Cedar Creek snakes southward through central Missouri, forming the border between Boone and Callaway Counties, before entering the Missouri River just upstream from Jefferson City. Southeast of Columbia, on its way through the Mark Twain National Forest, this creek has exposed cliffs of Mississippian Limestone, deposited in shallow seas some 320 million years ago (an era of fern forests, vast swamps, giant amphibians and the first winged insects).
One of many trails within the State Forest begins at the east end of Route H (2.4 miles east of Englewood, Missouri). After crossing the old Rutherford Bridge, it climbs the east wall of the Cedar Creek Valley via a jeep road and then cuts away to the right, paralleling the stream toward the south. Within a short distance, this trail provides access to a number of scenic overlooks atop the limestone bluffs, perfect sites for birdwatching, nature photography or a picnic lunch.
Popular during the warmer months and throughout the colorful days of autumn, this area is all but abandoned during the winter. As at many nature preserves across the country, humans underestimate the advantages of winter hiking, which include open vistas, solitude, good footing and the absence of annoying insects. Yesterday, we enjoyed a three-mile, round-trip hike through the oak-cedar forest, serenaded by winter songbirds and undisturbed by other humans. Sitting atop the limestone bluffs in the cool sunshine of early February, we looked out across the Cedar Creek Valley, so close yet so far from the noise and congestion of city life.
