In August 2021, Poplar Bluff Trails Coalition (PBTC) finalized a volunteer agreement with Missouri State Parks to tackle trail maintenance at Lake Wappapello State Park and Morris State Park. With limited staffing, both state parks have a need for a partner organization to conduct routine trail maintenance such as logging out down trees, brushing back trail corridor, installing reassurance markers, maintaining adequate water drainage, among other duties.
Volunteers from PBTC were motivated to answer the call and support Missouri State Parks staff to provide high quality trail experiences at both parks. Great hiking trails at Lake Wappapello State Park include the Allison Cemetery Trail, Lakeview Trail and Asher Creek Trail. The Lake Wappapello Trail provides a 14-mile rugged backcountry loop trail, best suited for equestrian use.
Lake Wappapello State Park is the ideal vacation spot for a day or a week. The park offers a modern campground and cabins plus rustic camper cabins. Miles of trail for hikers, backpackers and horseback riders offer great scenery and picturesque views. With easy access to Lake Wappapello, the park offers opportunities for boaters, including canoers and kayakers, and anglers searching for crappie, catfish and bass.
Morris State Park in Dunklin County is a smaller state park where trail users can explore a geologic oddity – Crowley’s Ridge. The ridge rises 200 feet above the Mississippi River’s flood plain and consists of a strip of low hills ranging from a half-mile to 5 or more miles wide. The park, which was donated to the state by Jim D. Morris, consists of unusual soil types and rare plant species. A 2.25-mile loop trail extends through a portion of the ridge and allows visitors to see just how powerful erosion can be.
Established in January 2021, the Poplar Bluff Trails Coalition (PBTC) is an all-volunteer, grassroots nonprofit organization whose mission is to plan, promote, build and maintain trails in the greater Poplar Bluff, Missouri region. We serve Butler, Carter and Wayne Counties in the State of Missouri. To achieve our mission, we partner with a variety of public, private and non-profit landowners to plan, construct and improve trail networks for mountain biking, hiking, trail running and equestrian use.
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