SierraScape March 2015 - August 2015
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Lower Rock Creek is a proposed wilderness area in south east Missouri. It is a beautiful wild area that awaits the much deserved designation of wilderness. Lower Rock Creek and 6 other areas are the wilderness areas "left behind."

For those of you that want to do something more than just a hike and like a challenge when you explore an area, then this is a destination that you might enjoy.

The Trail Adventure:

The trail begins just next to the gate and is easy to follow. About 1/4 mile from the trailhead, the trail forks, you want to go Left as indicated by the large arrow made of many large rocks on the path. After an additional 3/4 of a mile, the trail descends next to a stream that appears to be spring fed. At the bottom of the trail is what you have come to explore, Lower Rock Creek. I was surprised to see how much water was flowing in the creek during the late Fall. When I touched the water, I immediately knew that it had to be spring fed as the water was very cold.

The area where you entered the Creek opens up into a canyon setting with walls on the near and the far side of the stream. The walls are mostly made of gray Dolomite (harder Limestone) but are topped with pink Granite as is found a few miles north of the Creek in the Arcadia valley at Elephant Rocks State Park. This is where the sedimentary rock was laid down first followed by volcanic activity that covered the earlier rock in pink. On a sunny day, the contract really jumps out. On the day of our adventure, the sky was overcast (see photos) and the contrast was not as pronounced as I saw a few days earlier when the sun was out. If you stayed where you came into the Lower Rock Creek area, this is supposed to be the prettiest part of the whole canyon. But if you desired to see more of the area, then I would suggest that you go down stream about 1/2 mile to see more rock faces and more running water. The canyon was formed by the Lower Rock Creek as it cut its' way between the hills on its' way under Hwy E and finally feeds into the St. Francis River. As you are traveling downstream, just before you get back to Hwy E, you enter private land that goes all the way to the St. Francis River. Here the Creek is run by the state but the land adjacent to and on both sides of the Creek is privately owned where hikers or explores are not allowed to trespass. The safest way is to turn around after you pass the last exposed rock face of the hill which is about 1/2 mile from where you entered the Creek. Another thing to remember here is that since the exposed gray walls look very similar, it is best to mark the trail where you entered the creek area with several brightly colored ribbons that can be taken down when you leave the area for home. Make your way back to the marked trail where you started and then take a break to decide where you want to go next. This little 1/2 mile trip down stream and back could take a couple of hours but you will have some great shots and a better appreciation for traversing water in the Missouri back country.

After your break, I would suggest that you go up stream for 1 mile to where the hills are between 1,300 and 1,400 feet tall with the exposed rock being 400 to 500 feet tall. As you will notice, both downstream and up stream, the so called trail is only in the mind of the writer. It is hard to get lost in a canyon so following the flowing water in either direction is quite easy. The hard part is to do it in a manner that will keep you dry. We hiked the area in late Fall and the water was cold. Another thing was not to get tangled in the vines that grow near the water. The hills are also steep so secure footing is also a must to keep your exploration from turning to a rescue operation if someone falls. When our group attempted to go upstream, we had our problems with a few falls and a few wet feet. As it was getting late in the day, we only went about 1/4 mile before turning back. It was still a fun and challenging hike for those that attended. Climbing over rocks next to the stream and holding on to ledges as you inch along a narrow foothold that was about 3 feet above the water was fun and not too risky. I would call this day our journey of exploration of a canyon in Missouri.

The walk back allowed us to dry off a little as we made our way back to the cars at the trailhead. I would like to return back here in the summer to walk in the water upstream for a refreshing and cool trek on a hot summer day.