little lost creek trail and conservation area
I have written several blog posts on this area as it is kind of my "go to" area that is close by, but far enough that I feel like I "went somewhere."
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Little Lost Creek IS NOT the same as the Lost Creek Trail in St. Charles County - which undoubtedly I will at some point write up in this section.
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Little Lost Creek is in central to western Warren County, south and west of Warrenton. It is a conservation area that is a multi-use area, which should be factored in to when you might access the area. Specifically, we would suggest finding alternate plans during the November firearms deer season.
If you are after a spot where you can usually have quite a bit of real estate to yourself, and at the same time get in some pretty solid workout time on hills...about as good as it gets in Mid and Eastern MO, this might be it for you. As a bonus, keep your eyes open for a ton of wildlife including deer, coyotes, turkey, and more.
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In fact, in the category of more, I have noticed that on the MDC website where you can see where black bears have been sighted, this area has likely had some visits. When you go, you will agree that it is plenty wild enough to allow for bears to have some room to roam. I keep my eyes open in the hopes of one day spotting one. You can learn more about black bears in MO on the interactive website HERE.
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So, how about the hiking? Ok, let's start with the trailheads.
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All three access the entire trail network. Two are found on Warren County Highway B and the other on EE. The trailheads off of B are fairly close together, one just a bit further north than the other. For a reason I am unsure of, I tend to always end up entering the trails at the further south B trailhead. See the map below to make sense of this.
The area is a wide mix of fields, steep Missouri River Hills, and bottomland areas around the creek beds.
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It is beautiful during any of the seasons. Wildflowers are outstanding in season, Fall colors are stunning, and Winter brings its own delights with frozen water seepages from limestone rock embankments and valley vistas that open up with the foliage fallen to the ground.
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For a list of trails and a map, along with other area information, access the MDC brochure HERE.