Pleasant Hill hikes begin with a market and historic downtown
Combine a hiking trail (or two) with a visit to the Farmers Market and a historic retail district.
I love connecting hiking with exploring, shopping and following my muse. Small towns are a particularly intriguing draw for me.
Although I’ve been to historic Downtown Pleasant Hill, Mo., many times, I had never visited the Farmers Market. When I received a personal invitation for National Trails Day, I was happy to respond.
There were plenty of interesting items for sale (baked goods, handmade soap, honey, mushrooms, produce and more). But the most enjoyable part was meeting exhibitors and business owners.
As creators and farmers, they’re enthusiastic about explaining their products. You can see and appreciate their passion. My family joined me, and afterward, we walked one block to the downtown area for coffee. The multi-block area includes a train depot (real, running trains!), 1st Street (which functions as a main street) and several adjacent blocks that are also rich in history.
For hikers, there are two trailheads downtown. One is for the MOPAC Trail, which runs north to City Lake. The other is the state’s most well-known trail, the KATY Trail. Scroll down for the link.
As I was invited, I invite you to visit the market, historic downtown and enjoy a trail through the Cass County countryside.
Never miss a hike!
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