Springfield Conservation Nature Center — Attraction in Springfield

I am 29 years old, and have been coming here all of my life. My parents and grandparents brought me here as a toddler, and I would play among the exhibit area and then we would walk the trails. It is a bit nostalgic for me, because while the exhibit areas have been updated and modernized, they are still largely the same. The indoor space includes a small nature shop run by the Missouri Department of conservation. It also includes bathrooms, meeting spaces, and a large, physical map of the trails and land. The exhibit space has interactive exhibits geared more mostly towards kids, from toddlers to probably around 10 to 12 years old. One of my favorite features of the building is the bird viewing room, with this sofas and chairs and spaces to watch the birds outside the large windows. The trails here aren’t especially long, or extensive. They are not difficult, at most being hilly for a short time. The thing I like the most about the trails here is the diversity of ecosystems that they pass through. These include Woodland, rocky glade with springs, stream/lake, and prairie/grassland. The entire trail, at its longest, takes me around 45 minutes to an hour. There is also the option to take an extension trail that leads you to Sequiota Park. This place is a well-known spot, so don’t expect to come here and have the place to yourself. But for what it is, I love it, and it’s my...

They have a few trails to walk There's like a mile and a 1/2 walk and then there's 2 shorter walks Most of it is rockinger however The long mile and a 1/2 walk is up mountains and down mountains definitely wanna wear hiking boots oops but the trails do go past the along the Creek and pass the lake It did look swimming pool Of course we went during the Winter and we were gonna swim in either The only animals we've seen the day we went was like one squirrel in a couple birds A lot of people on the hike There's no bathrooms on the trails so you wanna make sure you use the bathroom before you walk down the trails on the troubles and it's free to go inside the building and the building and tour the different animals of Missouri inside...

It's a nice mix of different terrain. Compact gravel, dirt, muddy spots in wet weather, smooth and jagged rock, elevated platform walkways, small stream crossings with bridges are all there. It's well maintained. Nothing is too strenuous but there are hills if you chose to go down those trails. Almost always having tree cover, except for the winter months, it feels and looks great. Just don't expect great vistas

The only bad thing is the noise. It sits adjacent to and along highway 65 south of Springfield on the way to Ozark and Branson. The constant, loud drone of a major traffic way just can't be escaped anywhere here. I recommend some nice nature sounds in some earphones while you walk the trails. Just stay...