Novice Hiking Areas of the Ozarks: Compton Hollow Conservation Area

We are quickly coming upon that time of year again, when the trees break forth from their wintery rest, and new life begins in nature. It's a magical time, when birds can be heard singing, and (when it isn’t raining or muddy), nature can show some of its true beauty. This time of year, that is rapidly approaching, is very much perfect for hiking, camping, fishing, and enjoying nature. Of course, the time of year I am writing about is… Spring.

With the weather soon mellowing out, and offering some lightly cool days, I decided to get a bit of a jump start on writing about one of my favorite outdoor activities: hiking. Hiking, if you haven’t done it before, can be VERY rewarding, as it offers a terrific form of exercise, and an opportunity to relax and become one with nature.

If you live in the Springfield, Missouri area, then you have probably noticed the abundance of hiking areas and walking trails inside of the city, but what about a less crowded area, away from the city? Well, you are just in luck, if you don’t know of any such place, because today, we will be writing about one of our favorite conservation areas for novice-level hiking (just 20 minutes outside of Springfield): the Compton Hollow Conservation Area.

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The Trail

While the trail map of Compton Hollow Conservation Area doesn't specifically point out one individual trail head, the main looping trail is approximately 4.1 miles long. The primary trail is covered in gravel, so it is fairly easy to traverse on. There are a few low-spots in the trail that can build water after heavy rains; it is for this reason that you should be prepared for mud or loose ground if you are hiking this trail during the spring, fall, or winter.

We highly recommend this trail for novice hikers (as previously indicated by the title of this article 😉) because of the primarily flat, man-made trails. Not many hills exist along this trail, and none of the hills we did encounter were steep enough to create any form of hardship. If you have any issues with walking long distances, it is best to pace yourself; there are no benches or man-made resting points at any point (that we discovered) along this trail.

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The Scenery

The Compton Hollow Conservation Area is very well kempt, and is home to a few large fields, which offer a nice contrast to the forest surrounding them. There are a couple of trail-side ponds and watering holes, which are meant primarily to provide water for local wildlife; as such, none of the ponds are stocked with fish. Most of the trail seems to have a fairly decent amount of tree coverage to provide shade as you walk, which is most definitely a nice natural amenity during summer hikes.

There are areas where the trees in the forest have been thinned out in order to provide a better view to the natural surroundings and wildlife, and also to allow for better growth of the trees; while many would tend to think that this would take away from the natural beauty of the forest surrounding the trail, it actually helps add a certain charm that is difficult to describe. There are many evergreen trees and plants growing in this conservation area, which adds a contrast to the leafless trees in the fall or winter months.

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The Activities

Other than the obvious activities of hiking and partaking in nature photography opportunities, many of the conservation areas in Missouri have other activities that guests may enjoy. The Compton Hollow Conservation Area plays host to an archery field course, which is near the east parking area, and has posted signs which instructs users on the rules and regulations of the archery area; at the time of our last visit in late January, the ground away from the regular walking trails was very soft and muddy, making use of the archery field course quite difficult.

Hunting during regulated seasons, to my knowledge (as I am not a hunter), is allowed in this area. This area is home to several different game and non-game animals, such as deer, squirrel, turkey, and raccoon. One of the fields located at Compton Hollow Conservation Area is used as a special use hunting area for hunters with medical exemptions; this field is located near the north-central area of the conservation area, and it’s boundaries are marked with orange markers.

Horse-back riding is also very popular on this hiking trail because of the well maintained gravel trail leading throughout the conservation area. During our last visit, we noted several horse shoe prints in the mud and gravel, and even met a couple of people riding horses throughout the trail.

Apparently, “open” camping is permitted in this conservation area, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation website. When a site says “open camping”, that means that there is no designated camping area, however, camping is allowed with the following limitations:

Campsites must be at least 100 yards from any parking area or road.

Camping groups in any Missouri conservation area must consist of 10 or fewer people, to help minimize the impact of camping on nature (sticking to a group of 4 is recommended).

Other rules should always be learned from the Missouri Department of Conservation itself, as they may be subject to change on a regular basis. You can call them, email them, or stop into any MDC office to pick up a list of said rules.

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Accessing The Area

Accessing the Compton Hollow Conservation Area is fairly simple, as there is a gravel road (called Compton Hollow Road) that leads to the area from State Hwy KK in Rogersville, Missouri to the conservation area. All access points are very well maintained, and easy to traverse. As always, we always recommend Googling your directions before embarking on your adventure.

Once you reach the conservation area itself, there are three separate parking areas on the property: the southeast parking lot, the southwest parking lot, and the northwest parking lot. All three parking areas are fairly small, so if one is filled with vehicles, there are still two more that you may utilize while you are adventuring.

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The Compton Hollow Conservation Area has much to offer, and one would be a fool not to go experience this beautiful location at least once if they are in the area. Whether you want to hike the 4.1 mile primary hiking trail, practice your archery on the archery field course, utilize the medical exemption hunting area, or even partake in some true wilderness camping (a terrific chance to really see what “roughing it” really is), the Compton Hollow Conservation Area has something to offer to just about everyone.

This spring, do yourself a favor: GET OUT AND ENJOY NATURE! Spread over the course of the next few weeks, we will be writing about more of our favorite local hiking spots in the state of Missouri, some of which may be very popular, and some of which may not be very well known.

Also, as I previously mentioned in this article, many conservation areas in Missouri allow for another one of my favorite outdoor activities: camping! With that being said, beginning around March 28th, my family will be embarking on more camping adventures, with our first on being at… (Drum roll, please)... Compton Hollow Conservation Area. Personally, I have always enjoyed camping in the wilderness much more than I have camping at developed sites, and Compton Hollow seems to be the perfect place for us to break out our gear and “stretch our legs”, so to say.

Until our next article, remember: you only have one life, so don’t waste any time. Go out and live your life. Break the monotony of the everyday trap we tend to fall into. Make… Every… Moment… Count...