MISSOURI - Accessible Nature

Missouri has a number of trails with minimal obstacles. Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible. Here are just a few of them.
These links were found through Internet search. I would love to have some first-hand recommendations. With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the need for more accessibility. Please e-mail me with your suggestions using the form in the sidebar.

Federal
State
Local
Private
Miscellaneous

Federal

Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge
Originally called “Squaw Creek”, the refuge provides “feeding and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge includes 7,440 acres of wetlands, grasslands, and forests along the eastern edge of the Missouri River floodplain.” Map Phone 660-442-3187 Brochure Here is the Refuge website.
Mike Callow Memorial Trail is “one-half-mile, out-and-back paved trail…. [which] skirts the edge of the loess hill woodlands and extends to the foothills of the loess hill. The trail starts at the visitor parking lot.”
Mark Twain National Forest
Mark Twain NF encompasses 1.5 million acres. Sections of the Ozark Trail wind through the forest and there are more than 350 miles of perennial streams, suitable for floating canoeing and kayaking.
Here is the Forest website. Phone 573-364-4621 Call or write for copies of their brochures. Here is a brochure from 2010.
Pine Lake Trail in the Poplar Bluff Ranger District. The trail “starts within the Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area, and circles Pinewoods Lake. Three-quarters of a mile of this easy 1.3-mile trail has a concrete surface and is barrier-free; the rest of the trail has native surfacing. The entire trail is relatively flat, with no difficult sections. Circling the lake, the trail provides views of the lake, songbirds, and wildlife, and an abundance of wildflowers….”
White Oak Trail is a 1 1/2 mile loop from the Float Camp picnic area’s parking lot. Very helpful staff member called me back and said that it is probably too steep for a wheelchair user alone, although someone could possibly push a chair around it. There are some water bars that might be difficult to negotiate.
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge
Mingo NWR encompasses 21,592 acres and lies in a basin formed in an ancient abandoned channel of the Mississippi River in southeast Missouri.
Here is the Refuge website. Phone 573-222-3589
Swampwalk Nature trail: described in Wikipedia: ” a one-mile (1.6-km) loop trail through the bottomland hardwood swamp. A self-guided pamphlet of the trail is available at the Boardwalk parking lot. The path is wheelchair accessible.” The refuge’s website does not state that the boardwalk is wheelchair accessible, but says the trail “… meanders 0.8 miles through the bottomland hardwood forest. Observation decks at the Monopoly Overlook, Rockhouse Marsh, and Red Mill Drive, offer outstanding views of the Mingo Basin and its wildlife.” You might want to call ahead to be sure of the accessibility.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways protects the river system which includes the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers as well as hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails and historic sites. Phone 573-323-4236   Trails Accessibility
Map of Big Spring Trail System Website
Lick Log Trail: “1 mile loop trail—easy with no steep grades. Trailhead is located off Fox Pen Road (County Road 205) about two miles north of Eminence on Route 19. …… This hike offers a wide range of Ozark habitats from an upland forest of oak-pine to dolomite glades, Rhyolite glades, fens (wetlands), and igneous “shut-ins”—each with unique flora and fauna.”
Welch Spring Trail: 0.8 miles round trip, off Hwy. K north of Akers. Described as an “easy walk from the trailhead parking area north along a rock/earth impoundment out to Welch Spring—which emits 78.2 million gallons of crystal clear water a day from a cave at the base of a limestone cliff.”   Review by AllTrails
Slough Trail:1.2 miles round trip. “An easy stroll that begins just north of the ‘Big Spring”. The trail goes through a stand of cane and a riparian forest along the slough. Described by Waymarking.com

State

Disabled-Accessible Outdoors – a pdf document by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation
All Missouri State Parks can be found on their searchable webpage. You can plug in amenities you wish to find. Each state park’s website has a link to a pdf page of Accessibility Information.
Accessibility Information for Missouri Parks and Historic sites.
Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center
Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, Kansas City, has native-plant gardens, including small versions of upland and lowland forests, prairies, and ponds. Specialty planting areas include butterfly, wildflower, and water gardens.
Here is their website. Phone 816-759-7300 Map
The 0.25 mile Wild Sidewalk winds through the Grow Native Gardens.

The 0.20 mile East-West sidewalk “connects with a number of Brush Creek Parkway sidewalks that meander up the Creek toward Kauffman Memorial Gardens and the Country Club Plaza.”
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
“This 6,987-acre area contains 3,000 acres of forest in addition to grassland, cropland, old fields, prairie and wetlands. Facilities/features: boat rentals, picnic areas and a pavilion, hiking trails, fishing jetties, fishing docks, staffed firearms range, archery range, viewing blinds, and a visitor center.”
This brochure is mostly about hunting and fishing.
Map Here is their website. Phone 636-441-4554
There are eight trails ranging from 0.7 to 2.0 miles, all designated “easy”.

Fallen Oak Nature trail is 0.7 miles and said to be “partially accessible” Call for better information and to check their hours, which vary by season.
Wikipedia says, “There have been numerous improvements in the park to improve accessibility for wheelchair users. These include ramps, concrete fishing areas, and boardwalks around nature viewing areas.”
Reviews on Yelp
Big Oak Tree State Park
Big Oak Tree State Park preserves forest and marsh as the first explorers saw it. “Towering hickory trees and oaks form a canopy that averages more than 120 feet in height…” “The trees and wetlands make the park a prime place for wildlife. ”
Here is the Park website. Phone 573-649-3149 Map Trail Map
There is a self-guided boardwalk 0.7 mile one way. Its surface is good traction for wheel chairs, but makes use of a cane a little wobbly.
Bottomland Trail is a 1 1/2 mile loop. Its dirt surface is all right for wheelchairs in dry times, but not when wet.
Cypress Trail is a 0.75 mile loop. Like Bottomland Trail, it is only good for wheelchairs when dry.
Burr Oak Woods Nature Center
Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, Kansas City occupies 1071 acres. There are interactive exhibits and natural features including “steep forested hillsides along Burr Oak Creek …, large limestone boulders and outcrops, restored prairies and woodlands, and a trail complex.”
Brochure Here is their website. Map Phone 816-228-3766
Missouri Tree Trail is a paved 3/4 mile trail which passes by “a forest, prairie planting, woodland, and glade. There is a bridge near the pond, an overlook above the restored glade and several trees native to Missouri are labeled along the trail.”
? The 1/2 mile J. Ernest Dunn Jr. Discovery Trail is paved and winds through the woods behind the nature center. “Interpretive signage enables the hiker to discover the forest natural community by learning cool forest facts and by brushing up on tree identification skills. ”
Habitat Trail 1.5 miles with loop option. Gravel base surface

Wildlife Habitat Trail 1.5 miles “natural surface trail which highlights a hidden pond, restored woodland and glades. Reviewed in AllTrails.
Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
This Nature Center, located within Cape Girardeaus North County Park, “showcases the rich cultural history and diverse natural resources of southeastern Missouri.” There are wildlife-viewing areas and two miles of nature trails that wind through rolling river hills with sinkholes, ravines, and deep hollows. Here is their website. Map Phone 573-290-5218.
The Ridgetop Trail, a quarter mile part of the White Oak Trace trail system goes from the Visitor Center to a deck on Farckleberry Knob.
Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park
Just minutes from St. Louis, Babler Memorial State Park offeres hiking and equestrian trails that “…wind their way through the park’s narrow coves, deep sheltered valleys and towering forests.”
Phone (636) 458-3813 Map Here is the Park website.
From the Accessibility Information page:
? “Two miles of trail are paved, however, the trail contains slopes that may be prohibitive to some users.”
Elephant Rocks State Park
This park, near Belleview, contains giant boulders that stand end-to-end like a train of circus elephants. They were formed from 1.5 billion year old granite. “Many of the elephant rocks lie within the seven-acre Elephant Rocks Natural Area, which is recognized for its outstanding geologic value.”
Here is the Park’s website. Phone 573-546-3454 Map Trail Map
Reviewed on Trip Advisor Accessibility
The one mile Interpretive Braille Trail is “asphalt and has varying slopes and conditions. The most excessive slopes are at 9.3 percent for 37 feet and 10.2 percent for 20 feet. At some points, the trail pinches down to 28 inches wide, due to the rock formations. Along the trail are interpretive stations with Braille text.” The trail was “…especially designed for people with visual and physical disabilities.”
Ha Ha Tonka State Park
Geology and history combine to make this fascinating park with “sinkholes, caves, a huge natural bridge, sheer bluffs and Missouri’s 12^th largest spring. The ruins of a turn-of-the-century stone castle overlook these wonders and offer impressive views of the Lake of the Ozarks and Ha Ha Tonka Spring.”
Here is the Park website. Phone 573-346-2986 Trail Map Park Map
From the Accessibility Information page:
Oak Woodland Interpretive Trail is a 430 foot self-guiding interpretive trail, paved “….. in an effort to allow more users the opportunity to experience a typical Missouri woodland landscape. …. Some users may need assistance as some slopes may be excessive.”
Katy Trail State Park
Katy Trail State Park, “…built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or Katy), is 240 miles long and runs between Clinton and Machens with 26 trailheads and four fully restored railroad depots along the way. The section of trail between Cooper County and St. Charles County has been designated as an official segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Katy Trail is also part of the American Discovery Trail, has been designated as a Millennium Legacy Trail and was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame in 2008.”
Here is the Park website. Phone 573-449-7402
The Katy trail is a 237 mile rails-to-trails path more than half of which follows the Missouri River. From visitmo.com: “The hard-packed, crushed limestone surface is fairly level and constant as it meanders through the countryside. With more than 30 trailheads along its length, the Katy is very easy to reach, offering trips of varying distance. The trail is handicap-accessible.” For details on the trail and trailheads see the pdf on Accessibility Information .
Pershing State Park
Pershing State Park is preserves the wetland landscape once common in northern Missouri. Locust Creek “still shapes the landscape by forming oxbow lakes, sloughs, shrub swamps, marshes and wet prairie. Along the creek is a large bottomland forest of oak, hickory, cottonwood, sycamore and silver maple, which has been designated a Missouri natural area.” Map
Phone 660-963-2299 Here is the Park website. Accessibility Information
The 1.5 mile interpretive Locust Creek Wetland Boardwalk crosses Locust Creek and is “constructed to be accessible with benches at intervals for resting.”
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is in 112 acres of oak-hickory forest. You can experience wildlife up close through a wildlife viewing window; living bee-hive; 3,000-gallon aquarium and exhibits. There are three trails, one of which has interpretive signs and is disabled accessible.
Phone 314-301-1500 Here is their website. Brochure Map
Tanglevine trail is a 0.3 mile interpretive loop.
Prairie State Park
Visitors to the Prairie State Park see panoramic vistas of swaying grass and ever-changing wildflowers in this remnant of the original tallgrass prairie. They also may spot the park’s resident bison herd.
Here is their website. Map Phone 417-843-6711
From the Accessibility Information page:
“If you want to experience the solitude and vastness of the prairie, the trail head for Drover’s Trail is located just outside the visitor center. The accessible portion of the sunny trail is quarter mile long using the connector trail. This trail is relatively level or has minimal slopes with mown prairie sod as a base. During wet weather, the sod may be too soft. Some users may need assistance. ”
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, near Columbia, “…contains a wide diversity of natural and cultural resources to explore. Some of Missouri’s finest examples of karst topography, restored grasslands, forests and streams rest within park boundaries.”
Here is the Park website. Phone 573-449-7402 Map Trail Map
From the Accessibility Information Page:
“The portion of the Springbrook trail, in the sidebar of the Devil’s Icebox kiosk up to the bridge, is accessible over natural turf. Devil’s Icebox trail is partially accessible from trailhead to the rock bridge.”
Runge Nature Center
Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City “…features a visitor center with exhibits and live-animal displays, special events, trails, demonstrations, and diverse natural habitats.” There are 2.4 miles of trails.
Here is the Center’s website. Phone 573-526-5544 Map Brochure
Naturescape trail is 0.3 miles
There are 4 other short trails designated “easy”.
Sam A. Baker State Park
Sam A. Baker State Park’s 5,323 acres are in the the ancient St. Francois Mountains where there are some of the oldest exposures of igneous rock in North America. The natural landscape and cool waters of the St. Francis River and Big Creek, have something for everyone.
Here is the Park website. Phone 573- 856-4411 Park Map
From the Accessibility Information page:
“The asphalt paved hiking/bicycling trail is a 1.5-mile scenic route that runs from the park store to Campground 1. The route has little slope except for a short length near the store that measures 7 percent. If this is a problem, the trail can be accessed at the visitor center.”
Springfield Conservation Nature Center
Springfield Conservation Nature Center is “80 acres of Ozark forest, glade and prairie habitat.” There are creeks and frontage on Lake Springfield. More than 170 species of wildlife inhabit the area.
Here is the Center’s Website Phone 417-888-4237 Brochure Map
Boardwalk trail is about 1/3 mile, paved and goes downhill to the creek. Like the Savannah Ridge trail, it does not strictly adhere to ADA guidelines, but is enjoyed by some local wheelchair users.
Savanna Ridge trail is about 0.1 mile and does have some gradient. See the note above for wheelchairs.
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park’s 7,500 acres “…include the highest point in the state. Located in the St. Francois Mountains, the park’s wooded areas and rocky glades provide a beautiful, solitary experience for hikers”

Here is the Park website. Phone 573-546-2450 Map Trail Map
Accessibility information
High Point Trail – a “paved trail … approximately 1,030 feet long with resting places spaced along the way and no excessive slopes.” “From the parking area, a short walk along a wheelchair-accessible trail leads to the top of Taum Sauk Mountain and the highest point in the state at 1,772 feet above sea level. Beyond this point, the trail becomes rocky and rugged and is not considered accessible to wheelchairs.”
Twin Pines Conservation Education Center
Twin Pines’ 442.2 acres center just east of Winona “…offers opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, nature photography and other nature-related activities.” Trails through the area provides access to pine-oak woodland and several other forest types. Twin Pines CEC places a special emphasis on the history of the Ozarks’ timber industry. There are four nature trails, one of them ADA compliant.
Informational card Phone 573-325-1381 Center website

One of the four trails is wheelchair accessible. Check with the Visitor Center for more information.

Local

Dent County
Tiger Trail is “behind the Upper Elementary School on Doss Road. It has a nice surface, wide trails that meander through the brush, trees, and [have] a few steep inclines but generally mild rises and dips, nice chat/gravel for walking and wheelchairs that are sturdy. Lots of cut offs and loops and can be very short or up to nearly 2 miles if you take the long way.” Contributed by Libby of the Bonebrake Center of Nature and History.
Independence
George Owens Nature Park “provides 86 acres of beautiful forest, lakes, hiking trails and wildlife.” Park naturalist Melanie suggested the following:
The Butterfly Trail: This trail is asphalt, ¼ mile long and fairly level although there are some gentle inclines. The trail joins a paved road that leads to two fishing ponds.
Fishing Ponds: The road and most areas surrounding the ponds are flat and fairly accessible, depending on the degree of disability. There is also a wheelchair-accessible dock on one of the ponds. While we limit traffic in the park, we allow vehicles with handicap plates or mirror hangers to drive to the ponds and park nearby.
The Nature Center. The building is accessible along with restrooms and a water fountain; and there are dedicated parking spots in the lot.
Salem
Salem Frisco RR Trail “Starting at 3rd and Grand Avenue in Salem, the trail is an 8 foot wide asphalt path traveling north for 4,000 feet along the Old Burlington Northern Railroad bed. It ends at the old timber trestle over Spring Creek near the MFA Bulk Plant just off Hwy 19 on the north edge of Salem.” As described by Libby of the Bonebrake Conservation Nature Center: it is “a converted railroad bed about 3/4 mi. long. It starts at the edge of town and goes past some pasture and woods (and also the sewer treatment plant, but not stinky!). Very flat, essentially chip and seal finish. Very good for wheelchairs and walkers.”

Private

Bonebrake Center of Nature and History
The Bonebrake Center provides “paths through natural settings of prairies and forest plantings, and beside ponds and a spring, to provide a place for people of all ages to stroll, learn and observe plants, animals, and birds.” The paths are mown grass paths, some a little bumpy. The executive director describes the gradient as mild, “but the surface is not conducive to wheelchairs or walkers.” She enjoys walking there with a cane, going slowly to enjoy the aesthetics. Call 573-729-3400 for more information. Here is their website.
Camp Brim Shire
Camp Brim Shire near St. James, MO “…features a fully ADA accessible campus located conveniently off Interstate I-44 seven miles north of St. James, Missouri. Surrounded by oak and maple trees, campers enjoy scenic woodlands, a stocked lake, ponds and a nature trail. In addition, there is a special 1/3 mile paved trail for the blind, individuals confined to a wheel chair or seniors, offering them a safe trail experience.” Here is their website.
Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary
The Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty MO provides opportunities for quiet reflection and reconnection with the natural world in a diversity of native plants and animals. There are over 12 trails, some of which may be easy. Call to find out.
Here is their website. Phone 816-781-8598 Map Brochure
Rush Creek Disabled-Accessible Asphalt Trail 1 mile

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Miscellaneous

Interactive map with links to nature and environmental education centers in Missouri
Here is Wikipedia’s list of Nature Centers in Missouri.
Nature For The Blind has a directory of Braille trails for almost every state in the US and for many other countries.
Here is a list of the Parks of Greater Kansas City with brief descriptions and phone numbers.
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy lists wheelchair accessible trails in Missouri.