Today I thought I’d take you through a great teensy sized hike or walk, that has the perfect location for people passing through the Southern Missouri area via I-44 or even traversing the iconic Route 66. Located just off of exit 127, in Lebanon, MO, this conservation area is a good place to stop, stretch your legs, let the dogs out, and shake some of that extended travel off.

The signs have it marked as the Coleman Memorial Conservation Area, and if you follow the outer edges of the three loops it clocks in at somewhere near 2 miles, which for us at least, is the perfect distance for getting some travel kinks out. The entire path is graveled, relatively level, and as near as I can tell great for any walking and hiking levels. If I remember correctly, the area was donated by a long-time area school teacher who wanted it preserved for the kids at local schools to be able to discover her love for nature and the topography in southern missouri. I’ve included a link below to the map from the Missouri Department of Conservation, should you have an interest in the topography.

It’s a gem of a discovery, because although you have to navigate a few roundabouts that could use a slightly better marking system, it is just off the highway, and is also just a stones throw from the truckstop and various eating establishments. Should you also need provisions on your travels, the local grocery stores are just one exit away, and all the amenities you could typically find in a town of 15,000 people are within a few miles. Although this small conservation area is in fact next door to a Harley Davidson dealership and backs up to a housing area, it has always been quiet and we have never seen more than one other car here, even during peak times such as today, where we are visiting when people are getting off of work and trying to squeeze some outdoors in. One thing I will also mention is that the parking lot is virtually non-existent, so if you have a trailer, or anything bigger than a van, you might want to only visit during normal business hours so that you can park in the Harley dealership next door where you have more room. Plus, you could probably pop in and purchase a cool sticker or two to beef up your rig’s…ummm…we’ll go with “cool factor”. Additionally, there are no facilities. Not even a pit toilet. So you probably want to make a stopover at that truckstop I mentioned earlier should you need to make use of the restrooms.

If you happen to be traveling through, or are journeying down either I-44 or Route 66, this is the perfect place to stop and have a jaunt. Where will your adventures take you this week?

DAA - Coleman Memorial Conservation Area - Quick Hike #1