The only whitewater kayak area in Missouri is home to the first race of the season in March of each year. The large volume of water of the St. Francois River flowing through Tiemann Shut-Ins is another of the Valley’s beautiful sites. The park has a paved trail down to the shut-in area. (8 miles east on Hwy 72)
Millstream Gardens Conservation Area is a 697-acre tract of land in Madison County, about halfway between Fredericktown and Arcadia, off of State Route 72. The Tiemann Shut-ins are within the area’s boundaries. The St. Francis River forms one of the area’s western boundaries, then meanders eastward for 1.2 miles through the area’s mid-southern section, before rushing through the shut-ins and passing into the Silver Mines area. The area’s woodlands are composed primarily of oak, hickory, and pine in the uplands, and ash, elm, and maple along the river border and its drainages. The St. Francis River at Millstream Gardens, and its wooded corridor, is a part of Missouri’s Natural Area System. This large stream contains an adjoining slough and large igneous shut-ins. A wide variety of animals live here. Wildlife species such as whitetail deer, turkey, and squirrel inhabit the uplands.
