County: Madison County, MissouriNearest City: FredericktownTrailhead: 37.553909, -90.437662Distance from downtown STL: 1 hour 29 minutes / 95 milesTrail Length: 1.5 milesTrail Format: Out and backLand Management: Millstream Gardens Conservation AreaCamping: No camping allowedShut-ins Location: 37.5642, -90.4522Watershed: St. Francis River Trail Maps:8.5 x 11 PDF8.5 x 11 JPGGPS Track: (How to use GPS on your phone)Mud … Continue reading Mud Creek Shut-in

Little Rock Creek Shut-in is a spectacular formation of lichen covered boulders, straight edge rhyolite chutes and turquoise plunge pools. At the southern base of Black Mountain, this shut-in's proximity to the road should be ignored. Its considerable beauty, coupled with the sounds of falling water drown out even the loudest passerby.

Rockpile Mountain is the smallest of Missouri’s eight designated wilderness areas. With only two miles of maintained trail, exploring its 4,238 acres is entirely cross-country. Old road traces are still easy enough to follow along most of the ridge lines, though none are marked. The cairn-like stacked rocks of its namesake tend to draw the attention of most visitors.