Salamonie River State Forest

About Salamonie River State Forest

The state forest on the Salamonie River was created as a demonstration forest during the reclamation of sealed land. The state forest was established in the mid-1930s when the population helped the state buy land on the west side of the river near the town of Salmonie, Missouri, about 30 miles south of Kansas City. It was originally founded as a trial forest by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the name "Salamoie" is derived from the Indian word "salamamie," which means yellow. Blood root plants, which grow in abundance on the winding banks of the rivers, were colored yellow by the Indians.

Most of the topsoil is eroded, making drainage in the area a major challenge, and the state forest is overgrown with weeds and weeds.

To meet this challenge, camps were set up and several hundred hectares of land afforested, and the CCC opened a quarry and planned the forest's recreational facilities. Today, this forest covers 850 hectares and offers its visitors many recreational opportunities. Many leisure facilities have been built, including a large stone hut near the lake, a campground, an amphitheater and picnic area, and an outdoor recreation area. In addition, several thousand hectares of forest and recreational land in the Salamie River State Forest have been newly fertilised since the early 1990s.

The State Forest along the Salamonie River offers camping and riding areas for both primitive (Class C) and advanced campers. Camping at the entrance to the campsite is registered, and pit toilets and drinking water are available at every location. All campsites are accessible on the "first come, first served" principle, except for the primitive and the C-class campsites.

There are picnic tables scattered throughout the area, a playground is also available, and there is Hominy Ridge Lake. On the west side of the park there is a picnic area with picnic benches, picnic chairs and tables, as well as a small picnic table and benches.

The main access to the horse tracks provides riders with access to the network of paths throughout the forest. Hikers and riders should wear hunting orange or light clothing such as hunting boots during the hiking and hunting season.

The main access to the horse tracks on the west side of the State Forest of the Salamie River is closed during the hunting season from 1 September to 31 October.

The winding path is of varying length and width and offers a view of the Salamonie River, with views of the state forest, the river and the lake. Drivers can also see and hear ducks from the trail on the west side of Salamie State Forest and from the east side.

This easy trail offers a rugged and challenging area for horseback riding with views of the Salamonie River, the river and the state forest border. This medium-difficulty path leads through a gorge and offers views of two rocky canyons and a waterfall. A map of this route is available on the website of the State Forest of Salamie and on the website of the Trail - Riding.