Mt. Hope: Part cemetery, part nature preserve, 100% scenic
A 175-year-old cemetery sits atop a 150-foot bluff, blending history and nature through a window to the past.
Mt. Hope Cemetery, Corning, Mo.
It’s an understatement to call this a unique hiking experience. The ghost town of Corning, Mo., in the far northwest, sits at the foot of the region’s loess hills. Loess (pronounced “luss” as in “truss”) is a German word for windblown sediment that piles up, and piles up and keeps on piling. From St. Joseph, Mo., north to South Dakota, these hills reach up to 300 feet in height above the adjacent Missouri River Valley.
Atop these hills sits Corning Mt. Hope Cemetery, which dates to the 1840s. Why explore a remote cemetery?
It’s a natural place with a partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. As the entry sign states, “This loess hill cemetery today looks much like it did at the time that Lewis and Clark passed by the area on July 15, 1804.” You’ll find wildlife here typical of prairie and the loess hills.
It’s a challenging hike. Although there is no trail, you can park on the street and then make your way nearly straight up this steep hill. You’ll need to catch your breath at the top. (In a floodplain environment, the cemetery had to be built high above level ground.)
It’s a history lesson/time warp. The oldest headstone dates to 1842 and most of them are written in German or German and English.
The view from the top is stunning.
About the Corning community
Corning, Mo., is uninhabited (or nearly so), though it once was home to more than 300 people, primarily German immigrants. It maintained a German-speaking school until well into the 20th Century. The town was ultimately undone by Missouri River flooding, which ravaged it multiple times until the last hardy survivors finally moved on. Although the active life of the town is gone, the history of its people live on at Corning Mt. Hope Cemetery.
Is this a destination trip?
Probably not, unless you love cemeteries and the German history of Missouri. The ghost town of Corning is boarded up and plastered with no trespassing signs. However, if you’re up for some hills and history and are passing on I-29, Mt. Hope Corning Cemetery worth a stop. If you decide to walk through the tallgrass in tick season, you’ll want to be sure to use repellant.
Location
Mt. Hope Corning Cemetery is located at 21887 317 St., Fairfax, MO 64446. Park along the street. While Corning is located west of I-29, the cemetery is east of the highway. It’s about 90 minutes from Downtown Kansas City, Mo.
Nearby attractions
Star School Hill Prairie Conservation Area is about 30 minutes north.
Indian Cave State Park, in Nebraska, is 35 minutes away.
Waubonsie State Park, in Iowa, is 40 minutes north.
