A spring in winter
Greer Spring beauty does not fade with the weather

photo by Jeff Joiner

For some people winter is a time to curl up on the couch with the remote control and watch movies or football. But Missouri is a beautiful state even in the cold of winter.

The second-largest spring in Missouri is Greer in Oregon County. Greer Spring branch carries 220 million gallons of water a day to the nearby Eleven Point River. Even in the stillness of winter, the spring and branch provide a unique beauty.

Hiking the 1-mile trail down to the spring might be brisk, but you won't likely run into any crowds.

The spring actually emerges from two different spots — from within the mouth of Greer Spring Cave and up from the bed of the branch itself. Because the water in the spring is a nearly constant 50 to 55 degrees many species of plants continue to thrive throughout the winter in areas surrounding the spring where the air is warmed by the water.

Interestingly, Greer Spring more than doubles the volume of the Eleven Point River. The spring, which is on U.S. Forest Service land, is 18 miles south of Winona on Highway 19.

For information about the spring and other attactions in the Mark Twain National Forest, stop at the Winona district office of the Forest Service or call (573) 325-4233.