It's the last issue before Halloween. Which means it's our last chance to be creepy while it's still socially acceptable.

Indulge us as we wallow in local cemeteries, critters, and cryptids before November takes us back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Hike to the Hereafter

This cool October Thursday, we're floating through our office walls and materializing in another cemetery. This one comes with river mist and 1800s charm.

You knew this was coming eventually: The Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville...that brick, four-story gristmill scenically set beside the state’s oldest covered bridge. Now toss in the river and fall foliage, and it’s enough to make any photographer’s tripod stand up.

The Sleepy Hollow-style bridge isn't the only thing giving it Missouri Gothic. And this is the part most folks miss: there’s a wooded trail tucked behind the mill that leads uphill to the small Bollinger family cemetery, dating back to the early 1800s. The Burfordville Cemetery Trail is less than a mile round-trip. It's short but steep. Like a meal at Taco Bell - it doesn't last long, but it takes you out.

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Didja know? Napoleon Bear-naparts Are Recolonizing the State

Kinda creepy but very cool: black bears are making a comeback in Missouri. Mama, they're comin' home...from Arkansas.

By the 1940s, heavy logging and unregulated hunting had almost entirely wiped Paddington out of Missouri and Arkansas. Back in the 1950s and ’60s, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission decided that it was a darn shame and brought in black bears from Minnesota and Canada. Those bears thrived in Arkansas, honey. They did so great, in fact, that they began expanding their bear-y official operations into Missouri - all on their own.

The black bears that moved into Missouri liked what they saw. Since the 40s, the Missouri Department of Conservation has been restoring natural areas, regulating hunting, and teaching folks the value of caring for wild places. And boom: five-star bear resort.

In just the last 13 years, our black bear population has climbed from an estimated ~300 to over 1,000.

Take out your pencils. Here's your homework assignment: learn how to safely coexist with your burly neighbors. Even though black bears are generally shy and non-aggressive, we need to start hiking, camping, and living bear aware. I.e., operate as if you lived in a bear state...because you do. Here are some tips for being bear-wise.

Source: Missouri Conservationist. Volume 86, Issue 10, October 2025, "Recolonizing the State: Resurgent Black Bear Population Restores Bears from Nearly Gone to Elusive Game" by Bill Graham and Will Rechkemmer, pp. 22-23

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Missouri or Make-believe?

Below are six Missouri places with eerie names (and eerier backstories).
​FOUR are real Missouri spots. Two are pure imagination.​
Can you guess which four are real?

1. Devil’s Well - A bottomless pit in the Ozarks.
2. Skull Lick Creek - Allegedly named after what early trappers found on its banks.
3. Murder Rocks Trail - A rocky spot bandits used to ambush travelers.
4. Coffin Ridge - Named after its shape...or is something buried there?
5. Bloodland Cemetery - A ghost town's cemetery.
6. Widow’s Hollow - Where dense fog made a local woman a widow.

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Two months ago, a trail-cam on private land west of Poplar Bluff (allegedly) captured a large dark figure, upright, standing mid-creek. The landowner reported the sighting to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), and the story is now logged under “Class A” sightings for the county.

Missouri’s folklore paints a long pattern of Bigfoot-esque sightings that refuse to stop. The Show-Me State has logged more than 160 reports statewide just since the BFRO started keeping records. The most famous was in 1972, when a teenager in Louisiana, MO, swore she saw a hairy 7-foot creature clutching a dead dog - an encounter that became national news as the legend of Mo Mo, the Missouri Monster. And just across the river, Southern Illinois has its own folk icon, the Big Muddy Monster of Murphysboro, complete with case files from the 70s.

But closer to home, Southeast Missouri has logged mysterious critter sightings for decades. For example:

• Ste. Genevieve County (2000, Ozora): Motorist reports an ape-like figure crossing State Road N and disappearing into the woods.
• Scott County (1994, Kelso): Couple in a parked car see a shaggy, upright figure cross a narrow lane by a creek.
• Stoddard County (1986, Bloomfield): Daylight road-crossing. Dark brown, on two legs, gone in seconds near the Castor River.
• Wayne County (2016, Lake Wappapello): A nurse driving home from school watched a long, dark, wavy-haired figure sprint on all fours across four lanes.
• Reynolds County (2016, Ellington): A bowhunter sitting in his tree stand at dusk watched a massive, black-haired figure emerge along a hollow.

Could be a bear. 🤷‍♀️ Could be nerves, shadows, or stories getting taller each time they're told. Either way, this campfire legend keeps turning up right here at home, not just in old tales, but in contemporary times, too.

If you're bored on Halloween night and need an internet rabbit hole to dive down while you're waiting on trick or treaters, comb through the Missouri Bigfoot Field Researchers' reports.

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Source your screams locally.

Cape Girardeau's Haunted Hall of Horror wraps up tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 31) at the A.C. Brase Arena, and it’s Student Night! Bring your bravest (and slowest) friends, so you can shriek and laugh your way through the jump scares, eerie sounds, and twisted halls.

Want the fun without the cardiac arrest?? Grab a yellow glow stick for $1 so the goblins and ghouls know to turn the terror down. Even though glowsticks make this experience more accessible across age groups, kids 12 and under must always be with an adult.

Remember: You don't have to be faster than the guy with a chainsaw; you just have to be faster than at least one friend.

7-10:30pm | $12 per person | $8 students with student ID | more info

📍Sponsored by VisitCape

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For each event, you’ll find more info at the link.​
​*Because these events are upcoming, they have not been vetted. That would require a time machine, and we don't have the funds. Party at your own discretion.

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This Weekend’s Happenings

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Fri, Oct 31 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Night of the Wandering Spirits, Cape Girardeau, MO - A benefit for historic preservation of The Glenn House, this Halloween party has 3 acts: sip cocktails at a séance, roam The Glenn House by lantern light, then end at the Bloodsuckers Ball at Ebb & Flow. $30 covers all three. 5-11pm.

The Addams Family Musical, Sikeston, MO - The creepy, kooky classic comes to life on stage at Sikeston Little Theatre. Gather your ghouls for an evening of dark humor and toe-tapping tunes. Friday, Oct 31 at 7pm.

A few for the kids - Trick or Trade, Cape 🎃 Trunk or Treat Car Show, Cape 🎃 Trunk or Treat, Delta 🎃 Trunk or Treat, Marble Hill 🎃 Trunk or Treat, Bloomfield 🎃 Trunk or Treat, Sikeston 🎃 Halloween Happening, Dexter 🎃 Halloween Bash, Gordonville

Haunted Hall of Horror, Cape Girardeau, MO - Hi! Me, again. Don't forget: Cape Parks & Rec’s haunted maze of mayhem. The final night of frights. Students get in for $8 with ID. 7-10:30pm. (sponsored)

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Sat, Nov 1

Downtown Perryville Fall Craft Fair, Perryville, MO - Perryville’s downtown square turns into an autumn marketplace this Saturday. With Halloween officially over, it's time to start doing some holiday shopping. Rain or shine, free, 10am-4pm.

Pecanapalooza, Ste. Genevieve, MO - Is there anything Ste. Genevieve can't turn into a festival? Go fill up on the pecan-inspired treats. Live your Gilmore-Girls-at-a-small-town-fall-festival fantasy. Free admission. 10am-4pm.

Parallel Pasts Walking Tour, Ste. Genevieve, MO - Explore MO’s oldest town through a new lens on this 1-hour guided walk. See how different people may have experienced the same moments in time differently. Free; registration required.

Old Appleton Fall Festival, Old Appleton, MO - Old Appleton has started a new fall tradition! Head to the red bridge for a day of local vendors, food, and fun by the creek. Festival 12-5pm, then trunk-or-treating 4-6pm. Proceeds support repairs to the historic Apple Creek Bridge.

The Addams Family Musical, Sikeston, MO - Night 2. This delightfully macabre musical brings everyone’s favorite spooky family to the stage. For fans of gothic charm and snap-happy theme songs. 7pm.

Goblin Gallop 5K Run/Walk, Sikeston, MO - Support mental health. Run in a costume. YOLO.

5-H Ranch Fall Festival, Jackson, MO - Saddle up for a day of vendors, food trucks, games, face painting, and even camel and pony rides. 9am–3pm. $3 admission; kids 2 and under free.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Drive-In Holiday Market, Chaffee, MO - If anybody tries to get onto you for gift shopping already, you can tell them you're "supporting local." That'll shut 'em up.

Let’s Hike Hawn State Park, Cape Girardeau, MO - A guided day hike through one of Se/Mo’s most stunning parks. Trek about 6.5 miles of rugged terrain at Hawn State Park through rocky hills, clear creeks, and fall colors. Transportation provided from the Nature Center. Ages 16+. Registration required (only a few spots left), 7:30am-4pm. Free. This is where you'll find me on Saturday!

Fort de Chartres Winter Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher, IL - Peep into the 1700s at this living history weekend featuring frontier reenactors, trading posts, handmade crafts, and the crack of flintlock rifles through the woods. Explore the camps, meet the trappers and traders, and grab a bite of period grub inside the historic French colonial fort. 10am-5pm. Free.

Pilgrimage: The Holy Boulders Competition, Pomona, IL - One of the Midwest’s most legendary climbing events takes place in the sandstone hills of Southern Illinois! (I know, this place is constantly blowing my mind, too.) Grab a spectator ticket (if they're still available by the time you're reading this), and watch climbers from across the country tackle boulders. Spectator tickets $40; kids under 13 $20.

Jeep N Shawnee Color Run, Jonesboro, IL - Meet up at Hebrewz Coffeehouse for a scenic group ride through the Shawnee hills, timed perfectly for peak fall color. Grab a coffee, roll out at 10:30am, and enjoy a day of autumn views and good company on the backroads of So/Il.

SIC Heritage Festival, Harrisburg, IL - More than 80 vendors offering handmade jewelry, home decor, clothing, candles, soaps, food, and more at Southeastern Illinois College. 9am-4pm. Cost: $1 donation to Freddie’s Food Pantry.

Dutchman Lake Hike, Johnson County, IL - The River to River Trail Society is leading a free public hike at Dutchman Lake, offering about 5 miles of moderate terrain and scenic Shawnee Forest views. Meet at Dutchman Lake at 10am. Free.

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Sun, Nov 2

The Addams Family Musical, Sikeston, MO - Wrap up the weekend with a matinee performance of this kooky crowd-pleaser. Great for a date - Morticia and Gomez are #MarriageGoals. 2pm.

Fort de Chartres Winter Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher, IL - Day 2 brings more black powder, campfire smoke, and colonial color to the fort. Watch the muzzleloader competition, browse handmade goods, and stroll through the 18th-century encampment. Sunday, Nov 2, 10am-3pm. Free.

SIC Heritage Festival, Harrisburg, IL - Day 2 of this fall market brings another round of shopping, food, and fall coziness. 10am-4pm. Cost: $1 donation. Inflation is out of control.

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Plan Ahead

The Fun You Can't Improvise

Riverfront Cleanup, Cape Girardeau, MO - Join the Missouri Department of Conservation at Riverfront Park for a quick afternoon litter pickup along the water’s edge. Gloves, T-shirts, snacks, and drinks are provided. Nov.8. Register at the link.

​Holy Roller Gravel Grinder, Brazeau, MO - Pedal Perry County gravel for a purpose! Try to say that 5 times, fast. Ride 17, 35, or 70 miles. Proceeds support families facing congenital heart defects. Smooth gravel and rolling hills followed by a winery. Race day: Nov 8.

Meandering Turkey, Jackson, MO - ~5.5 mile trail run on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1:30pm. Hilly, rooty, single-track fun.

​Mary Mingle 5K, Cape Girardeau, MO - The famous 2025 Mary Mingle 5k tradition, benefiting the Community Counseling Center Foundation!

​Resolution Run, Cape Girardeau, MO - Start the new year with a 5 or 10K. Really sets the tone for the rest of the year so much better than a hangover.

Birding Hike, Makanda, IL - For the bird-curious. With the leaves falling, it’s prime time for spotting birds at Giant City State Park. Join park volunteer and Southern Illinois Audubon Society member Vicki Lang-Mendenhall for a guided stroll. Binoculars are available to borrow, and beginners are welcome. Free, but space is limited, and registration is required. Saturday, Nov 15, 9:30-11:30am.

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*With so much going on, we can’t include everything. We hand-select picks that match the mission and include events from all over the area to encourage you to explore towns you don’t usually visit. If you’re looking for more in Cape or Carbondale, here are some more sources: VisitCape, the Southeast Missourian, the Missouri Department of Conservation, The Scout, KFVS12, Southern Illinois Tourism, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Southernmostillinois.com.

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MISSOURI OR MAKE-BELIEVE ANSWERS:

REAL: Devil’s Well, Skull Lick Creek, Murder Rocks Trail, Bloodland Cemetery
​FAKE: Widow’s Hollow, Coffin Ridge

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Welp, (*slaps knees), we better get goin'. Thanks again to our sponsor, VisitCape.

Catch you down the road.

Caitlan Hester
Publisher, Backroad Weekly