Overview
Pickle Springs is operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation and is a 262-acre preserve of unique geological interest, which is amazingly little known to Missourians. Located just 5 miles from Hawn State Park, Pickle Springs features hidden box canyons, bluffs, hiking trails and enough unique sandstone formations to have been designated a natural landmark by the National Park Service.
The Experience
Trek the well-marked Trail Through Time past sandstone overhangs, the unusual sandstone double arch, through the Slot, past the Keyhole and Cauliflower Rock, through Spirit Canyon up to the Overlook, a dome of rock high above the valley that affords a magnificent view of the surrounding hills. Visitors might see whitetail deer, raccoons or chipmunks and hear plenty of songbirds. Flora includes lush ferns, wild azaleas and Missouri's only native pine tree, the short leaf.