Discover gardens adorned with blooming plants and shrubs and a Veteran’s Memorial in Blanchette Park, St. Charles, MO. In the park, I walked various loops to see the gardens and explore the entire area. There is much to explore in this 44-acre park, the oldest in St. Charles, established on Sept. 26, 1914. I entered the park from Randolph Street, went to the right, and…
See waterfalls, shut-ins, creek cascades, pink boulders, and pine-studded hills at Lower Rock Creek, located 12 miles southwest of Fredericktown, MO. This is a 4-mile natural surface hike with a 325-foot elevation gain. The trail is unclear in some places, so consider bringing a map and compass. I used the AllTrails app but encountered some issues. Be aware that this is a remote location. The…
Explore two short trails around former mining lakes and discover stranded barges at the Catawissa Conservation Area, located south of Pacific, Mo. The trails have a natural surface that is mostly level but can become overgrown. History The area was acquired by the state of Missouri in 1978 and was previously a gravel mining operation located in the floodplain of the Meramec River. At the…
Walking along a clear stream to waterfalls and going up into the cliffs to see a cave are some of the natural treasures at Ferne Clyffe State Park. The park has a large number of trails to explore. BIG ROCKY HOLLOW TRAIL This is a .75-mile natural surface trail that is mostly flat. Although, be prepared for some small brook crossings along the way. The…
See ancient Native American mounds on an easy-to-walk path at Dames Park in O’Fallon, Mo., just north of Interstate 70. This is a 1.3-mile walk on a paved surface that follows the side of one-way streets and sidewalks in the park. The route is mostly level, with only 30 feet of elevation gain. Start of the Hike I parked in the first lot I encountered…
Swimming in the Meramec River and hiking to an old cave entrance was our “Sunday Funday” as a family at Onondaga Cave State Park.
Hike around a large, clear lake, then above wetlands, and through the urban landscape on the Spencer Road Trail ending at City Centre Park in St. Peters, Mo. This hike covers 8.35 miles on paved trails with an elevation gain of 155 feet. The walk begins at 370 Lakeside Park and then follows the levee along Spencer Creek. It continues along Spencer Road into commercial…
Hike along a clear, pebble-filled stream and through forests on the Brookmount Trail in a quiet neighborhood in St. Peters, MO. This is a 1.9-mile out-and-back paved trail, mostly flat, with only 46 feet of elevation gain. Start of the Walk There is no dedicated parking lot for this walk, so I parked on Carrington Drive just north of Willott Road and walked south along…
Bellemeade Trail winds through the woods and leads to a one-of-a-kind small-town playground at Brookmount Park in St. Peters. This 1 mile out and back walk on a paved trail connects Tot Lot Park to Brookmount Park. Tot Lot Park I parked in a small lot near Mexico Road. Most of the park is occupied by a playground enclosed by a fence. The playground has…
A botanical braille trail and a scenic stop along Cole Creek are part of a hike at McNair Park in St. Charles, Mo. I first walked a quarter mile along the Braille Trail, which had only seven feet of elevation gain. After that, I took a much longer 1.7-mile walk around the park, using paved paths and fields, with a total elevation gain of 148…
