Swan Creek is a 9,366-acre section of Mark Twain National Forest in Christian County that has been proposed for wilderness designation. It’s a gem, and as a club, we may want to consider “adopting” it and advocating for its protection. This is your chance to experience it up close in a day trip June 22 that includes playing in the creek and hiking.
We’ll meet at the northwest corner of the Ozark Wal-Mart Supercenter at 8:30 a.m., departing at 8:45, and will carpool for the drive to Swan Creek, about 30 minutes away. Please call Jennifer Ailor at 581-4018 no later than Friday noon if you plan to join us. If you prefer to meet us at Swan Creek, follow Highway 14 east to Highway 125. Go south on 125 to the Bar-K sign at T and follow the signs to the camp on the creek where you’ll park.
There will likely be horses, so we can enjoy the low falls in the creek there, then cross over and bear to the left to another bend in the creek where there are several deep holes for swimming and snorkeling. If you can’t swim, stay out of the water, as there are no lifeguards on duty in the wilderness!
From the swimming holes, there are 20 miles of trails to explore – not that we’ll be so ambitious. For those that want to hike, we can head east along Forest Service trails as far east as the Tin Top camp off of Highway UU.
If you’d like to participate, here’s what to do: · Call Jennifer Ailor, outings leader, at 581-4018 to sign up no later than Friday noon, June 19. · Be prepared to sign an outings liability waiver and pay $1 to Sierra Club. · Pack a lunch, water, sunscreen, a hat, boots, and swimming/snorkeling gear for the outing. For more information about Swan Creek, go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/recreation/sites/swan_creek/