Take a walk around ponds in the woods and let your kids explore nature-themed playgrounds at Bicentennial Park in Belleville, Ill. This hike is .8 miles long with 56 feet of elevation gain. The 43-acre park is not far from the Belleville Crossing Shopping Center and Illinois Highway 15. BICENTENNIAL WALK At the Trailhead My son joined me on the walk and we started it…
Watching mountain bikers go down cliff-like steps and taking in the faraway views is part of the day at West Tyson County Park. My Hike Overview West Tyson County Park has the trailheads of both the Chubb and Flint Quarry Trails. I am starting at the Flint Quarry Trailhead. The Chubb Trailhead is further up the main road to the park. I am hiking the…
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park gives hikers a chance to scramble through caves and see a rock bridge and sinkholes. I went with David and my son. We only had a few hours to explore two sites, but even in that short time, we were left in awe of the place. DEVILS ICE BOX TRAIL This .5-mile rugged trail is primarily a boardwalk. Rock Bridge…
A hike by a clear stream that leads to a waterfall and finding a mineshaft are two highlights of my time at St. Francois State Park.
Hike to a flowing spring and walk along the clear Little Femme Osage Creek on the Lost Valley Trail at Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Parts of this trail follow along old roads so this makes it easier if you are hiking with a friend. Used heavily by mountain bikers so be aware of them as you hike although the good part of that it is…
A spooky name for the heavily wooded area in suburban St. Louis County creates the setting for a hike at Phantom Forest Conservation Area. Where Did the Name Come From? The origin of the name is not so scary. Thirteen acres were donated to the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1994 by Ray and Claire Moore. Ray More was an illustrator and co-creator of The…
Hiking through an upland forest, by an oxbow lake, and being spooked on the trail was part of my time at Robertsville State Park. I hiked the 2.8-mile Lost Hill Trail which has 292 feet of elevation gain on a natural surface that can be rocky at times with some up and down. Lost Trail Name “Lost Hill” received its name from the upland hill…
Driving about 45 minutes south of St. Louis you can check out two remains of low-water dams and mills in Cedar Hill and Morse Mill. Just in time for Halloween, Morse Mill also has a spooky past. CEDAR HILL PARK I stopped at the seven-acre Cedar Hill Park and explored the grounds walking down to the Big River. Here I walked along the shoreline with…
Find remains of a mill and take a walk along Big River at Byrnes Mill City Park south of Fenton, Mo. just off of Missouri Highway 30. Arriving at the Park A playground faces a parking lot at the center of Byrnes Mill along Byrnes Mill Road. I checked out this park with my son who of course first wanted to do the playground. A…
A tall narrow cave in limestone is at the end of a two-mile out-and-back hike at Sandy Creek Natural Tunnel Conservation Area. (Sadly, this land is no longer available for hiking and no longer open to the public) Created when a stream branch took a shortcut to Sandy Creek creating a natural tunnel. The tunnel is 12 feet wide, and 16 feet high inside a…
