Devils Honeycomb (Washington County, Missouri)

My second stop on this road trip between Nashville and St. Louis took me to a columnar basalt formation in eastern Missouri. The route took me a bit out of the way, but a long drive can be incredibly boring without some diversions. Having visited many of these types of formations in the western states, I couldn't resist an opportunity to see an example in the mid-west.

Unlike my earlier stop at Garden of the Gods, this trail head was nearly deserted. Two other cars were parked, but no one was in site when I pulled in. I once again put a bottle of water in my pocket knowing the trail was mostly uphill and often exposed in this heat and humidity. It would be a warm hike.

The trail begins through a lush green wood, much like the green woods I remember from my youth. The woods is a symphony of birds and insects, all singing in praise of the bounty they have available to them. So unlike the deserts that I now call my home, this place is rich with life. The trail continues uphill, but at this low elevation, it is not difficult. Hiking and running in the Sierra Nevada Foothills for years has expanded my lungs quite nicely.

As I break through a stand of trees, I see the first hint of the columnar basalt. Shades of red and gray are joined by the pale green of lichens covering and dissolving the ancient rock formations. Unlike the previous examples I have seen, these are often more rectangular than hexagonal. In addition, I would guess they are considerably older than the examples in Yellowstone and near Yosemite. 

Walking around the top of Hughes Mountain, I'm amazed at the amount of ground covered by these geologic wonders. They rise from the ground in patches for as far as the eye can see through the wooded mountain top. 

I encounter some other adventurers and we discuss the geology briefly, before I turn back for the car. The hike out and back was only about 1.7 miles total, but with the heat and grade, it was still something of a workout.