Near Don Robinson State Park, you can visit the Black Madonna Shrine, famous for its colorful rock sculptures. Rockford Beach along the Big River is located nearby and is perfect for a short walk or a picnic. HISTORY OF THE BLACK MADONNA SHRINE In 1927, John J. Glennon, Archbishop of St. Louis, requested that a group of Franciscans come from Poland to establish a nursing…
On the LaBarque Hills Trail in Don Robinson State Park, you’ll see eroded cliffs and clear pools surrounded by sandstone canyons. The trail itself is listed at 2.4 miles, but with the walk from the parking lot and some side trips to canyon views, I ended up hiking 3.1 miles with 423 feet of elevation gain. Start of the Hike I parked in the paved…
Hike through fields full of flowers in the spring and walk by swamps and ponds that used to be gravel pits at the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area. Overview The conservation area sits south of Eureka, Missouri, just off Highway K. There’s another section off Loop 44, but you can’t get to it from the hiking area on the south side of the Meramec River, and…
Explore Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, an ancient six-square-mile city of 20,000 people and filled with huge man-made mounds. These mysterious mounds were abandoned around 1400 A.D. This walk includes Monks Mound which rises 100 feet above the surrounding land. A massive building once stood on the summit where a principal chief would live, conduct ceremonies, and govern. Located near Collinsville, IL. and the intersection…
Hike through woods and along the shore of Spector Lake at Binkley Woods Park in Warrenton, MO., east of the St. Louis Metro. The trail is paved and has two loops—one circles the lake, and the other goes through the woods. The total distance is 0.9 miles with 45 feet of elevation gain. Parking is along Morgan Street before the lake. Lake Section From the…
You can enjoy beautiful views of Crescent Valley and the Meramec River by hiking the Bluff View Trail in Wildwood, MO. The trail is a 5.2-mile out-and-back hike with 344 feet of elevation gain. You can start from Bluff View Park at 1900 Old State Road or from the Al Foster Trailhead at 225 Grand Avenue, both in Wildwood, MO. Parking at the Al Foster…
Cliffside walks along the Meramec River and wading in Kiefer Creek were part of our day at Castlewood State Park.
On the Mallard Lake Loop hike, you’ll see cliffside drip falls and lake views, then have lunch on the deck at the Lakehouse restaurant in Creve Coeur Park. I hiked 2.6 miles on the loop, including part of the Creve Coeur Lakeview Trail, and went around Mallard Lake on both paved and gravel paths below the bluffs. Parking I parked near the Creve Coeur Lakehouse…
Find a canyon with waterfalls, cascades, and pools combine to give delight to hikers at Matthiessen State Park near Oglesby, Il. All You Should Know Before Hiking at Matthiessen State Park History of Matthiessen State Park Frederick William Matthiessen purchased the land at the end of the 19th century to develop it into a privately-owned park. About 50 employees constructed trails, bridges stairways, and dams….
Exploring a clear flowing spring, a trout hatchery, and a former ironworks is a day of fun at Maramec Spring Park. Trout Farm at Maramec Spring Parking near the fish hatchery we went first to feed the fish. The Missouri Department of Conservation raises the trout in the spring water. Fish food dispensers are by the separated fish pools. We put in 25 cents and…
