Warren County Highpoint Trip Report

twelve areas (940+ ft)

Date: March 19, 2005
Author: Bob Schwab

Andy Martin’s book suggests there are eleven areas above 940 feet in Warren County but I found nine areas in the southern cluster (Treloar Quad, sections 13/14/23/24/25) where Andy reported only eight. Thus, there are twelve unique contours that must be visited in three different geographical locations to claim this county.

four areas along Meremonte Road

From the intersection of Routes 94 and U just northwest of Pickney, drive north on Route U for four miles to Meremonte Road. Turn right on Meremonte Road and continue another 0.2 mile to an electrical transformer station on your right. Pull in the drive and survey area 1. The topo map shows a small contour extending north from under the power lines but the northern part has been flattened (probably by the power station). You can still see the higher "natural" ground under the power line. Continuing south on the road, you repeatedly cross over a very large contour (area 2) that extends east and south for almost a mile. There are several homes along this road and there is a track/drive that branches east along the northern edge of the eastern arm of this area. Walk east through the field (rather than follow the track/road) so you can better survey the lay of the land out there. This large area undulates a bit so you will want to walk around and find the higher spots. As you drive farther south on Meremonte, pass a white barn on the right and find another obvious high spot close to the road near the northern cedar trees and four large hay bales. Follow the road as it bends sharply left and continues south to end at a pasture on the left and a farm on the right. Area 3 is across the fence in the pasture just east of the road. Area 4 is out in the pasture behind the farm buildings (barns) on the right (west). Area 2 certainly seems to be the highest of these sites along Meremonte Road.

five areas along Route U - including spot elevation 946 ft

Return to the intersection of Route U and Meremonte Road and head north on Route U. In 0.2 mile, you will drive across area 5, which reaches east into a field, across from an old church. Continue north another 0.3 mile to the intersection where spot elevation 946 is located (area 6). Note the steep driveway to your right that ascends to the house on the ridge. I drove up to the first house (no one was home) and estimate that it rises an additional 10-12 feet above the spot elevation in the intersection. The highest area seems to be right in the driveway where a side drive splits off and follows the ridge to the east. This is my candidate for the highest ground in the county. After visiting this "lofty" spot, the rest of area 6 to the east, to the west, and along Route U (north of the spot elevation) seemed low in comparison. Area 7 is a bean field (about 0.5 mile north of the spot elevation of 946) that is intersected by Route U. You can follow a track about 0.3 mile east from near the BM 941 site to another modest contour out on the ridge (area 8). The final contour (area 9) is another field east of Route U, about 0.3 mile northeast of area 7.

one area southwest of Warrenton

Continue north on Route U for 4.1 miles from area 9 (or 4.9 miles north of the spot elevation of 946). Watch for a metal building on your right just before passing Firetower Road. Pull in to the parking lot and walk around (area 10). This is the Missouri Conservation Office for the local area and it occupies the site of the old lookout tower. Not a lot of gain within the contour which has been altered.

two areas south of Pendleton

Leave Interstate 70 at Exit 188 and head south 1.5 miles on Route B. Pass through the small town of Pendleton to the intersection of Route B with Route EE. From the intersection, continue south on Route EE another 0.7 mile to the intersection with Pendleton Lost Creek Road. The curve you’ve just rounded cuts through a fairly large open contour (area 11) which extends to the east. A BM (Pendleton, 941 feet) is near the road and the ground here is definitely higher than the last tiny spot (area 12) which is another 0.2 mile down the Pendleton Lost Creek Road on the right. I pulled into the drive and walked around under the evergreens here but the land really doesn’t seem to rise here at all.