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Top 5 Kid-Friendly Hikes in Southwest Missouri

“Where should I take my kids hiking?” I get asked this question ALL THE TIME and to be honest, this question is the reason why I decided to start a blog  in the first place!  I want to  share our favorite State Parks, hikes, and historic sites with anyone and everyone who will listen (or in this case look).  I love spending time outside with my kids for a couple reasons: they are nicer when they are outside, and they go to sleep earlier!  Just kidding…. they NEVER go to sleep early no matter how far they hike.  However, the whole “nicer” thing… that’s real, and this little “outside trick” comes in very handy when you have two VERY strong willed tweens who are constantly butting heads!  Enough about WHY we hike, lets talk about WHERE!

Hercules Glades Wilderness - Forsyth, Missouri

I am ashamed to say that I have lived in Southwest Missouri my ENTIRE life and have only been to Hercules Glades one time! In my defense, I didn’t know just how cool it was until our recent trip and I haven’t had the opportunity to go back, you know… with the pandemic and all. 

This place is PERFECT for hikers of all ages and is especially great for children.  There are 32 miles of trails at HGW, so there are several different options depending on how long you want to stay in the area.  After reviewing all of the options, we (me) decided to hike the Blair Ridge Trail, which is a 6.2 mile out and back trail that takes you directly to The Falls.  What are The Falls, you ask? Just the BEST place to have a picnic in all of Forsyth! Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself…

Pretty cool, huh? I told you!  In addition to The Falls, there are lots of very cool rock formations and the terrain changes several times during the 3 mile trek!  Grasslands, forests, creeks, this hike has it all! Another reason this trail is great for kids is there are no terrifying ledges and the elevation changes are gradual.  I will warn you, the trip to The Falls is all down hill, so plan for the trip back to the car to take a little more time (and energy).  

Trail System Map
Blair Ridge Trail

Two Rivers Mountain Bike Park-
Highlandville, Missouri

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Our Weekend In Northern Arkansas

We seriously had the best weekend!

If you guys aren’t aware, my husband has a job that requires him to be away from home for 4 weeks at a time.  When he is home we have our boys on weekends so the opportunity to have time to ourselves doesn’t present itself often, but when it does, we jump on it!  
 
Most recently, we stayed in Jasper, AR. A small town of fewer than 500 people, approximately 30 miles south of Harrison (60 miles south of Branson.) The cabin we stayed in was A-MAZ-ING… it was built on a ledge overlooking the Arkansas Grand Canyon, so the view from the cabin was incredible.  Inside we had 2 bedrooms, 3 sleeper sofas, a full kitchen, and the best part… a waterfall shower and the biggest bathtub I’ve ever seen.  Outside we had a propane fire pit, grill, comfy outdoor furniture, and again, the view.  We didn’t plan on spending as much time at the cabin as we did, but honestly, we had no reason to leave! 

Our Cabin

Luckily, we were able to invite friends to A) share the cabin, and B) Share the bill : ) If you are looking for a similar adventure on a dime, I HIGHLY suggest checking out the Cliff House Inn.  We stayed here a few years ago and can verify that the view is the same, you just have to share it with other guests, and the rooms are clean and super affordable.  They even have a restaurant on-site so you don’t have to worry about traveling for food!  

Cliff House Inn

While we loved our cabin, our goal was to hike! Northern Arkansas is home to the Boston Mountain Range and the Buffalo National River so there are a ton of hiking options depending on what suits your group best! For this trip, I picked three locations that were close to our cabin due to our limited hiking time (It didn’t get above freezing until after 10 am and would be getting dark by 6 pm.) On Saturday we hiked the Alum Cove Trail, a 1.2 mile loop trail with a stream and a natural bridge.  It was a little colder out than I prefer, but the beautiful icicles hanging from the bridge (almost) made up for my discomfort. 

Alum Cove Trail

After Alum Cove we drove 20ish miles (hilly, curvy, mountain miles) to Sam’s Throne Recreation Area.  I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a tad bit disappointed by this trip. Don’t get me wrong, it was GORGEOUS, but unless you’re a climber, as in… you have harnesses and ropes, and people to do whatever people who climb help you do… there’s not a TON of hiking.  We spent most of our time wandering around looking for trails and eating Uncrustables while enjoying the view.  Again, totally worth the trip, just not what I was expecting.   

 

Sam's Throne

On Sunday, we drove a couple of miles up the road to Round Top Mountain for a 4-mile loop trail that goes all the way around the mountain with additional hiking on the mountain top.  After looking at hiking reviews ( yes, I look at hiking reviews) I was nervous that this hike would lead to more disappointment… man… I was so wrong.  While it isn’t the most scenic, it has so many great things to offer! The most unique, a 70-year-old plane crash site!  You can still see the marks where the B-25 hit the mountain, and there is debris along the hillside as well as a marker that commemorates the servicemen who lost their lives.   Round Top Mountain is also home to several interesting cliffs and rock formations that were supposedly inhabited by Native Americans.  After our hike around the mountain, we went to the top where there are scenic ledges on both sides.  Unfortunately, one of the ledges was occupied by a large group of people who were meditating? Praying? Doing Yoga? Luckily, the other ledge was vacant and the perfect spot for a snack.  We spent several hours exploring Round Top Mountain, and I would gladly go again! 

Round Top Mountain
Round Top Mountain History

Last but not least…. FOOD. As I said, our cabin had a full kitchen so we cooked most of our food.  However, after our hike on Sunday, we were needing a little something to get us through our drive home.  I had heard a lot about the Ozark Cafe and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  First of all, I was surprised to see such a large cafe in a town with less than 500 people but it didn’t take me long to see why it was so popular!  We didn’t get anything crazy, just two burgers and curly fries, but man… it was good!  My husband is a bottomless pit and even he left feeling full! If you’re in the area, you should stop in and check it out for yourself! 

Ozark Cafe

Overall, it was a great weekend and I am already looking forward to returning to the area next spring! If you haven’t made the trip to Northern Arkansas, do yourself a favor and go. I promise you won’t be disappointed! If you want suggestions on trails, let me know, I am always happy to tell people what to do 😉 

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