Cuirve River State Park: Turkey Hollow Hike

Turkey Hollow Trail offers a brief hike through fields and woods alongside a small brook at Cuirve River State Park.

I hiked 0.8 miles with an elevation gain of 95 feet.

Start of the Hike

This is the only trailhead on the left side of Lincoln Hills Road before reaching the stop sign at Camp Cuivre Drive.

The trail begins with a descent through trees and brush.

Next, I came to the start of the look, and I went to the right.

*Looking into the woods at a rocky hollow.*

The trail follows a ridge through open woods, and looking down to the right, I noticed a rocky ravine.

*The main blog photo shows the bridge. This is the pool below.*

Coming to a Bridge

Then, I came to a wooden bridge. Beneath the bridge, a brook flowed through a rocky landscape, forming small pools.

Hill Area

As I rounded a hill, I saw distant views of other hills.

*Hearing water trickle down a nearby small stream.*

Down a ravine, I noticed water trickling into another brook.

The woods were littered with fallen trees; I wondered if there had been a strong windstorm in the area.

Then, the trail curved to the left, entering a grove of evergreens.

Next, I returned to the beginning of the loop and headed up to the trailhead.

Final Thoughts

This hike can be an add-on to the nearby 1.5-mile Frenchman’s Bluff Trail. It allowed me to take a short jaunt in another area of the park.

Also, Turkey Hollow Trail’s name comes from wild turkeys that frequent this area but were not out that today.

More Trails

Big Sugar Creek Trail – 3.7 miles – Difficult
Blazing Star Trail– 1.5 miles – Intermediate
Cuivre River North Loop – 3.7 miles- Intermediate
Cuivre River Trail South Loop – 7.5 miles – Difficult
Lakeside Trail– 3.5 miles- intermediate
Lone Spring Trail – 5.1 miles- Intermediate
Old Schoolhouse Trail – 3.3 miles- Intermediate
Prairie Trail – 0.3 miles- Easy

For additional information on trailheads and current trail conditions, please refer to the brochure and website for Cuivre River State Park.

DETAILS

More Activities: This large park also offers camping, swimming, fishing, boating, and horseback riding.

Trailhead Drive: Take either Interstate 64 or Interstate 70 to U.S. Highway 61 and go north on it. Then exit onto Missouri Highway 47 and go east then make a left onto Missouri Highway 147 then make a right onto Lincoln Hills Road and look for trailhead parking on the left before the stop sign at Camp Cuivre Drive.

Hours: 6 am – Sunset, daily, Year-Round — Camping is available

Address: Trailhead not listed on GoogleMaps. Use Park Map or go to the park’s website or use these coordinates — 39.015034, -90.922750

Earlier Experience: Hiking Gone Wrong at Cuivre River State Park

My first thought on doing Lone Spring Trail at Cuivre State Park should be renamed “Lost Springs Trail” since I spent some of the time not finding the trail. This was an adventurous hike with a lot of lessons learned.