Hickory Canyons Natural Area

Ste. Genevieve County

Owned by: L-A-D Foundation

Managed by: Missouri Department of Conservation

This 228-acre area is located in Ste. Genevieve County, near Sprott, Missouri.

Hickory Canyons provides short hiking trails which give a glimpse of the distinctive bluffs and sandstone box canyons found on this Natural Area.

Missouri has several regions where sandstone is the bedrock and parent material for soil development; in Ste. Genevieve County this is the Lamotte sandstone. At least 550 million years in age, Lamotte sandstone is the oldest sedimentary rock in Missouri. At Hickory Canyons, the canyon walls are impressive, forming 100-foot high bluffs. Canyons lie on either side of a broad, gentle ridge top where the county gravel road provides access. The short 1/4 mile trail to the east of the parking area leads to a view of a steep bluff and box canyon. West of the parking area, a more strenuous one mile long trail traverses steep terrain through dry, dry-mesic and mesic sandstone forests and crosses a scenic creek in a few locations.

Hickory Canyons' narrow, winding box canyons, along with the mixed pine and deciduous forest, provide a diversity of habitat types. The box canyons' cool, moist, shaded cliff environment is home to many native fern species along with club moss, other mosses, numerous sedges, spicebush, pawpaw, deciduous holly and partridge berry.

Rich, mesic sandstone forest, an uncommon natural community type in Missouri, is dominated by northern red oak, white oak, and sugar maple. Here, the rugged terrain has protected the natural community; in other more accessible areas these particular mesic, or moisture-dependent forests have been lost to a variety of development.

Along the upper slopes and around the trail head in dry and dry-mesic sandstone forest community types shortleaf pine, white oak, black oak, blackjack oak, scarlet oak, post oak, and mockernut hickory are found. Beneath the forest canopy and along these drier slopes flowering dogwood, farkleberry, and ironwood grow, all common on thin sandy soils.

There are several other publicly-owned areas you can visit which protect features similar to Hickory Canyons. The most accessible is Hawn State Park where there are services, including overnight camping. For information call (573) 751-2479 or write Missouri Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Pickle Springs Natural Area has a developed interpretive trail and is accessed from Rt. AA about 7 miles northeast of Farmington. For information on Pickle Springs call the Resource Forester at (573) 756-6488 or write to Missouri Department of Conservation, 1109 Ste. Genevieve, Farmington, MO 63640 or you can call the District Forester at (573) 290-5858 or write the district office at: Southeast Forest District, Missouri Department of Conservation, 2302 Co. Park Dr., Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.