Location: Southeastern Missouri near the Arkansas border to Maulden, originating along the Mississippi River in Arkansas
Length: 212 miles (341 km)
Time To Allow: 5 hours, 30 minutes

Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

Along Crowley's Ridge, a mixture of plant communities and a diversity of species respond to abrupt changes in soil type, exposure, moisture and slope. Dramatic views abound along the ridge and rolling hills and wildflowers proliferate throughout spring, summer and fall. Travel through natural and historical sites such as the Chalk Bluff Natural Area and Civil War Battlesite, five state parks and the St. Francis National Forest.

Suggested Itinerary

Start your tour of Crowley's Ridge Parkway in Malden, Missouri. Downtown, you can visit the free Malden Historical Museum, and enjoy the exhibits which include the history of Malden and the Denis Collection of Egyptian Antiquities. Or spend some time at Malden's Bootheel Youth Museum, where adults and kids can both enjoy activities which explore the worlds of math, science, the arts and more. Interactive exhibits include making (and standing inside) a giant soap bubble, freezing shadows on the wall, and making music on sewer pipes. When you are ready to continue your drive, leave Malden on County Route J to the west. Enjoy the rural scenery.

Shortly after you turn south on County Route WW, you'll find Jim Morris State Park. In addition to showcasing many varieties of trees and other vegetation unique to the Ridge, the park is the most practical way to see the Military Road. Access the road by the bicycle or pedestrian paths here. This road was used by military troops in the Civil War, and by settlers as they moved across the Missouri bootheel. The entire road runs from one mile (1.6 km) north of Campbell to the intersection of Routes J and WW, with a total length of approximately six miles (9.7 km), and can be reached at various points along the route.

As you drive south on County Route WW, keep an eye out for the peach orchards. The ridge has over 800 acres of peach orchards. In the spring, the scent of peach blossoms fills the air. If you are lucky enough to be driving this tour in the summer, be sure to stop at one of the peach stands and buy a tasty treat for the drive ahead.

About three miles (4.8 km) from the junction of Routes J and WW is the famous site where ten-year old Billy DeMitt was killed during the Civil War for refusing to tell a group of guerrillas where his father was. A marker at the spot marks Billy DeMitt's Grave and commemorates this tragic story, a true legend in southeast Missouri.

Also in this area are beachwell gullies, the visible remnants of erosional forces that scoured the ridge about 200 feet (61 m) deep from the top of the ridge to the bottom of the gully. The sand here is pure ocean sand (in a land-locked state) and salt water shells have been found in this area, evidence that this area was once part of a vast ocean. The gullies can be accessed from WW by a pedestrian trail approximately onemile (1.6 km) long.

Next, visit the historic city of Campbell, which has roots dating back to before the Civil War. Several buildings in the Historic District, many of which are on the National Historic Register, are open for visitors. Dine in the quaint local restaurants and visit the antique shops in the Historic District.