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Spider search may be hikers' delight

Walk at Meramec Oct. 18

By PAULA BARR
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, October 11, 2008
Updated: Saturday, October 11, 2008 8:50 AM CDT

Fall hikers can enjoy a blaze of fall color in area parks during a hike Oct. 18 at Meramec State Park. - Paula Barr / Daily Journal

Nature lovers have an opportunity to hike along the Meramec River, enjoy the fall colors and lunch on top of Butterfly Bluff in Meramec State Park.

If that doesn’t provide enough excitement, they might try to entice a Missouri tarantula from its den.

The annual fall hike will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 18 at the park’s visitor’s center. The three-mile guided hike could take four to five hours, including a stop for lunch, and will be completed by 3 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and is free and open to the public.

"We have a good variety of colors and some nice bluffs along the river, which has been classified as an outstanding state water resource," said Erik Otto, a naturalist at the park. "We could see some large raptors flying overhead and some herons on the river. An armadillo has been spotted in the area. They’re starting to populate Missouri because of the milder winters we’ve been having.'

The hike will follow a natural path that goes through the 831-acre Mosaic Natural Area, which consists of uneven terrain and diverse wilderness. The path winds through river bottoms, stream valleys, glades and woodlands. Hikers should pack food for lunch on Butterfly Bluff.

Along the way, Otto plans to take the group on a search for fist-sized Missouri tarantulas.

"We look for their burrows and try to lure them out," he said. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t."

Hikers should meet in the lobby of the park's visitor center before 9 a.m. and wear comfortable hiking shoes, dress for the weather and bring along water and a lunch or snacks. Optional equipment includes a hiking stick, a camera and binoculars.

Meramec State Park is located three miles south of Sullivan on Highway 185. For more information, call the park at 573-468-6072 or the Department of Natural Resources at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For more information about Missouri state parks, visit the Web at http://www.mostateparks.com.

Paula Barr is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 172 or at pbarr@dailyjournalonline.com.