Mastodon State Historic Site

Somehow against all odds we found ourselves home on a Saturday morning with no games to race off to.  Rather than complete some much-needed chores around the house, Ben, Daniel and I opted for a quick hike instead.  We decided to target another one of my 60 hikes before September, so we sought out the nearby Limestone Hill Trail and Spring Branch loup at Mastodon State Historic Site near Imperial.  We parked at the trailhead off Seckman Road, and headed immediately uphill taking on the Limestone Hill Trail counter-clockwise.  The early portions of trail are scenic, with limestone bluffs and a cedar grove along side the trail.  The drawback is that the hillside overlooks the busy and noisy Seckman Rd.

Ben and Daniel leading the way.

Someone’s last pack of cigarettes on Limestone Hill Trail

 

The Trail climbs gradually, offering distant views of the area this time of year.  After passing through a power line cut out, the grade seems to increase and it becomes a bit of a workout.  At the top of the hill there is a bench over-looking the valley, and you really can see quite a way in the distance.  We found nearly a full pack of cigarettes on the bench, and I like to think that someone before us found the hill a struggle and became fed up with being out of breath, and left the smokes there as the first step towards quitting.  At least I hope so.

 

The trail is all earthen, which in Jefferson County means rocky, and is easy to follow.  It is supposedly blazed in green, but we did not see many markers along the way.  On our descent back down the hill, we found another nice bench dedicated to the memory of Darlene Mueller, with the quotation “Hiking is Life.”  I didn’t know Darlene, but she sounds like someone who could have been a friend of mine.  The boys had to try out her bench.

Daniel and Ben on Darlene Mueller’s Bench

 

From there the hike is easy, and scenic as it coasts through another grove of cedars full of winter interest and along more large limestone cliffs.  It crosses back over Seckman Rd, and we finished the trail with the short, flat Spring Branch loop.  This trail is crushed limestone and meanders along the Spring Branch before butting up against beautiful Rock Creek for a bit.  In the summer this is a great, clear, rocky creek to wade around in to cool off.  Today the edges were lined in ice, but still a pretty view.

 

 

All in all, the 2.75 mile hike on this brisk morning was worth it.  While the convenient location allowed for quick access to a pretty area, the traffic noise from Seckman and from I-55 never completely went away.  I still would recommend for a short winter hike for anyone passing through, and the Spring Branch portion would be a great lunch hour hike. The hike was a perfect length for Daniel, and the creek at the end gave him a target for throwing a few sticks so it maintained his attention.

 

We didn’t have time on this day to explore the museum, but it has some fantastic interpretive displays about the area as it appeared in pre-historic times as well as displays featuring the Mastodon.  There are plenty of picnic tables and a nearby playground as well. For more information go to:

https://mostateparks.com/park/mastodon-state-historic-site

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Birds seen today were again the typical winter birds to include:  Cardinal, American Crow, Robin, Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-rumpled Warbler, Canada Goose, Winter Wren, and Downy Woodpecker.