Return to Valley View Glades

Posted by Kara

A very good friend of mine who had moved to New York is back in town for a couple weeks, so I knew Allison and I had to go hiking as soon as she came! As we sat looking through my hiking book watching movies, we came across the Valley View Glades hike in Hillsboro, Missouri that I had done almost exactly one year ago. I remember being completely taken in by the landscape, so that was the trip we made.

Hillsboro is about an hour away from where I stay, but the drive is fairly painless-- I don't enjoy driving 270 much, but MO-21 is an easy, mostly empty route. There was quite a bit more vegetation this time despite the fact that it is September and last year I went on this hike in November. Most of the trees still had their green leaves, though a good deal of them were just starting to be touched by color. The grass over the glades was the same golden brown color that I remember from last time. We took the path counter-clockwise this time around. The hike is a wonderful mix of open areas of glade and deep forests. I'd say more of the hike is forest than the open glades, but it is nice to walk in and out of both throughout the 3 miles. The streams were dry for the most part this time, with the exception of a few pools here and there, but there were a ton of really fascinating mushrooms that we both had a great time taking pictures of to look up later. We saw a great deal of birds as well, and the trail was nearly completely empty the entire way. It was wonderful to revisit this trail, and I will surely to so again-- maybe in spring, when the wild flowers are blooming!