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Directions
From
St. Louis
Travel west on I-70 or U.S. Hwy. 40 to Exit 210/Wentzville. Take U.S. Hwy.
61 north for 14 miles to
Troy
. Travel east on Hwy. 47 for 2.8 miles to Hwy. 147, which is the main
entrance to the state park.
Hamilton Hollow Trail -- 1 mile
Hamilton Hollow Trail is a loop that begins and ends near the picnic
shelter. A wide array of spring wildflowers and some of the largest trees
in the park, many over 150 years old, are in the hollow. This trail is
marked with green arrows in a clockwise direction.
The northern part of this trail is shared with Cuivre River Trail, on
which equestrian use is allowed; the remaining sections of Hamilton Hollow
Trail are closed to horse traffic.
Frenchman's Bluff Trail -- 2 miles
. The bluff portion of this trail is open to equestrian use.
Cuivre River Trail -- 7 miles
Cuivre River Trail begins at the equestrian camp and proceeds along
Goedde Creek before ascending to the top of Frenchman’s Bluff. At this
point, Cuivre River Trail turns right and proceeds north along the entire
length of the bluff. The trail eventually heads east to descend into the
Big Sugar Creek valley. It follows the valley most of the way back to its
original starting point. This moderately strenuous trail is open to
hikers, backpackers and equestrians. It is marked with red arrows in a
clockwise direction. White arrows mark connector trails that can be taken
if shorter hikes or rides are desired. Horses are not permitted in the
picnic area.
Big Sugar Creek Trail -- 7 miles
The trailhead for Big Sugar Creek Trail is located on the west side of
the park road, midway between
Camp
Derricotte
and
Camp
Sherwood Forest
. The trail traverses much of Big Sugar Creek Wild Area, including Sugar
Bluff, a bottomland forest along Big Sugar Creek. The trail also passes
through steep fern- and moss-covered hollows dissecting the watershed.
This moderately strenuous trail is open to hikers, backpackers and to
equestrians on the southern half. Shorter hikes of four miles are possible
by using the white connector trails. The trail is marked with blue arrows
in a clockwise direction.
Turkey Hollow Trail -- 1 mile
Turkey Hollow Trail begins and ends at the Sugar Creek Valley Overlook.
The trail is a loop, marked in a counterclockwise direction, with a common
entrance and exit. The first part of the trail passes through an old field
before entering a nice upland forest with many large oak trees. It then
crosses a bridge over a small valley and loops around the point of a ridge
before heading back toward the overlook tower. Turkey Hollow Trail is
named for the wild turkeys that have frequently been seen in the area.
This is an easy trail to hike, however, the last part of the trail does
have an uphill grade.
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