You can hike the Hamilton-Carr Greenway to the Turkey Ridge Trail

Pass by natural springs and hike through forested hills on a hike combining the Hamilton-Carr Greenway and Turkey Ridge Trail in Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood.

This is about a five-mile hike, with three miles on the paved Hamilton-Carr and two on the natural surface Turkey Ridge Trail.

Starting the Hike

I parked at the Al Foster Memorial Trailhead. The paved Hamilton-Carr Greenway trail starts to the right of Grand Avenue/Washington Avenue. Its full name is the Western Greenway, Hamilton-Carr Trailhead.

Note: If you come to the Meramec River, you are going the wrong way. There are several parking lots, so if one is full, you can try another.

*You will come to a tunnel along the paved trail hike.*

The walk begins next to the road, then heads into the woods and passes under Old State Road through a tunnel.

La Salle Retreat Center

After Old State Road, the grounds to the east are for La Salle Retreat Center. These grounds were once home to an orphanage for boys whose parents had died from a cholera epidemic in the 1870s. Then the Christian Brothers purchased the property to turn it into a campus for boys studying to become Christian brothers.

The center was nearly torn down to build Missouri Highway 109. The Christian Brothers prayed to St. Joseph and asked Brother Octavian, who knew about surveying, to suggest a new route to the west. This saved the property. In thanks, they built a stone grotto dedicated to Saint Joseph.

You can spot the retreat center high above the trail, with its dormitories and a large white cross in front of the main buildings.

Across Highway 109, there is a pasture where horses graze on a nearby ranch.

Next, I passed La Salle Springs Middle School, which is home to the Wildcats, according to a sign on the field fence.

Small Spring

About .1 mile before the Turkey Ridge Trailhead, to the right, is a spring. I think it is on private property, but you can admire it from the trail. It emerges from the hillside below, from some eroded rock. In front of the outlet is a foundation of some structure that went along with the spring.

*Crossing a wooden bridge, walking towards the start of Turkey Ridge Trail.*

End of Hamilton-Carr Greenway

I crossed a wooden bridge over a dry, rocky ravine and reached an intersection with Woods Avenue. On the other side was the trailhead for Turkey Ridge Trail.

The Hamilton Carr-Greenway continues under a tunnel beneath Highway 109, then crosses a bridge over Hamilton Creek before ending at the intersection of Glencoe Road and Woods Road. If you turn onto Glencoe Road, you can walk along the road to reach other trails in Rockwoods Reservation.

Turkey Ridge Trail

Instead, I crossed the gravel parking lot to begin my two-mile hike on the natural surface of Turkey Ridge Trail in Rockwoods Reservation.

Leftward

When the trail formed a loop, I chose the left path. The right side is more challenging because it has more switchbacks.

*I like it when I come across uprooted trees and how they are broken down naturally.*

The trail is rocky, although wide and easy to follow. I passed an uprooted tree with a huge root ball covered in rocks, and now mushrooms are starting to grow on it.

Then I walked past some bluffs and eroded rocks. The trail goes uphill, while deep ravines drop down toward the valley. It’s hard to see other hills because of the thick foliage from the tall trees.

Southward

I reached the end of a ridge, and the trail turned back to the south. There are benches along the way if you need to rest.

From there, the trail descends through switchbacks along the hills.

The trail is easy to follow, but I wondered if there were any trail markers. I noticed some purple paint on a tree and figured those were the markers.

I came across an old tree that had grown around a large rock in its trunk.

*A rock garden was found along the hike.*

As I continued down the hills, I saw large moss-covered rocks and nearby cliffs, creating a natural rock garden.

This was near the end of the loop, and soon I was back on the entry trail.

*Maybe a spring near the Al Foster Trail*

Going Back to the Al Foster Trailhead

I crossed the parking area again and noticed the Hamilton Carr-Greenway crossing a creek filled with water on the left near Old State Road. Then I found a short trail that led close to the creek. I wondered if this was another spring, but it was hard to tell since the water flowed under several road crossings. Old bricks were scattered in the water.

I paused for a moment to enjoy the view of Hamilton Creek below the trail. It’s not easy to reach from the trail, and I had to push through some brush to get a closer look.

Looking to my right, I noticed a small trail and found the remains of a cement building. It was hard to tell what it used to be. This spot was near the start of the hike, just after leaving the road.

This was my final stop before heading back to the car.

Final Thoughts

The paved section of the trail runs close to Highway 109, so it can be noisy. I enjoyed finding the small streams and ruins along the way. Turkey Ridge Trail felt the most remote and like a true hike. The Turkey Ridge Trailhead has limited parking, so if it’s full, you can park at the Al Foster Memorial Trailhead instead.

DETAILS

The Al Foster Memorial Trailhead also serves as the starting point for the Bluffview Trail and the Al Foster Memorial Trail. There are restrooms, a playground, picnic tables, and a pavilion in this area.

To reach the Al Foster Memorial Trailhead, take Interstate 44 west from St. Louis. Take exit 264 and head north on Missouri Highway 109. Turn right onto Old State Road, then quickly turn left onto Washington Avenue/Grand Avenue, which leads to the trailhead parking lot.

Address: 225 Grand Ave, Wildwood, MO 63038

To drive to the Turkey Ridge Trailhead for this hike, take Interstate 44 west from St. Louis. Take exit 264 and go north on Missouri Highway 109. Turn right onto Woods Avenue, and parking will be immediately on your left.

Address: 3197 Woods Rd, Wildwood, MO 63038

Hours: One-Half hour before dawn to one-half hour after dusk