Main Menu

Park Trails

at St. Francois State Park

Missouri Trail

  • Hiking

Length: .40 Mile View map

This short hiking trail skirts the outer edge of the campground and passes through a wide range of vegetative associations. Throughout the year, you can view an array of colorful wildflowers and walk among enormous ancient sycamore trees near Big River.

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
.40 Mile 20 minutes, one way Linear Orange  

Mooner's Hollow Trail

  • Hiking

Length: 2.75 Miles View map

This trail follows the narrow; steep valley of Coonville Creek and its many rugged tributaries in Coonville Creek Natural Area. It is so named because of the past activity of moonshiners in the area. The “bootleggers” found Coonville Creek’s cold, clear springs and deep isolated valleys to be the perfect location for their stills. You will encounter a moderately-difficult trail with a few steep hills and a couple of water crossings.  Probably St. Francois’s most scenic trail, Mooner’s Hollow Trail includes dolomite glades, hilltop vistas and a cascading waterfall. 

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
2.75 Miles 2 hours Loop Blue

Picnic area

Pike Run Trail

  • Backpacking
  • Hiking
  • Horseback Riding

Length: 10.25 Miles View map

This trail traverses much of the undeveloped 2,256-acre Coonville Creek Wild Area.  It includes a southern loop and a northern loop, which are connected by white connector 1, which is marked with white blazes. In addition, there is a .60-mile backpack camp spur located on the south loop. This moderately difficult trail contains water crossings and steep inclines in some places. This trail illustrates the type of wild, undeveloped landscape that characterizes wild areas in state parks.

Southern Loop
Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
6.25 Miles   Loop Yellow  
Northern Loop
Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
4 Miles   Loop Yellow  

Swimming Deer Trail

  • Hiking

Length: 2.5 Miles View map

This trail follows Big River for approximately one mile before circling back along the hillside to its origin. You will be treated to beautiful bluff overlooks along Big River for much of the walk. Also along the trail, you will notice the scars left on the land from a time when settlers dug shallow surface mines by hand in search of lead deposits. A historic log sawmill beckons to a time when this area was so heavily logged, hardly any trees were left standing. Swimming Deer Trail is moderate in difficulty and includes a steep rock climb, bridge crossings and inclines.

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
2.5 Miles 1 hour, 50 minutes Loop Green

East end of the campground