French Canyon has walls that are 45 feet tall and is the first canyon you come to from the Visitor’s Center parking lot. It was named after the French explorers who first visited this area in the 1600s. Hiking to the Canyon You can either hike from the Visitor’s Center or descend 150 stairs from Starved Rock Lodge parking. We opted to start the hike…
A natural spring, a grotto, a quaint hotel, and a dairy with miniature golf was all part of our adventure in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It is located between Dayton, Ohio, and Columbus, Ohio. It is 20 miles east of Dayton and 50 miles west of Columbus Ohio and only about eight miles south of Springfield, Ohio from Interstate 70 on U.S. Highway 68. Our first…
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…
Find a canyon with waterfalls, cascades, and pools combine to give delight to hikers at Matthiessen State Park near Oglesby, Il. 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. After his death, the park was donated to the State…
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…
Awe-inspiring sandstone cliffs that form different shapes with views of the surrounding Shawnee Hills are what you will find at Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois. Driving In Heading into the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area you can see the high cliffs along the drive. After parking, we headed to the Observation Trail. Observation Trail This is a quarter-mile interpretive trail that leads…
Whitecliff Park in Crestwood, Mo., includes an abandoned rock quarry with a cliffside pond and 40 acres of woods to explore. Whitecliff Park Trail Whitecliff Park Trail is about a mile hike along a gravel surface through woods and along Gravois Creek. I parked to the right of the park entrance in a small lot near a picnic shelter. There is additional parking up the…
