A Hike with Morris

Travis found a great hike for us during our spring break trip to Branson in March 2022. We were looking for an off road trail that was between 5 and 10 miles long. He looked online to see what all was around the area and picked this one for today. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/ruth-paul-henning-conservation-area There are may other activities available at the conservation area. Check it out.

It was a 3.6-mile drive from The Falls where we stayed while at Branson to the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area. We started at the lower portion of the trail and hiked to the lookout and back. The parking area was great and was located beside Roark Creek.  We only saw one other car in the lot. We were leaving as they arrived.

The trail is very well marked and easy to follow as you can see in the pictures. They even color coded for goofs like me. As we were changing shoes and getting ready to head out, we were greeted by a red German Shepard named Morris (he had tags). He was very friendly and belonged to a local resident. He was a fabulous hiking guide and companion. We were able to follow him the entire journey to the look out and back. He seemed to always know which direction to go and I’m sure he has walked with many other people over the years.

The terrain on the trail included man made steps, rocks, roots, gravel and just about everything else you can think of. I loved it. I thought it had just enough climb and elevation to be enjoyable but not too tough. We saw a few other people, but it never got crowded or congested. The temperature was around 53 degrees and sunny when we started.  It climbed to about 63 degrees by the time we were finished.

Our total mileage for the hike was 5.74 miles and it took us 2 hours and 39 minutes. Definitely a hike I would recommend to others. I am finding that there are soooo many trails and not enough time. Travis and I are so blessed to have the ability to go and do things we enjoy together.