Swamp wildlife safari, sheep dairy, and historic reenactments
Day Trips for Southeast Missourians
Events, trails, shops, restaurants, museums. All an easy drive away. In your inbox, every Thursday.
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We're excited to announce our new fuzzy farm summer series!
Get Outside - Otter Slough Conservation Area, Stoddard County
“My temple is the swamp… When I would recreate myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and most impenetrable and to the citizen, most dismal, swamp. I enter a swamp as a sacred place, a sanctum sanctorum… I seemed to have reached a new world, so wild a place…far away from human society. What’s the need of visiting far-off mountains and bogs, if a half-hour’s walk will carry me into such wildness and novelty?” – Henry David Thoreau
Otter Slough Conservation Area from the boardwalk trail. May 2026.
Before the Bootheel was drained for agriculture, this region was a tangled world of cypress trees, flooded timber, sloughs, and wetlands. Now, only fragments of that wild past remain. Otter Slough Conservation Area, is one of the lastcypress-tupelo swampsin Missouri.
Today, it's famous for migrating waterfowl and duck hunting. According to the MDC, duck counts have exceeded 60,000 and snow geese numbers have reached 250,000 here.
In the spring and summer, waterfowl hunting switches off, Elmer Fudd hangs up his shotgun, and the casual local tourist can feel good about moseying in.
Our Tried-and-True Itinerary:
Start at the MDC office area, where there’s a shaded dock and bench overlooking the swamp for some wildlife viewing and photography. Within minutes we’d already spotted frogs, water snakes, and a red-eared slider turtle laying her eggs.
Walk the mile-long boardwalk trail, but only if you're ok with (or even enjoy) bumping into snakes. Don’t expect a polished nature-center boardwalk. Parts are gravel, parts are rough, and while we managed some 4x4 stroller maneuvering, it definitely isn’t wheelchair accessible in its current condition. What it is, however, is a fantastic wildlife trail. We saw ducks, deer, birds, frogs, turtles, and roughly one billion water snakes (more like 7 snakes, but in one mile, that felt like a lot). Some mega honkers were chilling right on the trail.
Picnic along Cypress Lake, and if you have your pole, fish! There were multiple families fishing from the bank here. And the lake is large enough for everyone to comfortably spread out.
Drive the network of gravel roads that cut through the conservation area. These roads are open to the public and make for an excellent birdwatching auto tour or gravel biking route. Gravel bikers, just know these routes are sun exposed.
Other activities you can enjoy out here are hunting, primitive camping, canoeing/kayaking, and general whimsy.
P.S. There are vault toilets
Picture It
Are you the kind of person who says things like, “Hang on old chap, the lighting is incredible right now,” before crouching in a ditch to photograph a dragonfly on your iPhone 13?
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources just opened submissions for its 13th annual amateur photo contest, which means your foggy gravel roads pics and artsy perspective on decrepit fences could finally earn you fleeting glory.
Categories include:
Natural Resources
Unique Places
People Enjoying Missouri’s Outdoors
The contest is open to amateur photographers of all ages and runs through September 1, 2026.
Introducing a new sheepish summer segment:
This Week at Mesta Meadows
Many of us grew up with grandparents, neighbors, friends, and relatives connected to farming in some way. These days, fewer farm-lovin' folk still get to experience that life up close. So each week, we’ll be bringing a little bit of that familiar farm smell to you.
Mesta Meadows in Glenallen is a working ranch raising sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and poultry on pasture. It's also one of the few sheep dairies in Missouri. We're teaming up with Mesta Meadows this summer to bring you short little weekly farm updates: baby animals, sheep's milk ice cream, behind-the-scenes moments, and whatever else is happening out in the Ozark foothills that week.
*This poll will open in a new window before you can respond. Do not be alarmed. It's more scared of you than you are of it.
Spotted at Otter Slough Conservation Area Sunday, May 10: the black-necked stilt. Lookin' like something Cruella de Vil would turn into slippers.
Sponsored by VisitCape
Downtown Cape is going hog wild for history this Heritage Day Saturday. If you enjoy historic homes, handmade crafts, re-enactors, river town charm, or pretending you live in another century, make sure you got some over-priced gas in your car.
The big event is Heritage Day...
Happening at both the Red House Interpretive Center and The Reynolds House from 9:30am-2pm. Expect lacemaking, weaving, tatting, blacksmithing, live music, historical demonstrations, croquet, and all 27 official U.S. flags displayed by the Sons of the American Revolution.
And a visual for the Reynold's House, lest ye forget:
Meanwhile at Cape's Victorian queen, The Glenn House, things get delightfully dramatic with Petals & Secrets: The Victorian Language of Flowers Experience. Learn how Victorians used flowers to secretly communicate scandal, affection, jealousy, and gossip without saying a word. You can even build your own coded bouquet. 10am-2:30pm.
And because downtown Cape apparently decided nobody should spend a single second indoors this weekend, the Cape Riverfront Market and Riverfront Flea Market will also be happening Saturday morning. Market runs 8am-12pm, with the flea market continuing later into the afternoon. Free admission.
This Weekend’s Happenings
Fri, May 15
Tunes at Twilight,Cape Girardeau, MO - The free summer concert series at Ivers Square continues. Rain or shine. If the weather gets weird, the concert moves indoors to Gospel Life Church. 7pm. Free.
Friends of the Library Indoor Yard Sale, Jackson, MO - Riverside Regional Library is hosting an indoor yard sale. Treasure-hunting for a good cause. 9am-5pm.
Sounds on the Square, Fredericktown, MO - Live music is back in downtown Fredericktown in a free summer concert series on the courthouse square. Bring a lawn chair, grab takeout, and enjoy the late spring evening. 7pm-10pm. Free.
Sewing Circle, Benton, MO - Bring your current sewing, craft, or creative project to the Benton library. Good for beginners, experienced crafters, and people with half-finished projects haunting them from a closet. 2pm-3pm.
Our Bloody Mess - A Murder Mystery Dinner, Arcadia, MO - A murder mystery dinner theater set in 1842 Arcadia Valley combines crime, audience participation, and a 4-course meal catered by Thee Abbey Kitchen. $45.
Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival, Ironton, MO - Courthouse Square fills with live music in a gazebo, food, crafts, and small-town merrymaking. Friday starts 5pm. Free admission.
Community Game Night, Sikeston, MO - Board games, card games, and tabletop games take over the Malone Park Center for the Arts. 6pm.
Mushroom 101: Mushroom Foraging Workshop, Cobden, IL - Learn about local wild mushrooms over coffee at The Green Mug during this beginner-friendly mushroom foraging workshop led by certified foragers. 3:30pm. $15.
Sat, May 16
Sikeston Jaycee Crawfish Boil & Music Festival, Sikeston, MO - Louisiana crawfish, cold drinks, and a day of live music at the rodeo grounds. In other words: bands, beer, and a billion pounds of crawfish. Gates open 1pm.
Jackson Area Garden Tour, Jackson, MO - Wander through 7+ public and private gardens around town during this self-guided garden tour. There will be live music, plein air painting, and plant giveaways. Grab a tour map and ask the garden guides all your garden questions. 9am-2pm. $25-$30.
Friends of the Library Indoor Yard Sale, Jackson, MO - Day two of the indoor yard sale brings another round of books, puzzles, craft supplies, decor, and random finds. All proceeds support the library. 9am-12pm.
Ste. Genevieve Garden Walk & Plant Sale, Ste. Genevieve, MO - Wander through some of Ste. Genevieve’s private gardens during this self-guided garden walk. There’s also a plant sale! 10am-4pm. $10 general admission. Saturday.
Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival, Ironton, MO - Day two offers a full lineup of live music alongside bounce houses, pony rides, crafts, food vendors, and family activities around downtown Ironton. Saturday starts 10am. Free admission.
Putts & Pints for St. Jude, Cape Girardeau, MO - Beer, mini golf, and a taco food truck. All benefitting St. Jude's. 12pm-4pm. $30.
From Hide to Sling: Build Your Own Hunting Gear, Cape Girardeau, MO - Learn traditional hide tanning techniques and turn deer leather into your own handmade gun sling. 9am-5pm. Registration required.
Plant Palooza 2026, Bonne Terre, MO - Downtown Bonne Terre fills with plant vendors, handmade goods, food, and leafy temptations. 10am-4pm.
St. Francois Community Day, St. Francois State Park, Missouri - Climbers from around the region are gathering at St. Francois State Park for a day of limestone climbing routes, trail-side socializing, and post-climb beers. Even if you’re not climbing, the community is the point. Climbing starts 11am.
Old Timers Day at the American Tractor Museum, Perryville, MO - The American Tractor Museum celebrates Perry County’s farming heritage with vintage equipment, live demonstrations, and admiring machinery built to outlive all of us. Open to the public.
Live Music at the Warehouse ft Dr. Scott & Dammit Janets, Perryville, MO - Downtown Perryville’s Warehouse Entertainment District hosts another evening of live music under the open sky. It's like Austin came to Southeast Missouri. Outdoor music. A full bar. FOOD. Free to enter (although a $5 cover charge donation is appreciated.) Don't drink and drive, consider a staycation. You can hike off your hangover on the Shoreline Trail at Perry County Community Lake in the morning. Get a donut at Hoeckele's. Eat lunch at the famous Mary Jane Burgers and Brew before you head home. Visit the bookstore. Check out the tractor museum. I think I'm talking myself into a Perryville weekend.
Butterfly & Dragonfly Monitoring Training, Cypress, IL - Learn how to identify and monitor butterflies and dragonflies during this two-day citizen science training hosted in Southern Illinois wetlands and prairie habitat. Enjoy guided field hikes and outdoor surveys. Free, but registration required. Saturday 9am-3:30pm. Sunday 10am-3:30pm.
Sun, May 17
Heartland Writers Guild Monthly Meeting, Cape Girardeau, MO - Writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, and everything in between are invited to this longtime regional writers' gathering downtown. Snack, converse, and learn from a guest speaker.
Decorative Stitching Workshop, Millersville, MO - Bring a jacket, jeans, shirt, or any fabric item that could use a little personality and learn decorative stitching techniques. Supplies and embellishments like lace, buttons, and stencils are provided. $40.
Ste. Genevieve Garden Walk & Plant Sale, Ste. Genevieve, MO - Day two of the Ste. Genevieve garden walk brings another chance to tour local gardens, gather landscaping inspiration, and leave with at least one plant. What's one more? 10am-4pm. $10 general admission. Sunday.
Birding Walk with Master Naturalists, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Southern IL - Join naturalists for a relaxed morning bird walk along the Harmony Trail. Beginners are welcome, binoculars are available to borrow, and spring migration means there's a good chance something interesting will flap past. 8:30am-10am. Free, but registration required.
Plan Ahead The Fun You Can't Improvise
Wellness & Nature Walk - Ball Mill Resurgence Hike, Perryville, MO - Celebrate Mental Health Month with a guided morning nature walk. Parking is limited, carpooling is encouraged. Monday, May 18. 8:30am-10am.
Woods & Water at St. Joe State Park, Park Hills, MO - Hike 2 miles on the Hickory Ridge Trail through pine woods and glades, then paddle Monsanto Lake Water Trail. Led by the MDC's Cape Girardeau Nature Center. No paddling experience needed, and gear is provided. Group transport leaves from Cape Girardeau. Friday May 22. 9am-3:30pm.
Ozarks Edge Endurance Mountain Bike Race, Poplar Bluff, MO - Endurance racing returns to Wolf Creek Trail with 3-, 6-, and 12-hour events for adults and junior riders. Your sign up supports the Poplar Bluff Hellbenders youth team. Building future mountain bikers! May 23. First race starts 10am.
Tour de Tunnel Bike Ride, Vienna, IL - A scenic, non-competitive bike ride on the Tunnel Hill State Trail featuring route options of 10, 20, or 40 miles. Saturday, May 23.
Run for Heroes Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Vienna, IL - A late afternoon race on the Tunnel Hill Trail with multiple distances and a free kids' run. Saturday, May 23.
Spring into Health: Outdoor Nature Zumba, Cape Girardeau, MO - The Cape Nature Center is hosting a family-friendly outdoor Zumba class. Designed for all ages and fitness levels. Registration opens Friday, May 15 for the May 30 event. 10am-10:45am.
Red Cedar Trail Races - 5K, Half Marathon & 40K, Makanda, IL - A trail race through Giant City State Park with multiple distances on rugged, single-track terrain with hills, creek crossings, and forest views. Saturday, May 30.
Tour de Corn, East Prairie, MO - One of the flattest and friendliest rides around returns with 15-, 30-, 63-, and 100-mile routes through the Bootheel. The hometown support and rest stops are legendary. It is corny AF in all the best ways. PAVED. June 27. Ride starts 7:30am. I can personally vouch for what a fun experience this is and will be there again this year.
Klaus Park Klash Mountain Bike Race, Jackson, MO - From youth to adults, nearly 100 riders from 4-5 states gather to take on laps around a 5-mile course at Klaus Park in Jackson for awards and cash prizes. This is a major fundraiser for our youth mountain bike team, so if you want to see locals ride MTB in the Olympics someday, spread the frickin' word, sign up, and ride (or just donate). June 28.
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.