Join MDC Oct. 18 for 40th annual fall driving tour at Poosey Conservation Area

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites visitors to its 40th annual fall driving tour at Poosey Conservation Area in northwest Livingston County on Sunday, Oct. 18, from noon until 4 p.m. The driving tour gives visitors a chance to enjoy the fall color of forests and woodlands on winding gravel service roads that are not usually open to the public.

Each year the tour draws hundreds of families and groups riding in cars, trucks, and even the occasional bicycle, along with trailers and wagons drawn by pickups and horses, folks in horse-drawn buggies, and riders of all ages on horseback. 

MDC will provide tour brochures at the route entrance to help find nature interpretive stops along the driving route that showcase conservation practices such as timber stand improvement and native warm-season grasslands. 

Visitors will find exhibits on nature, conservation, and the Poosey-area history midpoint along the tour route and can visit with MDC staff about conservation issues.

The tour route begins at Pike's Lake and includes a few steep grades in places along with a few creek crossings. A vehicle (or other mode of transport) with high clearance is recommended. Visitors can expect a slow driving pace. 

For more information, contact MDC’s Chillicothe Office at 660-646-6122. Find maps and more information about Poosey Conservation Area at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/poosey-conservation-area.

To get there from Chillicothe, take Highway 190 west five miles, then Route A north five miles. At the Route W junction, continue straight on Route W about two miles to CR 502. Then follow signs for the driving tour.

MDC is committed to accessibility at all its nature centers, regional facilities, and conservation areas. To request an ADA accommodation for participation in MDC programs, visit mdc.mo.gov/accessibility.