Castor River Shut-Ins - Fredericktown, MO

Every year on the 4th of July, Keith and I, along with whatever children we have with us take a hike locally, somewhere within a few hours of home. This year we went to Pickle Springs, A Trail through Time and then drove over to Castor River Shut-Insto explore a new place. 

Castor River Shut-Ins, a part of Amidon Memorial Conservation Area is Missouri's only known pink granite shut-ins. They are from an igneous rock formation that is 1.5 billion years old. That is some serious history. You really have to see the rocks to appreciate them. 

Trail to shut-ins

To get to the shut-ins you take a short hike on a trail from the parking lot to get to them. It's not long at all. It's muddy after a good rain, but if you are going to the shut-ins you probably already plan on getting a little wet. We took our old umbrella stroller to push Lena in. It made it through the mud and puddles just fine. The trail is flat and there aren't many rocks or roots that get in the way. 

 Once you make it to the shut-ins you can hang out there and have some fun, or you can continue on the trail. The trail is a loop trail that is a mile long. We didn't do the full trail when we visited, as we had already done some hiking for the day, but would like to go back and complete it as the views appear worth it. 

Trail to shut-ins

Once we made it to the actual shut-ins, we just explored. Lena played in some of the shallow pools or Keith held her in the deep, faster water. I would not classify this as a place safe for toddlers and young children to play. The water moves fast and there are waterfalls. They make for some great photos, but not very safe. There are also some drop offs off of the rocks into the water or shallow pools of water. Many of the larger rocks are slippery, even when dry, so makes sure your footwear has some traction. 

We had a good time while we were there, even though Lena couldn't actually play the way she typically does in water. We saw some other visitors who were floating down the river. They said the water was fast and rough in some areas. Definitely not kid friendly. 

Visiting again is in the cards for the future, but not immediate future. If you haven't been to see this beautiful area, I suggest you take a drive. If anything, pack a lunch, some water shoes and a camera for some afternoon fun on a hot day. 

Below are some of the photos I took of the water and rocks. The pink rocks are very pretty. And some of them were VERY large. 

Have you visited these shut-ins? If so, I'd love to hear about your experience! Also, of any other great places nearby to visit. 

Thanks for stopping by!