Spring Day Trip: Mighty Bluffs and Rocky Rises Near Columbia
The Pinnacles, near Columbia, Mo.
Get off the interstate and explore 200-foot limestone bluffs, rocky spires and natural bridges only two hours from Kansas City.
By Roy Harryman
Publisher
You can never be sure what spring means in the Midwest. Temperatures could spike to 75F. Or they could drop below freezing.
Since the weather’s a gamble, it’s opportune to have a go-to hiking list for days that are unseasonably warm (or at least tolerable).
With this purpose in mind, we offer this spring day trip itinerary for the Columbia, Mo., region.
Apart from remote destinations in the Ozarks, the Columbia area features one of the state’s most concentrated series of scenic hiking areas. This may indeed be a well-kept secret.
We’ll break these out in a moment, but for starters the destinations include:
The KATY Trail
State parks
A national forest
Missouri Conservation Areas
Private reserves open to the public
Our top 3 picks
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
This park, bordering Columbia, is one of the state’s busiest. Water has carved sinkholes, cliffs and the park’s namesake natural bridge in this rocky, forested environment. If you want a less-traveled part of the park, the Gans Creek Natural Area offers a stunning six-mile loop.
KATY Trail at Rocheport/Diana Bend Conservation Area
This is one of the most popular parts of the KATY Trail, but there’s still plenty of room for everyone. Hop on the trail in Rocheport and you can walk through an 1892 rail tunnel which runs underneath Diana Bend Conservation Area. You can then walk up a steep stairwell to the top for a stunning view. If you head the other direction (south) you’ll quickly meet the Missouri River and spectacular limestone bluffs.
But wait, there’s more! Each of the locations below are worthy of exploration in and of themselves and are within 30 minutes of Columbia.
Carpe diem!