OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

Arrived at Blue Spring and legit thought the water was fake—like, does Missouri have a blue Gatorade pipeline or what? Hiked in with my Oregon gear, tripped over tree roots immediately, almost lost a boot to the mud but hey, at least it’s not quicksand like back home. Some local told me the spring is so deep they don’t actually know where it ends, which is honestly a little unsettling. Watched a guy in cutoff jeans try to swim across—he made it halfway, then just floated and waved like a king. Pro tip: Don’t wear your best shoes. There’s this quiet hush around the spring that makes you forget you’re still in the Midwest, until you get smacked by a mosquito the size of a sandwich. Someone please tell me why the turtles here are so bold? I swear one tried to steal my granola bar.

Y’all, I’m from South Carolina and I thought our springs were blue but this one? Absolutely bonkers. Drove out in my cousin’s pickup, left with more bug bites than souvenirs. If you find a pair of sunglasses near the canoe launch—mine now. Water so clear you can see your regrets.

Not to flex but Florida has a Blue Spring too, except ours is filled with manatees and gator drama. Missouri’s version is chill in a different way—sat on a log, got inspired, wrote half a country song about sunlight on turquoise water then ate a soggy sandwich. Never found the caves but found peace and, honestly, that’s rarer.

Maine kid here. Whole place reminded me of a lobster pound except swap salt for cedar. Saw a snake, panicked, tripped into a wildflower patch, got pollen in my teeth. 10/10 would embarrass myself again for those views.

I’ll be honest, came for the blue water, stayed for the random stories in the parking lot. Ran into a guy who swears the spring is bottomless. New Jersey has nothing like this. Left my snack in the car, came back and some raccoon left me a pinecone in exchange.

Wisconsin in the house! Thought I was tough till I tried hiking these Ozark trails after a rain. If you see muddy footprints doing a cha-cha, that’s me. The water looks like it’s from a postcard, but why is it so cold? Someone please invent beer-flavored coffee, I’d survive out here.

North Dakota weather: snow, wind, blue sky. Missouri weather: frogs, fog, humidity and then, wham, paradise pool in the forest. Chased a butterfly, lost my hat, made a new friend who told me the best picnic spot (not telling).

Louisiana swamp kid. I saw crayfish, heard bullfrogs, and tried to teach a turtle to fist bump. Didn’t work, but I did get an invite to a campfire singalong. Never pass up a spring-side s’more, just trust me.

Well, thanks to a little digital faceplant (read: the forum crash), we had to rebuild from scratch. So I’m reposting some of the old pics to keep the place from looking like a ghost town. If you’ve got better shots—or just want to rub it in—drop ’em below. I can take it. Probably.