trail of Tears State Park
Trail of Tears State Park
429 Moccasin Springs
Jackson, MO 63755-8295
(573)290-5268(573)290-5268
View Larger Map
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