Hiking Millstream Gardens to Silver Mines Recreation Area
Millstream Gardens to Silver Mines Recreation Area
Probably one of the most visually stunning continuous sections of trail in Missouri, the hike from Millstream Gardens to Silver Mines Recreation Area offers breathtaking views of Tiemann Shut-Ins along the St. Francis River and the beautiful granite and felsite rock formations of Silver Mines. This 6.9 mile out-and-back trail combination starts in the Millstream Gardens Conservation Area and follows the northern bank of the St. Francis River southwest to the remnants of Silver Mines Dam and abandoned Einstein Mine. A gorgeous trail enjoyed any time of year.
Millstream Gardens to Silver Mines
Type: Out-and-Back | Rate: Moderate | Traffic: Moderate | Distance: 6.9mi | Elevation Gain: 846ft
A strong contender for one of my Top 5 Missouri Hiking Trails.
View the full route on AllTrails.
Why start at Millstream Gardens?
I started this trail at Millstream Gardens. If you use AllTrails, it will start you at Silver Mines. I chose to start at Millstream Gardens mainly because it made more sense to me to choose that as the starting point of this out-and-back hike, and opposed to the loop section. A nice little bonus is that it’s free to park at Millstream Gardens where as Silver Mines has a day-use parking fee of $5 per vehicle.
Tiemann Shut-Ins
Starting at Millstream Gardens at the Tiemann Shut-Ins trailhead parking lot, head down the field toward the river past a large proud pine that somehow has been twisted into a knot. The river is calm at this point, but the sound of waterslides and small rapids echo from the shut-ins downstream. Hit the trail, cross a wooden bridge at 0.1 miles and arrive at the first overlook of Tiemann Shut-Ins at the 0.2 mile mark. At 0.3 miles one could veer slightly off the trail and walk down into the shut-ins themselves.
If you're new to hiking in Missouri, "shut-in" is the regional name for when a river or broader stream is “shut in” to a narrow canyon-like valley. Shut-ins are characterized by large boulders in the water that create various shoots, small waterfalls, and pools. Playing in the various shut-ins throughout the state is a classic Missouri pastime.
The St. Francis River is the only river in Missouri considered to have white water. Tiemann Shut-Ins is an excellent example (the most renowned in the state being Johnson’s Shut-Ins). In Spring months when the water is high Millstream Gardens is a popular spot for kayakers and other water enthusiasts.
Silver Mines Recreation Area
At the 1.9 mile mark you’ll reach the northernmost picnic area and parking lot of Silver Mines Recreation Area. Conveniently this area features restrooms and picnic tables overlooking a calm section of the river. Cross the metal bridge over Turkey Creek and continue onto Mines East Trail toward Silver Mines Dam.
Silver was discovered in the area by Hiram N. Tong while following a turkey track. Tong purchased the land and began a mining operation. The results garnered the interest of a capitalist named William Einstein who bought out Tong in 1877 and established the Silver Mountain Mining Company. The stone dam was built at roughly the same time to power the mining operations. Across the river the tailing pile from the mine spills down the mountain. Mining operations ceased completely in 1946.
When the water level is low, one could cross the dam to the tailing pile directly creating a lollipop loop and saving about a mile of back tracking. Based on the reveiws from AllTrails, this is a very rare occurrence so plan for the full out-and-back hike. To be honest, you could also just turn around at Silver Mines Dam and make your way back to the trailhead. Hiking to the top of the tailing pile is nice, and you do get to pass a gated mineshaft shelter, but if you want to save the miles you can skip it.
More Missouri Hiking Trails
Hiking Rocky Falls in Missouri
Devil’s Icebox at Rock Bridge Memorial
Hiking Gear List
Headlamp - Petzl Tikka Headlamp
Jacket - Patagonia Nano Puff Hoodie
Beanie - Ope Outdoors Chunky Knit Beanie
Long Sleeve Shirt - REI Co-op Midweight Base Layer
T-Shirt - REI Co-op Sahara T-Shirt
Pants - Wrangler ATG Fleece Lined 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 - Sony a6400
SD Card - ScanDisk Extreme Pro 128 GB 200 MB/s
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