The first stop of the day was at Dog’s Bluff Access on the outskirts of Houston, Missouri (ironically, it’s in Texas County). It was just down from the main road (not too big or busy). The land area was small, but this park was all about the water, The Big Piney River. There was a boat landing and I read reviews from kayakers about it being a good point to put in for a float or where to end and exit a float trip (I’ll return to that term). Like some rivers here, it was shallow in spots and had gravel bars to wade out to and hang out. This was a quick stop and noted for the future, should our canoe come along.
At the next stop, we parked in the crushed gravel lot, with a sign welcoming us to The Narrows, aka Piney River Narrows State Natural Area. There was a lush, grassy walkway the size of a small field, lined with trees, leading away from the parking lot. We followed it quite a ways and it then it opened to the river. We walked along the rocky beach, taking in the pretty views, well tucked away from the nearby roadway. It was mostly pristine, with a scant bit of evidence of a hangout- I couldn’t blame them for the party location they chose. While we only toured a bit of the 258 acre park, we virtually had the place to ourselves, except for one other car in the lot. Missouri parks are beautiful and under used, but that was fine for us.
Many people heading to the nearby Piney River Brewing Company, would travel the main road, but “we” were up for an adventure. A slightly more direct route crossed over a narrow part of the river, on a low water bridge (I’ll come back to this term too) with river water running gently, but steadily over it. I had visions of us getting whisked away down the Piney, but that was not our destiny. We crossed without incident and then I was really happy to go to the brewery.
Arriving at the head of the drive to the brewery, we went over a cattle guard. I learned about these structures a while back; I kept noticing them at farms. They are often made from steel poles, placed in rows, level with the ground (see photo below). The site of them and change in surface, prevents cattle, most of the time, from crossing over and into a roadway. It stops people from having to put up a gate at an entrance where cattle graze.
