Grassland Trail at Rock Bridge State Park

2:30 to 4:30 PM

Contact: Ben West; benjwest@gmail.com

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a joint event with Missouri State Parks. Please pre-register with them at this link, as space will be limited.

Join us on New Year’s Day to hike and look for birds along Grassland Trail. This area provides views of a restored prairie, open sky and sinkholes. We will hike for 2 miles and look in the mixed grassland, shrub, and forest-edge habitats for sparrows, raptors, and any other fauna or flora of interest. This will be a fairly easy hike with a leisurely pace along relatively flat terrain.

Around dusk, we will return to the parking lot for an optional extra half hour of watching and listening for a last pulse of daytime bird activity, as well as possible evening birds like owls. This is also a good opportunity to watch the sun go down on the first day of the new year.

We will meet at the Grassland Trail trailhead at 2:30 p.m. Parking is available at the trailhead and along Rock Bridge Lane, a wide gravel road that leads to the trailhead parking lot. Restrooms are not available in this area.

Per Missouri State Parks: This event is for ages 8 and up. We prefer that dogs do not join us. Participants should bring water, dress for the weather, and wear shoes that are suitable for muddy or snowy conditions.

For more information on this hike and other First Day Hikes at Rock Bridge State Park, see the Missouri State Parks website. All Missouri State Park First Day Hikes (including this one!) require free pre-registration and have limited space; see the links in this posting for more details.