Back to Camp #1: Hawn Web PageForested hills of stately pine and oak trees, clear, sandy-bottom streams, and sandstone canyons and cliffs create one of the most significant and beautiful landscapes in Missouri at Hawn State Park. Located at the eastern edge of the St. Francois Mountains, the park offers scenic and peaceful terrain in which to camp, hike, picnic, and enjoy nature.
The park and its outstanding natural features are located in a historically significant area. The nearby town of Ste. Genevieve is the oldest incorporated community in Missouri, founded sometime between 1723 and 1735. Originally settled by French explorers who traveled up the Mississippi River, the town was rebuilt in 1785 after being destroyed by a great flood.
Ste. Genevieve becams an important port for shipping along the Mississippi River. In 1851-52, the Old Plank Road was built, connecting Ste. Genevieve and the iron and lead mines of Iron Mountain. Lumber for building and maintaining the 42-mile-long, two-inch-thick plank roadway came from the nearby forests of oak and pine trees. The plank road, which paralleled the present Route 32, ran along the northern boundary of what is now Hawn State Park.
The initial acreage for the park was donated in 1952 by Mrs. Helen Coffer Hawn, a former teacher at Ste. Genevieve’s Centennial School, one of the oldest schools in the state. Additional acreage has been added to the original donation of 1,459 acres, and today the 3,271-acre park is administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Hawn State Park is located in an area of the state where exposures of Lamotte sandstone bedrock create an unusual landscape with rounded sandstone knobs, canyon-rimmed valleys, and vertical cliffs above the clear, sandy-bottom streams. Many rare and unusual plants are concentrated in this region.
The acidic soil that has formed over this ancient sandstone supports upland forests of tall, straight shortleaf pine, Missouri’s only native pine tree. Mixed in with the pine trees are hardwood trees such as white oak, shagbark hickory, and red maple. In the spring the park abounds in color from the delicate pink and white flowers of the wild axaleas that thrive in the acidic soil. Because of the sandstone influence, many of the park’s 660 species of trees, shrubs, ferns, and wildflowers can be found only in this area of the state.
The influence of the sandstone also can be seen in Pickle Creek and the River Aux Vases, which flow through the park. These clear streams have meandered across the landscape, cutting deep into the sandstone and becoming entrenched in the bedrock. In several areas, sandstone overhangs along the streams create a cooler atmosphere with nearly constant shade and moisture. Plants that were forced south when glaciers covered much of northern Missouri continue to thrive in these cool conditions. These northern plants include rattlesnake orchid, hay-scented fern, partridge berry, and ground pine.
Many of the outstanding natural features at Hawn State Park can be seen in the Whispering Pine Wild Area. Because of its size, the 2,080-acre wild area offers excellent opportunities to enjoy wilderness-type activities such as backpacking, bird watching, and nature study. The majority of th wild area is covered with shortleaf pine, white oak, black oak, and flowering dogwood. Visitors may see wild turkey, white-tailed deer, raccoon, eastern gray squirrel, broad-headed skink, and may birds such as pine warblers, chickaddes, owls and scarlet tanagers.
Because of the stream’s high quality and abundant fish species, Pickle Creek has been designated as a state natural area. The clear, tea-colored stream contains 21 species of fish, including rainbow darter, striped shiner, and silverjaw minnow. The stream rushes through a series of granite outcrops or "shut-ins" in one area of Pickle Creek. In addition to the igneous granitic rocks, Lamotte sandstone and a banded crystalline rock that some geologists believe is a metamorphic gneiss rock are exposed in this area. Hawn State Park is one of the few places in the state where such a diversity of rocks is exposed at the surface.
Hawn State Park has 50 campsites, including 17 with electrical hookups. Pickle Creek meanders along the edge of the campground, which is brightened with flowering dogwood in the spring. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum continuous stay of 15 days. A nominal fee is charged and will be collected by park personnel. The camping area includes modern restrooms, hot showers, laundry facilities, a dumping station, and playground equipment.
A special area near the campground can be rented by non-profit organized groups. Reservations are needed.
Visitors can picnic at numerous sites under a canopy of pine trees. The park’s open shelter can be reserved by contacting the park superintendent in advance.
Hikers and backpackers on Whispering Pine Trail can explore many of the park’s natural features as it meanders through the pine-oak forests and along Pickle Creek and the River Aux Vases. The trail consists of two five-mile loops that can be hiked separately or combined for a longer backpacking trip. There are three primitive camping areas along Whispering Pine Trail for use by backpackers. The one-mile-long Pickle Creek Trail leads visitors along the stream’s banks and past sandstone bluffs and shut-ins. Trail brochures are available at the park office.
Guided nature walks and evening programs are given during the summer months to help people appreciate the beauty of Hawn State Park. Check the park information board for a schedule of activities.
Back to Camp #1: Hawn Web Page
Back to Science Education Web Page
Return to Pittsburg State University Home Page