Camping at Brickyard Hill Conservation Area
- Lauren Catron
- Oct 12, 2020
- 2 min read
This past weekend we were able to check off one of the items on our Fall Family Bucket List! Saturday afternoon we made the hour drive north up to Brickyard Hill Conservation Area.
To be honest with you, I had never heard of the place, but Drew and his buddy used to go deer hunting up here. It's a beautiful conservation area near Rock Port, Missouri, and honestly, it's kind of a hidden gem. We got up there around 3:00 p.m., which was perfect timing. When you enter the area, you can see Charity Lake in front of you.
There are eight camping sites to choose from. We chose a somewhat hidden one closest to the water. The only downfall with this particular site is that you can't just pull up and unload your gear. You have to carry it down a little path, but man it's worth it. Especially when you have a husband who carries most of it. (Thanks Drew, love you!) You are tucked away and feel like you are the only ones there. Plus the views are pretty spectacular.
Once we (and by we, I mean mainly Drew) got everything unloaded and the tent set up, we decided to take the hike around the lake. The conservation agent we met along the way said he thought it was about a mile, mile and a half trek. We clocked in just under two miles. The trail is just a mowed path along the grass. It's all shaded and has some really neat views.
After our hike, we worked on collecting some wood for the camp fire. We sat around and enjoyed the peaceful quiet before starting on dinner. We had one package left of our antelope steak, so Drew grilled that up and made some baked potatoes to go with it. Drew also used the Dutch oven to make an apple crisp. We also were able to check off another bucket list item as we made some s'mores too! Delicious!
After dessert, we all headed to the tent for bed. Unfortunately, we noticed that instead of our queen-sized air mattress, we brought our twin-sized mattress. So poor Drew had to sleep on the ground, and gave Henry and me the mattress. We have to track down that other mattress before our next trip! Other than that mishap, the rest of our evening was fairly uneventful. Drew would probably disagree as the noises of the woods spooked me, and I asked during the middle of the night if someone was coming down to murder us. He says I listen/read/watch too many scary things. Maybe that's true, but things like that do happen!
The next morning we got up, made some coffee and breakfast and enjoyed the views of the peaceful fall morning. We sat around soaking up the last few moments of the outdoors before packing up and heading home.
If you're ever looking for a quiet place to get away, I highly recommend Brickyard Hill. The site is also great for hunting, fishing and birdwatching.
Cost: Free
Directions: From I-29 Exit 116, take Route B east for 0.125 mile, then Route RA southeast 0.125 mile to area entrance.
Enjoy!
Lauren
XOXO
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