Start spring off the right way with a guided nature hike Saturday, March 24 at Crowder State Park near Trenton. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the hike will begin at 9 a.m. and is free and open to the public.

The three-mile hike on Tall Oaks Trail will begin by following the shoreline of Crowder Lake before traveling through a wide variety of natural communities. Hikers can expect to walk through mesic bottomland forests filled with sycamore, river birch and cottonwood trees as well as more open woodlands dominated by white oak and hickory trees.

Anyone interested in the hike should meet at the Shelter 3 parking lot at 9 a.m. They should dress for the weather, wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring water.

Crowder State Park is located west of Trenton off Highway 6. For more information, call the park 660-359-6473. For more information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.