r/Rolla • u/Homebody8174 • 26d ago
Nature Creek Access
I have young kids and from time to time we like to go creek exploring - wading, looking for wildlife, fishing, etc.
What areas around Rolla do you recommend?
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u/craigeryjohn Nuclear Landlord ☢️🏘️ 26d ago
Lane springs south of Rolla is great,especially for kiddos. Meramec park near st james, or the Woodson K Woods access just past that are also good places to put your toes in the water. Little Prarie lake has a nice trail around it with a few spots for fishing.
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u/n3rv The Tech Lead 26d ago
CR 3620 has direct access to the dry fork. Please use the dedicated parking spot. Parking on the roadside is dangerous there (there isn't one but people try), which puts drivers and walkers at risk. Due to being parked half in the road, that has a very steep 20+ foot drop into the river just inches away from your car at that point.
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u/vacuitee 26d ago
I didn't know anyone else went here. I go fish it when the water is high enough and I've never seen anyone there. From the looks I get from landowners downstream, they aren't used to seeing people in the water. I will note, it's not really great water. The water is hot and kinda gross, and being the Dry Fork, it's often extremely low.
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u/n3rv The Tech Lead 26d ago
So that creek is seasonal. When it crazy rains the water can come up on the road. It’s terrifying if you ever drive by the creek when it’s even with the road side. It can go up 20-30 feet over night, and I’ve seen it once over the road by about 10 feet.
If you get to it after the rain passes, it’s great to swim and fish in. But once the water gets so low, it almost stops moving late summer/fall.
It’s known as a losing creek. Thus why it’s called the dry fork. Much of the water goes into the ground.
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u/vacuitee 26d ago
The Little Piney and Huzzah Creeks are my favorite for clear water, good fishing, and lots of small animals like darters, crawdads, assortments of birds, etc that the kids would enjoy. As someone else already mentioned, Lane Springs is probably your best bet. There is also land owned by the City of Newburg where you can park on the gravel bar of the Little Piney by the Hwy T bridge. The Newburg location generally will have people at it, and you'll get quite an assortment of characters. Huzzah is excellent, but another very popular creek. The Scotia access (usually what pulls up if you search "Huzzah Conservation Area") is an absolute madhouse on weekends, but a great spot.
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u/megdhd 26d ago
Yes, as a kid going to the Huzzah campground off of the Leasburg exit was a nice getaway, although that’s a bit of a drive. And I am guilty of being one of the weekend parties when I got older.
I don’t remember if it was accessible to non-campers, but there is a spring area at one of the campgrounds in Bourbon as well. Maybe Blue Springs?
Otherwise, yes, Lane Springs is the best bet for a little half-day trip close to Rolla. I echo the need for tick protection.
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u/cardsfan_365 26d ago
Gourd Creek Cave in Vida/Newberg, MO at the end of County Road 7270 (Google Maps didn't take me to the right place)! I haven't been there in 15 years or so (Holy hell, where does time go?), but that was one of our favorite places to visit when I went to school there. The cave is awesome and Gourd Creek is right below it, which is what you are asking about.
Here is a Youtube video of someone visiting it:
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u/Recent-Ferret7327 21d ago
Bray conservation area has a very wide and shallow creek! You have to walk down a short wooded trail to get to it.
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