People gathering for 2014 First Day Hikes at Devil’s Icebox parking lot, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.
Join and/or start a new tradition to bring in the New Year! First Day Hikes are being conducted at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park on New Year’s Day. These hikes are held in conjunction with the nationwide First Day Hike event sponsored by America’s State Parks.
Five hikes for various interests and of varying difficulty are scheduled, with one in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. Specific times and descriptions are listed below with each hike. All hikes meet at the Devil’s Icebox parking lot. If you are interested, see our review of the 2014 First Day Hike event.
The weather should be cold, with plenty of sunshine. For the first hike, around 9 am, the temperature forecast is for 22 degrees (real feel 11 degrees) and mostly sunny. For the afternoon hikes, the temperature should be in the low 30s (real feel low 20s) and partly sunny. Dress warmly! For planning purposes and based on our experience last year, young kids can go on these hikes, but the temperature and hike length often makes it difficult for young kids to manage—be prepared to carry them or give them extra warmth!
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park (RBMSP)
5901 Highway 163, Columbia MO
573-449-7400 / 573-449-7402
First Day Hike 1
Hike time: 9 a.m. – Noon
This 3-mile hike will primarily be to look for birds, so there will be plenty of stops. You do not need to have birding experience. We will be looking for birds in wooded and prairie habitat. The end time is an approximation based on what birds are seen and the weather. The hike could end earlier. It won’t end later than noon. Because the section of Spring Brook Trail we’ll be using is an old road, which has several washouts, sturdy shoes or boots are highly recommended.
Natural prairie grassland on Karst Trail at 2014 First Day Hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.
First Day Hike 2
Hike time: 1 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Feel the freedom of walking a high ridge of open prairie with long vistas of the surrounding woodlands on this 1.75-mile hike on High Ridge Trail. Also, get a close-up view of Clear Creek and the woodlands along it. Learn about the various strategies wildlife use to survive the winter.
First Day Hike 3
Hike time: 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
This will be a vigorous 2.5-mile hike through prairie, hilly woodlands and along a long bluff line and will include a stop at the ruins of Saunder’s Cabin (chimney still standing) and at Coyote Bluff for a great view above Gans Creek. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring along water and a snack.
First Day Hike 4
Hike time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Enter the Rock Bridge Tunnel and walk across the top of the Rock Bridge. Learn about the history of the 19th century town of Rockbridge Mills that included a grist mill and whiskey distillery. Your guide will point out signs of history along the 1.5-mile Sinkhole Trail that have been obscured over time including “The Big House on the Hill.” See historic photos. Enjoy the woodlands.
First Day Hike 5
Hike time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Traverse the hilly terrain and woodlands for great views from bluffs of Gans Creek and of a shelter cave midway up in a bluff. Learn the variety of strategies wildlife use to survive the winter. See the famous wagon wheel with a tree growing through it and hear excerpts from a 1891diary of a man who lived in a log cabin nearby. This hike is three miles.
