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Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
4.8 ★★★★★ 140 Google reviews · Running trail in Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Loop distance
- 1 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
“Beautiful indoor museum with lots of interactive exhibits and a handful of adjacent outdoor nature trails ranging from easy to hard.”
They are getting trail medallions for hiking sticks soon (think early 2022) but we enjoyed a nice mild 1 mile hike. We stopped in at the main building, but our main goal were the trails behind it.
Nice free stop with the kids to learn more about nature and history in SE Missouri. Was too cold to do the lake it trails, but both looked really nice. Lots of hands on exhibits and chances to touch and feel animal skins. A handful of aquarium with snakes, lizards, gosh and frogs.
Great place for a road trip pit stop. Beautiful indoor museum with lots of interactive exhibits and a handful of adjacent outdoor nature trails ranging from easy to hard. The hard trail is STEEP, so mentally prepare yourself for that - but beautiful nonetheless. We saw 2 turtles and a toad, too.
The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is located just north of the city of Cape Girardeau. There is a very nice museum there with great displays of early native Americans and early settlers as well as fish aquariums and snake displays.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful indoor museum with lots of interactive exhibits and a handful of adjacent outdoor nature trails ranging from easy to hard.”
“Your children will love the live, two-headed black snake, as well as the interactive displays and climb through beaver den.”
“There are multiple short loop and out-and-back trails here included a "disability accessible" trail that is paved and wide enough to accommodate most anyone.”
“There are multiple short loop and out-and-back trails here included a "disability accessible" trail that is paved and wide enough to accommodate most anyone.”
“There are multiple short loop and out-and-back trails here included a "disability accessible" trail that is paved and wide enough to accommodate most anyone.”
“Facility is 5 star clean from exhibits to bathrooms.”
Plan your run at Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- Loop distance1 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitemdc.mo.gov
- Phone(573) 290-5218
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
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