Hiking Mudlick Mountain at Sam A. Baker | Hiking Missouri
Hiking Mudlick Mountain at Sam A. Baker State Park | Hiking Missouri
This week I head to Sam A. Baker State Park in Missouri to hike the Shut-Ins Trail to the top of Mudlick Mountain (1,313 feet). It’s the end of October and the Missouri fall colors were in full effect on this midwest hiking trail. Along the trail there is one beautiful Missouri bluff view, three historic stone camping shelters, and an active fire tower atop Mudlick Mountain. The hike was going beautifully until I got caught in the rain and actually had to use the hiking shelters.
Shut-Ins Trail to Mudlick Mountain
Type: Lolli-Pop Loop | Rate: Moderate | Traffic: Moderate | Distance: 5.1mi | Elevation Gain: 948ft
The three stone hiking shelters along the Mudlick Hike Only Trail are the highlights of this hike.
View this map in AllTrails.
Sam A. Baker State Park
Two hours south of St. Louis in Wayne County, Missouri you’ll find Sam A. Baker State Park, one of Missouri’s oldest state parks. This 5,323 acre park was established in 1926 when then Missouri Governor Samual A. Baker encouraged the creation of the park in his birth county. Nestled between the St. Francis River and Big Creek in the St. Francois Mountains, Sam A. Baker State Park offers visitors fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking, cycling, and equestrian activities within one of Missouri’s most undisturbed wildernesses, the Mudlick Mountain Natural Area.
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Shut-Ins Trail to Mudlick Mountain Fire Tower
This 5 mile inverted lolli-pop loop trail takes hikers from the historic Park Store and Mudlick Dining Lodge to the top of Mudlick Mountain (1,313 feet) via the Shut-Ins Trail and both Mudlick Mountain Hiking and Equestrian trails. During the hike you’ll pass by 3 stone shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, be treated to an unobstructed bluff view of the Big Creek and the shut-ins below, and gaze up at the active fire tower atop Mudlick Mountain.
Mudlick Mountain Fire Tower
When I was at the peak of Mudlick Mountain standing under the Mudlick Mountain Fire Tower I was lucky to have a Missouri Department of Conservation ranger drive up. He was there to get some quick cell reception, which isn’t available in the park below. He told me that while the Mudlick Mountain Fire Tower is still active, it hasn’t been manned daily in 7-10 years. In the 1970s and 1980s though the tower was actively used alongside the Taum Sauk Fire Tower (which is climbable) and the Vulcan Fire Tower to triangulate the location of wildfires.
Ope Outdoors Sam A. Baker T-Shirt
I was excited to wear my Sam A. Baker State Park t-shirt from Ope Outdoors on this hike. Ope Outdoors is a Midwest Outdoors company. The brand is a celebration of all the quirky things that make the Midwest unique as well as a source of inspiration for others get outside. Check out their collection of apparel featuring various Missouri State Parks.
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Hiking Gear List
Jacket - Patagonia Nano Puff Hoodie
Shirt - Ope Outdoors Sam A. Baker
Pants - KUHL Renegade Rock Pants
Underwear - REI Co-op Everyday Boxer Briefs
Shoes - The North Face VECTIV Fastpack FUTURELIGHT Hiking Shoes
Pack - REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack
Water Bottle - REI Co-op Nalgene 1L
Camera Gear List
Camera - iPhone 14 Pro
Drone - DJI Mini 2
SD Card - ScanDisk Extreme Pro 128 GB 200 MB/s
Follow me on Instagram @mshepjordan9 for more photos from this hike!
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