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Big Sugar Creek
Woodland and water wonders of Big Sugar Creek State Park near Pineville, Mo., are best explored by hiking the 3.1-mile Ozark Chinquapin Trail. The loop trail follows small bedrock creeks, hollows and ridges. The hike is easy to moderate. Big Sugar Creek State Park is undeveloped except for the trail, information kiosk, parking area and restroom. Hill ’N Dale Hikers visited the park on Wednesday, March 12, 2014. Staff photos by Flip Putthoff
HIKE BIG SUGAR
Big Sugar Creek State Park is located 5 miles west of Pineville, Mo., on Big Sugar Creek Road. The entrance and parking area are on the north side of the road.
The park is undeveloped, except for the Ozark Chinquapin Trail. It’s a 3.1-mile loop hike through the park. Features include streams, low bluffs, outcrops and glades.
For information about the Hill ‘N Dale Hikers, go to www.bvhikingclub.com.
PINEVILLE, Mo. — The drive to Big Sugar Creek State Park is as scenic as the hike along its streams and trails.
Clear and sparkling Big Sugar Creek is the attraction of the 5-mile drive from Pineville, Mo., to this undeveloped Missouri state park. It's easy to miss the park while gazing at the crags, curves and the stream itself on Big Sugar Creek Road, a main drag that heads east out of Pineville.
Big Sugar Creek State Park is small on amenities but, at 2,048 acres, is big in size. Only a sign, parking area and restroom building are seen on the north side of the paved county road. The lot is the trailhead for a 3.1-mile loop hike on the Ozark Chinquapin Trail.
There's no campground, no cabins or picnic areas. Hikers may find they have an entire state park to themselves. Our group from the Hill "N Dale Hikers were the only visitors on a cool Wednesday, March 12. That is, unless you count wildlife such as deer and wild turkeys hikers have a chance to see.
Adventure unfolded soon as our carpool headed east from downtown Pineville. We crossed a pretty little creek, then Big Sugar Creek Road led us to countryside wonders. Picturesque ranchettes and natural features compliment each other on the curvy drive.
The route teases travelers with occasional glimpses of Big Sugar Creek. The best spot for a break to look at the stream is midway through the drive. Here the lane runs close enough to the creek that one could jump into the water from the roadside
We'd seen bald eagles, a beautiful Ozark stream and we weren't even in the park yet. Getting there is a big chunk of the trip's fun.
Field To Forest
In the gravel lot, our group of 20 pulled day packs and hiking staffs out of the cars. An information kiosk and sign marked the start of the Ozark Chinquapin Trail that we'd come to explore. Trail maps are free for the taking at the kiosk.
Our first steps were through a meadow. Soon we vanished into the forest and hiked along a little bedrock creek we'd follow much of the way.
This little no-name creek is one of the countless "losing" steams found in the Ozarks. In these, water flows above ground, then disappears when the stream goes underground. The creek bed will be dry until the water resurfaces again downstream.
Much of the hike's first half heads gradually up a hollow with forest on each side. Hikers may notice that a lot of forest in Big Sugar Creek State Park is more open than a lot of Ozark woodlands. It's more savanna-like and resembles how much of the Ozarks looked at settlement time, historians say.
Another thing, the trail crosses the creek several times. Each crossing was easy on our hike in dry weather. The stream may flow higher after substantial rain.
At the half-way point, hikers reach a summit of sort before meandering left and downhill through another wooded hollow that cradles its own little stream.
There's gorgeous woods and more streams at every turn. The finale is a section of trail at the edge of a cliff above clear water. Step off the trail at the right spot and a spring can be seen spilling into the creek. In a whipstitch you're back at the parking area.
Group Effort
Our hike at Big Sugar Creek State Park showed the pluses of hiking with a group in unknown territory. Your faithful outdoors reporter didn't even know this park existed until I wandered it with the Hill 'N Dale Hikers. Trail boss Tanny Jones knew the route well. I was confident following her lead.
Hill 'N Dale Hikers welcome everyone on their hikes. Membership isn't required to join a hike. All they ask is that hikers make sure they're able to complete the hike before it starts.
Most of the hikes are 4 miles or less and take under three hours. A unique thing that sets this group apart? They all go to lunch together at a local restaurant after the trek.
This fun gaggle of hikers come "from all walks of life," said Walter Brach, not intending the pun. "It's one of the friendliest bunch of people you can be with."
His wife is Dora Brach, club president.
Group hikes are a good way to meet new hiking friends. "Every hike we take there's someone along who is new," said Porfirio Gutierrez, a long-time member.
Big Sugar Creek State Park is definitely one for a hiker's to-do list.
Outdoors on 03/27/2014