Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, MO

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - Missouri Department of Natural Resources 

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 38.87323, -92.32572

Devil's Icebox Parking Lot

TRAIL MAP: 

Missouri State Parks posts trail maps by trail online, not the entire park.  Below are photos of the entire map I picked up at the park office.

For this hike we used the Deer Run Trail, Devil's Icebox Trail, Grassland Trail, Sinkhole Trail and Spring Brook Trail.

HIKE DISTANCE:  9.9 miles 

 

THE HIKE:

I got this picture from the parking lot as we were starting and it turned out to be an unusual find.  This is a Eurasian Tree Sparrow.  It is a rare bird in that they are only in the St. Louis area and I was two hours west of St. Louis.  Settlers released 12 of them in St. Louis in April 1870 so this is a descendant of those first birds.

Starting out early at the main attraction, Devil's Icebox.  This is hugely popular but at 7:30 AM on a weekday we had the entire Devil's Icebox Trail to ourselves.

The entire trail is a series of steps and boardwalks.

Looking down into Devil's Icebox where a creek flows under the rocks.

Heading down into Devil's Icebox.

The water flowing under the rocks that we had seen from up above previously.

Heading over to the Sinkhole Trail.

Indigo Buntings were abundant here.

Wood Thrush

There were interesting signs along the way describing historical sights.

Ingrum Spring

I was not close, I zoomed in for the picture.  But based on the well trodden trail others have not heeded the sign.

Crossing a gravel road over to ...

... the Grassland Trail.

A trip to the Midwest is never complete until I see a red headed woodpecker.  I usually do see one almost every time I am here.  I have only seen one in New Jersey in the 27 years I have lived there.

Either a Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

We took a spur trail off of the Grassland Trail then turned left on the gravel road ...

... right at the end ...

... then right back into the park on the ...

... red-blazed Spring Brook Trail.

Female Summer Tanager

At Little Bonne Femme Creek ...

... we waded across.  That water was COLD!

Female Cardinal

Blue-eyed Mary (and I only know this because at the end of the hike there was a sign)

Yellow-blazed Deer Run Trail

His obsession with turtles is out of control.  It was all I could do to drag him away.  His lips never touched that turtle.

I made a wrong turn here and had to head back.

I had seen this sign when I made that turn but it did not make sense at the time.  Now heading back it made perfect sense.

Now we are back on track taking the Spring Brook Trail back to the parking lot.

This sign was facing the opposite direction so I got to see the signs describing plants.

And this is how I found out I had seen Blue-eyed Mary earlier.

Back at the parking lot.