“Oh, Wow”, I exclaimed as we rounded a bend and were presented with a fantastic view of a glistening, rocky cliff face towering over a small pool of water formed from Pickle Creek.  Rows of icicles, formed from recent rain and groundwater runoff, adorned the cliffs and lit up the small alcove.  This was the pinnacle of the scenic loop at the farthest point of the Whispering Pines Trail in Missouri’s Hawn State Park.

It was a crisp, early December morning when my friend Tucker and I decided to tackle the Whispering Pines Trail.  This trail has a double loop design with the farther southern loop connecting to the northern loop around its midpoint.  The Park trail map has the full trail at a 9.75 mile length with a ‘Rugged’ classification, with the North Loop at 6 miles and South Loop at 3.75 miles.

According to the Missouri State Park website, the core area of Hawn State Park was donated by Helen Coffer Hawn in 1952.  She had acquired several small tracks of land from her income as a public school teacher in Ste. Genevieve County. At the time of her death she bequeathed 1,500 of the now 5,000 acres that make up the park.  She dreamed of creating a “little park” for others to enjoy the beauty of the sandstone bluffs, shortleaf pine woods and granite shut-ins along sparkling streams.  Her donation provided the impetus to protect the land and it now provides some of the most scenic landscapes in Missouri.

The Whispering Pine Trail was constructed in 1976 and 1977 with the help of the Ozark Chapter of the Sierra Club. This effort has resulted in what is generally considered to be one of the best hiking and backpacking trails in the state.

This trail meanders through a beautiful mix of hardwood and pine forest.  Extensive exposures of sandstone and granite can be explored along the banks of Pickle Creek and the River Aux Vases. Mosses and ferns create a luxurious effect on the moist overhangs that occur along the two streams.

Our trip that chilly December day consisted of a counter-clockwise trek around both loops.  Throughout the hike we encountered several creek crossings, wonderful scenic overlooks, and excellent rocky outcroppings.  Some of the scattered, huge boulders had been sended recently by local climbers as noted by the residual chalk tracks.  I did a little scrambling on some of the other, less difficult rock formations, squeezing myself at one point between a tree and rock face to work myself up.

Along the trail we passed three separate backpack camps.  Each would be suitable for several campers and all were fairly close to water sources.  Throughout the hike, the trail takes specific routes to the peaks of many of the hills in the park, and each one provides a spectacular view for the surrounding countryside.

Ultimately we traveled a little over 11.5 miles (aside from what the trail map states) and the elevation gain/loss was nearly 1700 ft.  The terrain switched between pleasant strolls through pine forests and rocky scrambles over creeks and along short ridgelines.  The icicle formations over the small waterfalls throughout the park were stunning and added great scenes to the rocky outcroppings.

This is a great Missouri trail and state park, will definitely be returning!

Photos in gallery courtesy of Matt Tucker www.OzarkChronicles.com

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