Adventures in Hiking: Bushwhacking through Cass County
Despite high weeds, bugs and heat, the experience was worth it.
By Roy Harryman
Publisher
Cass County isn’t generally at the top of hiking lists for Kansas Citians. For starters, where is it?
For those who are not geographically inclined, it’s southeast of the metro area and includes the suburbs of Raymore, Peculiar, Belton, Pleasant Hill and Lake Winnebago. Rural communities, including the county seat of Harrisonville, are scattered throughout this large area.
We have a page dedicated to Cass County trails, and it features popular hikes including the KATY Trail. But some destinations in the more rural parts of its farm country had been on my radar for years.
On a steaming day in June, I decided to go all in and visit four Missouri Conservation Areas. I was armed with my camera, a gallon jug of ice water, a sun hat and lots and lots of DEET spray.
Bittern Bottoms
The first stop was immediately satisfying. Fifty feet from my car I was in full-blown nature with creaking frogs, singing birds and dragonflies zipping all around me. The area is named for Bitterns, which are small herons. I didn’t see any of those, but a Great Blue Heron bolted as I entered the area, along with a group of ducks who absolutely panicked at my presence.
The map showed a mile trail around the large marsh, but it was apparently well camouflaged. Finally, I spotted a weedy, overgrown hint of a trail and decided to give it a go. As I stepped in, a snake shot out from near my feet and bolted into the water. Some unidentifiable animal thrashed wildly in the bushes, unnerving me a bit.
There was much to see, but it was a jungle scene with an impenetrable trail. Although I wanted to press on, sanity told me to bow out.
I’d love to return under better circumstances, but when would that be? By the time the “no-see-ums” clear out, it will be deer season and guns will be blazing. Afterward, the journey would be doable, but much of the wildlife will have migrated or hibernated. Maybe around April 1? The window is narrow.
Bittern, courtesy of Pixabay
On to the highlands
I had been aware of stories about this area for several years. It’s known as the Amarugia Highlands, formerly the “Kingdom of Amarugia.” Most of the actual history has been lost to time, but there seems to be a consensus that a group of hillbilly types formed a self-governing kingdom before being absorbed into mainstream society after the U.S. Civil War. There are many legends online if you want to check it out. But I came for the scenery.
Dorsett Hill Prairie Conservation Area, Cass County, Mo.
Dorsett Hill Prairie
Native prairie landscapes are unique and rare. Oaks and cedars have overtaken much of what used to be seas of grass. This is because of modern fire suppression. Wildfires no longer beat back the invading trees. Dorsett Hill is one of the few remaining originals.
Although I had to choke back dust from the gravel roads, I had no difficulty finding this area. There’s a large sign and parking lot. I was surprised to see a mowed strip leading straight uphill and into the woods. For a conservation area out in the boonies, that’s unusual. I trudged up the steep hillside, marveling at having an actual trail to walk on. But it stopped abruptly, forcing me to negotiate high weeds the rest of the way. To protect myself, I kept liberally applying DEET until I was probably radioactive.
After thrashing through the woods for about 50 yards, I burst out on the hilltop prairie. What a sight! Wildflowers everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Butterflies and birds made their presence known. I walked to the far end of the hilltop to get a view of the distant horizon, then bushwhacked my way back to the parking lot.
Amarugia Highlands Conservation Area, Cass County, Missouri
Amarugia Highlands Conservation Area
Dorsett Hill is part of the region, but the much larger Amarugia Highlands Conservation Area was my next stop. While Dorsett Hill is small, this refuge sprawls across more than 1,000 acres and includes a large lake and several ponds and marshes.
When we say “highlands,” how high are we talking? When it comes to elevation, everything is relative. For Cass County, which is pancake flat over much of its area, these are impressive hills. My topo app shows they rise about 150 feet above the surrounding plains.
Exploring the hills is not something you want to do in the summertime. Although you can walk the service roads, they are wildly overgrown and will turn you into a buffet for ticks and chiggers. This sounds like a good proposition for winter, after deer season.
I did find a lengthy lowland marsh trail (service road), and it did not disappoint. Herons, egrets, frogs and other wildlife were ubiquitous. The area alternated between thick, dark forest and open marshland.
After returning to my vehicle, I followed the gravel road on the perimeter of the state property to see if I could find some highpoints. I pulled over on the southern end of the refuge, scaled an embankment and was rewarded with a commanding view. Note to self: Come back after leaf-off so you can see more of the horizon.
Berrier Memorial Conservation Area, Cass County, Mo.
An unexpected and delightful wooded trail
The last stop on this tour of the county was a mouthful: Dr. Harry and Mrs. Lina Berrier Memorial Conservation Area.
My app indicated a trailhead, so I thought “What the heck.” No disrespect intended here, but I had low expectations. For whatever the reasons, many trails built by the Missouri Department of Conservation have completely gone to seed. When I find one that is really there, I’m elated. As I pulled up to the remote trailhead, it seemed like this one would defy the odds. And it did!
A trail about one-mile long cuts through a thick forest of cedar, oak and hickory. It’s a quiet, lonely spot – which to me means it’s amazing. The trail ends in a splendid prairie meadow, though not as scenic as Dorsett Hill. There are also a few service roads you can meander, but I bailed because the weeds were way too high.
Back at the car, I slammed the rest of my liquids, and prepared to head home. But I was so far out of cell range that I had to navigate the old fashion way until I reached the town of Freeman and went back online.
All in all, it was a great way to spend a day. I got to see the highlands (though I spotted no hillbillies), stunning natural prairie and wildflowers, and got soaked to the bone with sweat. Oh, and after all that, I only got two bug bites. And no ticks! DEET works!
Roy Harryman is the publisher of Kansas City Hiker.