Mina Sauk Falls

Apparently I was a bit grumpy earlier this week. Grumpy enough that Debbie would suggest that I leave her alone with the crazy Saturday schedule that comes with raising four kids and working full time to get some outside time. “Maybe you can take a hike this weekend,” she volunteered/ordered. I can take a hint, at least sometimes, and especially when it means that I get to go outdoors for a bit. But where to go?

The Mina Sauk Falls trail at Taum Sauk Mountain State Park seemed to be the perfect choice. It is a rugged trail, close enough for an easy drive, and full of scenery. Plus the trail is only 3 miles long and provides a huge return for just a few hours time. While I briefly considered a longer hike, I wisely settled on this shorter hike as a way to get my trail legs back in gear.

The Basics

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is located near Ironton, MO and is part of the St. Francois Mountains. The Mina Sauk Falls trail is a 3-mile loop that leads to the falls which are really only exceptional during wet weather conditions. There are pit toilets at the well-maintained trailhead, and the trail is well-marked with signage and red blazes. The trail runs by the mark for the highest elevation in the state of Missouri, 1772’. The trail also joins up with the Ozark Trail for approximately half of the loop.

The Scenery

The Mina Sauk Falls trail provides so many scenic vistas and photographic opportunities that I was worried my camera batteries would run out before reaching the falls. The trail winds through a beautiful mixed forest containing hickories, many species of oaks, sugar maples, Blackgum, and short-leaf pine. Then glades full of wildflowers open up the forest for a change of scenery and a chance to view the distant wooded hillsides of the Ozark mountains. The last half of the trail, from the falls back to the trailhead, essentially runs within earshot of a creek but it is only visible in a few places.

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A Perfect Day

Debbie picked the perfect day to kick me outside. The temperatures were in the upper sixties, with persistent cloud cover and a light breeze. Insect pests were non-existent and hardly anyone else had the same idea I did as I ran into few hikers on the trail. I had no clock to race so I took my time, rambling on Mina Sauk Falls trail counter-clockwise after viewing the elevation marker near the trailhead.

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There is great peace in roaming with no regard for pace or worry about fellow hikers/companions. I wandered through glades, carefully stepping from stone to stone and admiring the open views. Occasionally I would pick up the pace through the wooded stretches, enjoying the loss of breath that comes with a reduced level of fitness. Eventually I settled atop the falls for lunch listening to the water run over the rocks before crashing below. Even the reduced flow of water made beautiful music that can only come with a waterfall.

Only after lingering well past lunch did I finally start my way back up the hill. The area directly above the falls offers some fantastic views as you look back down the hill. You will be rewarded by a look back towards the falls. As the trail entered the trees again, I picked up my pace and tried to work on getting something of an aerobic workout in. This portion of the trail is highlighted by two marker trees. I don’t know the specific history of either of these oaks, but often they are considered Native American marker trees indicating direction or boundaries. As I made it to the trailhead, I felt invigorated rather than exhausted even if my legs were a bit weary from the rocky uphill climb.

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The Gift

Certainly I am not alone in finding strength and perspective from a day outdoors in general or from Mina Sauk Falls specifically. The fact that this area is preserved and maintained for public use is a gift to us all. All of those before us who have fought to save our forests and wild areas and to share them with future generations deserve our thanks. And Debbie deserves my thanks. She knows that by losing me for the day it is likely that I will return from the woods with a new and better attitude and disposition. So in that way, Mina Sauk Falls was a gift to me as well as those that have to deal with me this week. As usual, my wife was right.

For more information on this beautiful wild area in the Ozark, click here:

https://mostateparks.com/park/taum-sauk-mountain-state-park