Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center — Attraction in Cape Girardeau

Nature Center is fantastic for families or if youre just looking to get out of the house and out of the crazy weather. Facility is 5 star clean from exhibits to bathrooms. Receptionists are friendly and very helpful. Plenty of nature / conservation resources including surrounding state parks and trails in the SEMO region. I literally was able to take a small bag of content home for further research and outdoor planning (biking and kayaking).

I did not reap the map prior to hitting the Nature Center trails and attempted to bike the Tulip Trail (orange) -- Bikes are not allowed. Even if they were Id recommended wearing a helmet and advise to go as slow as possible due to the steep hills.

Hiking the trails is great, even on a Heat Advisory day - 90+ degrees the trails provided so much shade that I was able to still enjoy the walk plus all the available benches helps too. The outside loops = 1 mile but with the hills it certainly feels longer than that. Go early in the mornings or on cooler weather days if heat and or hills are not your friend. Pack plenty of water and bring a friend or fur baby.

I did have a man stop and share a bench with me and luckily he was a gentleman and shared nearby trail info. But if your a solo female, be aware and be cautious cause the trail doesn't have high traffic....

The trail does connect to Cape LaCroix Recreational Trail and they do have a bike rack near the Nature trail access point.

Ridgetop Trail is paved with several...

They are getting trail medallions for hiking sticks soon (think early 2022) but we enjoyed a nice mild 1 mile hike. We stopped in at the main building, but our main goal were the trails behind it.

There are multiple short loop and out-and-back trails here included a "disability accessible" trail that is paved and wide enough to accommodate most anyone. The "outer loop" includes part of their most difficult trail that is only difficult due to the slopes that must be traversed. Beautiful in the fall. It's also covered in informational signs and markers. Perfect for younger kids.

For those nearby, it does connect with the Cape La Croix trail (paved from what I could see) on the back end of the Paw Paw...

We visited Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center on Saturday for their Fall Festival from 4-8pm. The event had a Trek N’ Treat Trail where visitors met creature characters (misunderstood animals who seem spooky but are not, such as skunks and black bears) on the trail. The event also featured crafts, games, s’mores and cider. This was a free event with no registration required. Children were encouraged to wear their costumes.

MDC staff and volunteers did an amazing job! This is just one of the many great programs provided by MDC for the southeast region. The nature center is a jewel itself and open Tuesday through Saturday from 8am-5pm. Thank you for all that you do for the...