Searching for a new hiking location, my wife came across Clifty Creek Natural Area, part of Clifty Creek Conservation Area, SSW of Vienna, Missouri, off Route 28. As we approached that refuge, her GPS suggested an alternate route to the trailhead. Since that road was paved, we decided to take the shortcut but the pavement soon disappeared. Road signs were also absent (or destroyed by shotgun pellets) and we made turns in response to our GPS location; unfortunately, that signal was lost for periods of time and the movie Deliverance soon crossed my mind.
An hour or so after leaving Route 28, we finally located the unmarked parking lot and set off on a rocky trail that zig-zagged into a gorge where Clifty Creek is lined with bluffs of dolomite (see photo). Though we initially planned to hike to a Natural Arch, its distance, our age and the uneven trail surface combined to discourage that goal.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed a pleasant and scenic drive through the Ozarks and received more than enough exercise during our foreshortened hike. Warm, sunny weather and muted autumn colors further rewarded our decision.
