Before agriculture became King of the Missouri Bootheel, it was a tangled world of cypress trees and wetlands. Today, only fragments of that wild past remain.
Hey local day trippers! This week's destination is Otter Slough Conservation Area, one of Missouri's last cypress-tupelo swamps, about 13 miles southwest of Dexter.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, duck counts here have topped 60,000, which explains why it's famous among duck hunters. But in spring and summer, hunting pauses, Elmer Fudd hangs up his shotgun, and the rest of us can mosey on in.
Here's our tested day-trip itinerary to Otter Slough Conservation Area:
First, stop near the MDC office for wildlife viewing and photography. There's a shaded dock overlooking the swamp, and within minutes we spotted frogs, water snakes, and a red-eared slider turtle laying her eggs.
Next, tackle the mile-long boardwalk trail. This isn't a polished boardwalk, parts are gravel and rough, but the wildlife payoff is top notch. We saw ducks, deer, turtles, frogs, birds, and about 5,638 water snakes....it was actually seven, but 7 felt like a lot in only a mile.
After the trail, picnic at Cypress Lake and bring a fishing pole. Many families were fishing from the bank with plenty of room to spread out. Finish the day birdwatching by cruising the gravel service roads which also make for great gravel biking routes. And that's it for our itinerary, but this area also offers primitive camping, kayaking, and just general whimsy. Don't forget your bugspray and sunblock.
For more information:
Otter Slough Conservation Area | Missouri Department of Conservation
Into the Wild: Cypress Swamp | Missouri Department of Conservation
