Canaan Conservation Area Trail BY Laura Vonk
C
anaan Conservation Area is a new trail located in Gasconade County, a few miles north of Bland off Hwy A. It’s a medium length trail of 10.4 miles that is free to riders and campers. You can park at any of the parking lots, but the two best lots for maneuvering horse trailers are located at the end of the little unnamed road in the middle of the area, or the middle lot off Boettcher/Bock Road. I was able to ride this trail again in mid May with friends. This is a fun trail with a lot of variety to enjoy, including forest, fields, hills, ridges, hollows, and a fen. The trail corridor is mostly double track. A lot of gravel was used to make these trails so it’s almost an all weather trail, still there are a few areas that get pretty boggy during the wet weather season. Although there isn’t a lot of spectacular scenery or vistas; there are some points of interest along the trail, such as an old cemetery, trees with a lot of wild grape vines, a section of old burned forest at the top of a ridge, and springs. Additionally, there is gravel road riding that can be added to complete one loop or to add mileage to your ride. A couple of long steep hills test your horse’s endurance and keep this from being an easy trail. A section of trail in the northeast corner was my favorite part. It had several short hills close together, a couple of which were very steep. I had a blast riding that part, it was like riding a kiddie roller coaster. This part of the trail isn’t marked as finished on the map, but it is done and open to riders, (I double checked with the land manager), and is very easy to follow due to the wide trail corridor. The obstacles you have to negotiate along the way include creeks crossings, downfall, hilly terrain, and the area wildlife. There isn’t anything too difficult, and nothing I’d consider dangerous. There is rusty woven wire and barbed wire fencing in the area from past farms; however, they don’t cross any trails. Some of this fencing is down or hidden in the undergrowth and in some areas gets close to the side of a trail. None of the fencing I saw poses any hazard to horse or rider unless good trail ethics are forgotten and riders venture off the trail. The trail is in good shape over all and marked with little arrow signs. Only one place got a little confusing due to a large fallen tree crossing the trail. After making our way around this large deadfall, it wasn’t real obvious how to find the trail again on the other side. Although not in my top 5 favorite trails, I do enjoy this trail a lot and I’m happy to recommend it. For more information, lots of pictures, and more maps, visit my website at www. motrailblazing.com