Conservation areas and nature near Carroll County, Missouri

Two Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) areas in Carroll County are within 45 minutes of the farmhouse: Bunch Hollow, with a 4.5-mile trail and nine fishing lakes, and Little Compton Lake, on the Grand River. Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, near Sumner, draws ducks, geese and bald eagles in winter. And without leaving the farmhouse, you can watch deer and turkeys by day and plenty of stars on clear nights.

Bunch Hollow Conservation Area

Bunch Hollow is a 3,294-acre MDC area about 10 miles north of Carrollton, off Highway 65 and Route Z. I’ve hunted there myself.

• Trail: a 4.5-mile multiuse trail for hiking, biking or horseback riding.
• Fishing: nine fishing lakes with bass, catfish and bluegill.
• Landscape: rocky outcroppings and forest with what MDC calls “a hint of Ozark appeal”, plus grassland and savanna. About 1,000 acres in the middle of the area are being restored to prairie, woodland and savanna.
• Birds: it’s one of MDC’s 19 quail emphasis areas, managed for bobwhite quail and other grassland birds.
• Also on site: primitive camping, and hunting in season.

Coming to hunt? See our page on lodging for deer and turkey hunters.

Little Compton Lake Conservation Area

Little Compton Lake is a 514.8-acre MDC area in northeastern Carroll County.

• The lake: a 40-acre lake managed for public fishing, with largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish and crappie.
• The river: 1.5 miles of frontage on the north bank of the Grand River, with bottomland forest along the bank.
• Hours: open daily, 4 AM to 10 PM.

Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Swan Lake, near Sumner and within 45 minutes of the farmhouse, is a national wildlife refuge. In winter, ducks, geese and bald eagles are easy to spot around open water. The refuge is open in daylight hours, and its interior is closed to the public from the end of October until the first Saturday of March. Even then, the nature trail stays open year round, and the observation tower, in a converted grain silo, opens during visitor center hours. You can often see large numbers of geese from the trail or the main entrance road.

Visiting Carroll County conservation areas

• Check each area’s official page for hours, closures and maps before you go. They’re listed in the sources below.
• Hunters use conservation areas in fall and spring, so plan walks with the seasons in mind.
• Bug spray and scented candles are at the farmhouse for time outdoors.

Nature at the farmhouse

• Wildlife: deer and turkeys are common. Guests have also spotted owls, hawks, rabbits, turtles, and even an eagle.
• The sky: sunsets, sunrises and lots of stars on clear nights, with no houses in sight.
• Walks: wander the mowed areas around the property and the pond.
• The pond: stocked with bass, crappie and catfish, catch and release. Children must be supervised near the water.

Read more about the quiet, private setting, the stocked fishing pond, and the animals and bugs you might meet. For towns, food and day trips, see the full area guide.