I have lived in West Central Missouri for over twenty years, and just recently I have come to the realization that there are so many places close by…….That I have Never Been to. I am making an effort to catch up for lost time! One of Those Places is Van Meter State Park Located near Miami, Missouri.
So Wednesday October 17th, 2012 with boots and backpack loaded up, I made the short 30 minute drive to see what the hiking trails were like
Loess Trail around Lake Wooldridge
There are 7 short trails located within the Park. The Loess Trail which treks around the 18 acre Lake Wooldridge was My choice for the day. The information I came across said the trail was two miles. With the GPS on, it looks to me to be closer to 2 1/2. The day was cool, the woods were wet from a recent shower and about a half mile into the timber I had to pull out the rain gear. The rain did not ‘dampen’ this first time experience! I think it even enhanced it. Leaves were slowly falling from the weight of the raindrops and light breeze. The yellows & oranges of the turning leaves took on a different hew with the gray sky.
Lake Wooldridge
After wrapping up the trek around the lake, took a little break for a snack. It looked like the rain was not going to let up for a while, so I decided not to do another mile ‘plus’ trail, so I crossed the small parking lot and hit the Missouri River Overlook Trail. It is very short but leads to a great view of the river and farmlands in the river bottoms. The view will probably be even better in the upcoming weeks when more of the leaves exit!
I hope that I can get back in the next couple of weeks to enjoy more of this park ‘trail wise’. Until then, if you would like to find out more about the trails at Van Meter Click HERE
