Kress Farm Garden Preserve - Hillsboro, Missouri

Do W.

What a wonderful place to explore there are multiple trails and an awesome cliff/cave overhang that you can hike to and explore. The farm is manned by an army of volunteers that tend the gardens and ready plants for purchase. There is local honey and jams for sale and a museum that has artifacts that were found in and around the caves.

Natalie C.

Oh wow, we loved this diamond of a nature trail in Hillsboro, MO! Needs Farm has four nice hiking trails and then a beautiful nursery with annuals and perennials for sale! The employees are all the sweetest angels working and are so so helpful! Visit this great recreation area in South County ASAP!

Melissa W.

Fairly easy hike, with a couple moderate hills coming back up from the caves. Beautiful scenery, and well maintained trails. The volunteers I came in contact with, were very friendly and helpful. They close at 3 pm daily ... that being said, it is managed solely by volunteers, so it is recommended to call to make sure they are open, before marking the trip out. The mosquitoes can be a bit bothersome, so insect repellent is a good idea. They offer walking sticks at no charge, right by the sign in sheet under the pavilion. Mine came in handy, coming back up from the caves, as it had rained the day before and was a little muddy in some areas ... but it was also helpful for clearing spider webs across the path 🙂

Yvonne D.

My husband and I absolutely loved going today! What a beautiful arrangement they have. The trails are gorgeous! We saw a deer, turtle, frog, and tons of beautiful flowers and trees! They also have caves! A must see! Please donate for the beautiful farm if you can!

Philip N.

We really enjoyed our first visit to Kress Farm Garden Preserve. We hiked the Blue Trail (1 mile of moderate difficulty) and Cliff Cave Spur Rugged). The Blue Trail is shaded by evergreens most of the way. When we visited, we especially enjoyed the abundant spring wildflowers.

Other trails include:
Bluebird (1.9 miles),
Red (1.2 miles),
Yellow (0.7 Miles), and
White (2.0 miles).

Kress Farm Garden Preserve is supported by donations and volunteer workers!

Monica K.

Great hidden gem! Only open 9-3. A long gravel road leads you to the farm. Loop is one way, enter the loop on the left and follow the signs (Google tells you to turn right).
You can park next to the building that says restrooms and store. There are 2 restrooms inside plus a drink cooler plus some sundries and souvenirs. This is also where you pay for your native plants that they grow and sell. Their vegetable farm is an MSA.

The pavilion to the left of the store is where you need to sign in (for funding purposes). They also have a donation box, trail maps, and walking sticks you can borrow. Trailheads are at the pavilion.

The white trail incorporates part of all the trails, and loops around the perimeter of the property. The white trail does pass by the spur trails for the waterfall (when it's raining), and the cliff caves. Very cool rock formations. Worth going for.

I think all the trails, aside from the bluebird trail, are a mix of open grassland, shady forest, sandy dirt, and rocky landscapes. Mix of hills and flat land. Trails are well marked, kept clear, and well maintained. There are occasional benches through the trails.

Worth a visit. And is very close to the Sandy Creek covered bridge. Very easy to hit that on your way out.

John G.

A Jefferson County treasure, with well-tended grounds and trails, plus gracious and knowledgeable caretakers. The hikes are clearly marked and show up on the AllTrails App.

Fantastic scenery and the cliffs / caves are amazing, maybe even more photogenic after a rain. Recommended!

Josh E.

Really nice, the blue trail that I hiked had enchanted forest vibes. It was short and sweet and exactly what I wanted with lots of scenery. Beebalm, lots of fungi, and fruiting mayapples. Also a couple really cool cliff caves. The staff here are really nice. I wasn't sure where to start hiking but a nice man named Dave helped me find the trailhead and maps. Thanks for keeping this place going guys!