Walk Along the Shoreline at Binkley Woods Park

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.

*Near the start, you can use this map to orient yourself.*

Lake Section

From the street side parking, I went right on the paved trail, heading toward the .44-mile Lower Trail, a loop around Spector Lake.

I crossed the dam and walked along the shoreline, with trees on my right. The water was clear, and I spotted fish and a few turtles.

After making my way to the back of the lake, I found a gazebo with nice views of the water.

Forest Section

Next, I came to the connector for the forest park of the hike. I made a left onto the Upper East Trail, and now I was in the woods.

Then I came to a playground built for kids to practice rock climbing. There were even ropes tied between two rock walls. My son would enjoy playing around on this. A swing set was also nearby.

*The forest trail area can be split into two loops for a shorter hike.*

For the last part of my walk, I followed the Upper West Trail, which heads toward the main road through the woods and then back to the parking lot.

*Park sign with a park shelter located behind it.*

Final Thoughts

All the trails are paved, and you can mix and match the loops for variety. I liked the walk around the lake the most. I covered about a mile, but you could go farther by repeating the loops. The wooded trail is very shady, which feels great on a hot day.

DETAILS

Drive: To get there, take Interstate 70 west from the St. Louis area. In Warrenton, take the exit for W. Warrenton Blvd. and head south. Turn left onto Veterans Memorial Parkway, then right onto Booneslick Road/Missouri Highway MM. Finally, turn right onto Morgan Street; the park will be on your left.

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Address: 418 S Morgan St, Warrenton, MO 63383