Victoria Glades Conservation Area Guide

Victoria Glades Conservation Area is a 2.2-mile hiking loop trail located near De Soto, Missouri.

The trail is relatively easy, but some creek crossings, hills, and challenging terrain are part of the hiking experience.

In this guide, I’ll show you everything you need to know about visiting and hiking Victoria Glades Conservation Area.

 

What is Victoria Glades Conservation Area?

Victoria Glades Conservation Area is a 239-acre tract of land managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

This area features natural glades, which have amazing open vistas and overlooks of the surrounding area. Glades are special habitats that often require specific forest management to ensure their current and future health. Prescribed burning is often a major management practice in glade areas.

Victoria Glades is not only a great location for hikers but also for spotting wildlife, birding, and hunting.

There is another glade opposite the road (on the same side as the parking area) managed by The Nature Conservancy that you may also visit. Note that hunting is now allowed on the side managed by The Nature Conservancy.

 

How to Victoria Get to Glades Conservation Area

Getting to Victoria Glades Conservation Area is very easy.

All roads leading to the trailhead are paved and maintained. The trailhead allows for multiple-vehicle parking. Signage, pamphlets, and trash cans are provided.

• To reach this trail from St Louis, Missouri – please see this Google Maps link.
• To reach this trail from Carbondale, Illinois – please see this Google Maps link.

Please adjust the Google Maps page to fit the location you’re traveling from if you need to.

The nearest town to Victoria Glades Conservation Area is De Soto, Missouri.

 

Hiking Victoria Glades Conservation Area

After parking at the parking lot, you’ll need to cross the road to get on the designated trail for Victoria Glades Conservation Area.

Please use caution when crossing the road to reach the trail.

Take the trail up to shortly meet the actual start of the loop trail. We hiked it counterclockwise and felt it was easy to hike going this direction.

You’ll be in the open field that is common with glades at first. Then, you’ll travel into the moderate rolling hills of the forested section.

You’ll pass many opportunities to see the glade environment which is mainly free of trees.

There are beautiful creeks and waterfalls cascades at Victoria Glades Conservation Area.

This is also a great place to see wildlife and wildflowers during your visit.

This is also a highly recommended spot for sunrise and sunset viewing.

After you complete the loop, simply take the trail back down, safely cross the road, and return to your parked vehicle.

 

Gear and Safety Recommendations

The following gear and safety tips are recommended to be considered by anyone visiting Victoria Glades Conservation Area.

Wear comfortable, breathable clothing for hiking or fitness. Layer up when it’s colder. Wear appropriate footwear, such as hiking boots or shoes.

Bring at least the 10 essentials of hiking, along with plenty of water and snacks to keep yourself hydrated and fueled.

This area allows hunting, so please use caution and consider avoiding it during the hunting season to respect hunters and mitigate safety hazards.

Use common sense hiking safety and make sure you watch your step.

 

Victoria Glades Conservation Area Guidelines

Please be sure to take note of the important guidelines regarding your visit to and use of the Victoria Glades Conservation Area.

IMPORTANT: Do not touch, move, flip, or disrupt rocks, logs, or other natural features in this area. Conservation Agents are monitoring this glade. They likely have hidden trail cameras in place. They will fine you for something as simple as lifting a rock. This is not an ideal location to do any sort of herping that involves moving earthly objects to look for wildlife, even if you do it ethically.

At this location, you can see wildlife without moving rocks. We saw snakes and other critters basking in the sun. Venomous snakes do occur in this area, so please watch your step.

This trail is for foot traffic only. Equestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicle users are prohibited from using it.

The area is open for day use only from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Large groups and any sort of commercial activity must obtain a special-use permit from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

 

Nearby to Victoria Glades Conservation Area

I recommend visiting De Soto, Missouri, for amenities near to Victoria Glades Conservation Area.

When we visited, we stayed at Washing State Park. While we tent camp there, they also have cabins, RV camping, hiking trails, climbing routes, water activities, a lodge with ice cream, and petroglyphs that can be easily viewed.

De Soto has restaurants, gas stations, retail stores, and anything else you may need for your comfort and pleasure.

 

Now, Over to You!

Victoria Glades Conservation Area in De Soto, Missouri, is a very nice spot for hiking and scenic views of maintained glades. I highly recommend visiting and hiking this trail.

I’d love to hear from you. Have you hiked this trail? If so, what’s your favorite feature along the hike? If you have any questions about this area, please feel free to ask them in the comments.

If you would like to support me in writing this free guide, you are more than welcome to give me a small one-time donation for my hard work. You can also become a Patreon Member and support me for as little as $3 a month.

If you’re interested, I have free online communities I’d love to invite you to. They’re free to join, and there are no ads. Cycling Topics is a forum dedicated to bicycles and cycling. The Hiking Forum is all about hiking and backpacking. These forums are open to anyone, no matter where you live.

Be sure to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter for more hiking tips, reviews, and upcoming events.

And until next time, I’ll see you on the trail!

Watch the videos for this trail!

Below is a recent video that we filmed while enjoying this area.

Check out the trail gallery!

Enjoy these photos taken around this area!

Please Support Hiking with Shawn

Alrighty folks, I hope you have enjoyed this content. I provide it for free and it takes a while to create. If you would be so kind enough to support my efforts, you can do so by sharing this post with others, especially on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to see my latest videos, shorts and live streams. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for unique content that you will only find on those pages. You might also join my Southern Illinois Hiking & Outdoor Resources Group on Facebook, too!

You can also support me by becoming a Patreon Supporter for as little as $3/month and you can cancel anytime (no contracts or catches). Patreons get access to extra features, exclusive articles, sticker packs, gifts and more. Consider buying official Hiking with Shawn Merchandise as another way to support me. I spend a lot of money on Hiking with Shawn and because of extremely high public land permit fees, I make very little money in return so everything helps.

Thanks again for checking out another one of my articles and until next time, I’ll see you on the trail!