60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis: Including Sullivan, Potosi, and Farmington

By Steve Henry

It’s Time to Take a Hike in Saint Louis, Missouri!

The best way to experience St. Louis is by hiking it! Get outdoors with author Steve Henry, with the new full-color edition of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis. A perfect blend of popular trails and hidden gems, the selected trails transport you to scenic overlooks, wildlife hot spots, and historical settings that renew your spirit and recharge your body. You’ll learn about the area and experience nature through 60 of the Gateway City’s best hikes!

Each hike description features key at-a-glance information on distance, difficulty, scenery, traffic, hiking time, and more, so you can quickly and easily learn about each trail. Detailed directions, GPS-based trail maps, and elevation profiles help to ensure that you know where you are and where you’re going. Tips on nearby activities further enhance your enjoyment of every outing. Whether you’re a local looking for new places to explore or a visitor to the area, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis provides plenty of options for a couple hours or a full day of adventure, all within about an hour from St. Louis and the surrounding communities.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press
• Release date: Jun 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781634041072

Book preview

60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES: ST. LOUIS

Copyright © 2003, 2006, 2010, and 2021 by Steve Henry

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Published by Menasha Ridge Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Fourth edition, first printing

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Henry, Steve, author.

Title: 60 hikes within 60 miles St. Louis : including Sullivan, Potosi, and Farmington / Steve Henry.

Other titles: Sixty hikes within sixty miles St. Louis

Description: Fourth edition. | Birmingham, AL : Menasha Ridge Press, [2021] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021001792 (print) | LCCN 2021001793 (ebook) | ISBN 9781634041065 (paperback) | ISBN 9781634041072 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Hiking—Missouri—Saint Louis Region—Guidebooks. | Saint Louis Region (Mo.)—Guidebooks. | Saint Louis (Mo.)—Guidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV199.42.M82 S754 2021 (print) | LCC GV199.42.M82 (ebook) | DDC 917.78/6604—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021001792

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021001793

Cover and text design: Jonathan Norberg

Interior photos: Steve Henry, unless otherwise noted on page

Cartography: Scott McGrew

Index: Rich Carlson

Cover photos: Front, sunrise on the Meremec River at Castlewood State Park (Hike 4) © Rob Neville Photos/Shutterstock. Back, clockwise from top: Bell Mountain Wilderness Area (Hike 32); Green’s Cave Bushwhack: Hamilton Hollow Route (Hike 35); Lower Rock Creek (Hike 40); Hughes Mountain Natural Area (Hike 37). All back cover photos © Steve Henry.

Visit menasharidge.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at our website, at facebook.com/menasharidge, or at twitter.com/menasharidge with questions or comments. To find out more about who we are and what we’re doing, visit our blog, trekalong.com.

DISCLAIMER This book is meant only as a guide to select trails in the St. Louis area and does not guarantee hiker safety in any way—you hike at your own risk. Neither Menasha Ridge Press nor Steve Henry is liable for property loss or damage, personal injury, or death that result in any way from accessing or hiking the trails described in the following pages. Please be aware that hikers have been injured in the St. Louis area. Be especially cautious when walking on or near boulders, steep inclines, and drop-offs, and do not attempt to explore terrain that may be beyond your abilities. To help ensure an uneventful hike, please read carefully the introduction to this book, and perhaps get further safety information and guidance from other sources. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the areas you intend to visit before venturing out. Ask questions, and prepare for the unforeseen. Familiarize yourself with current weather reports, maps of the area you intend to visit, and any relevant park regulations.

DEDICATION

Thanks to all the park folks and volunteers who built these spectacular trails. May all who hike these paths appreciate the beautiful results of their labor as much as I do.

OVERVIEW MAP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview Map

Map Legend

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Preface

60 Hikes by Category

Introduction

ST. LOUIS METRO AREA

1Al Foster Trail

2Babler State Park

3Bluff View Trail

4Castlewood State Park

5Chubb Trail

6Cliff Cave County Park

7Creve Coeur Park: Bootlegger’s Run Trail

8Don Robinson State Park

9Green Rock Trail

10 Greensfelder County Park: Beulah and Fossil Ridge Trails

11 LaBarque Creek Conservation Area

12 Lone Elk County Park

13 Myron and Sonya Glassberg Conservation Area

14 Rockwoods Range

15 Rockwoods Reservation

16 Young Conservation Area

ILLINOIS

17 Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve

18 Little Grand Canyon

19 McCully Heritage Project

20 Pere Marquette State Park

21 Piney Creek Ravine Nature Preserve

22 Salt Lick Point Land and Water Reserve

23 White Rock Nature Preserve

WEST AND NORTHWEST OF ST. LOUIS

24 Broemmelsiek Park

25 Cuivre River State Park

26 Engelmann Woods Natural Area

27 Graham Cave State Park

28 Indian Camp Creek Park

29 Klondike Park

30 Weldon Spring Conservation Area: Lewis and Clark Trail

31 Weldon Spring Conservation Area: Lost Valley Trail

SOUTHWEST OF ST. LOUIS

32 Bell Mountain Wilderness Area

33 Berryman Trail

34 Council Bluff Lake

35 Green’s Cave Bushwhack: Hamilton Hollow Route

36 Green’s Cave Bushwhack: Sleepy Hollow Route

37 Hughes Mountain Natural Area

38 Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park: Goggins Mountain Trail

39 Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park: Shut-Ins and Horseshoe Glade Trails

40 Lower Rock Creek

41 Meramec Conservation Area

42 Meramec State Park’s Short Trails

43 Meramec State Park: The Wilderness Trail

44 Onondaga Cave State Park

45 Ozark Trail: Courtois Section, Bass Resort to Onondaga Cave

46 Shaw Nature Reserve

47 Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

48 Vilander Bluff Natural Area

SOUTH OF ST. LOUIS

49 Amidon Memorial Conservation Area

50 Buford Mountain Conservation Area

51 Hawn State Park: Whispering Pine Trail

52 Hickory Canyons Natural Area

53 Mastodon State Historic Site

54 Pickle Springs Natural Area: Trail Through Time

55 Silver Mines–Millstream Gardens Trail

56 St. Francois State Park

57 Trail of Tears State Park

58 Valley View Glades Natural Area

59 Victoria Glades Conservation Area

60 Washington State Park

APPENDIXES

Appendix A: Outdoors Shops

Appendix B: Places to Buy Maps

Appendix C: Hiking Clubs, Outdoors Organizations, and Events

Appendix D: Agency List

Appendix E: Good Hikes That Didn’t Make the Cut This Time

About the Author

MAP LEGEND

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to all those who work and volunteer in the parks, conservation departments, and national forests in the St. Louis area. Due to their vision and hard work, St. Louisans are blessed with miles and miles of beautiful trails only an hour or two from the metro area. Furthermore, they’re always happy to answer questions—even those from guidebook authors, wearing muddy boots and smelling kind of gamy, who barge into their offices 5 minutes before quitting time. Thanks also to the folks at Menasha Ridge Press, who were patient with me and somehow formed a mountain of material into a coherent and readable book. May our guidebook bring you miles of smiles in the hills, hollows, glades, and valleys of eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois.

—Steve Henry

FOREWORD

Welcome to Menasha Ridge Press’s 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, a series designed to provide hikers with the information they need to find and hike the very best trails surrounding metropolitan areas.

Our strategy is simple: First, find a hiker who knows the area and loves to hike. Second, ask that person to spend a year researching the most popular and very best trails around. And third, have that person describe each trail in terms of difficulty, scenery, condition, elevation change, and all other categories of information that are important to hikers. Pretend you’ve just completed a hike and met up with other hikers at the trailhead, we tell each author. Imagine their questions; be clear in your answers.

An experienced hiker and writer, author Steve Henry has selected 60 of the best hikes in and around the St. Louis metropolitan area, ranging from walks through the meadows, marshes, and forests of Shaw Nature Reserve to wilder treks in the Mark Twain National Forest. From urban hikes that make use of parklands to aerobic outings in state parks, Steve provides hikers (and walkers) with a great variety of hikes—and all within roughly 60 miles of St. Louis.

You’ll get more out of this book if you take a moment to read the Introduction, which explains how to read the hike profiles. The Topographic Maps section (page 5) will help you understand how useful topos are on a hike and will also tell you where to get them. And though this is a where-to, not a how-to, guide, readers who have not hiked extensively will find the Introduction of particular value.

As much for the opportunity to free the spirit as to free the body, let these hikes elevate you above the urban hurry.

All the best,

The Editors at Menasha Ridge Press

PREFACE

St. Louisans are so lucky. There are miles and miles of trail in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, ranging from rugged all-day treks to short jaunts perfect for an evening walk. These trails explore a wide range of scenery, wandering through forests, river valleys, piney ridges, deep hollows, prairies, glades, wetlands, and several rugged canyons. Best of all, we Midwesterners can enjoy them year-round. When the glamour destinations in the western states are buried under feet of snow, we can still hit the trail.

In fact, winter is the favorite hiking season for many folks, including me. The forest is gray-brown, but bright cedars and pines stand out like green candles. Shorter days mean less time to hike, but the winter sunshine is deep and rich. The bugs are gone, there’s no humidity, and the days are often autumn-like. The trees are bare, exposing scenic vistas obscured by greenery during the warm months. And bitterly cold weather means still more beauty. Waterfalls and streams freeze into fantastic ice sculptures, seeps from rock layers form icicle mustaches along cliff faces, and the snow squeaks pleasantly underfoot. After ice storms, the forest glitters as if encrusted with diamonds. The trees crack and groan in the wind, pelting you with tinkling showers of ice crystals as they shed their frozen jackets. And because lots of folks are intimidated by the cold, you’ll have all this beauty to yourself!

Good as winter is, you can start arguments over which season, spring or fall, is the best time to hike. Those first breath of spring days in early March are delightful. Wildflowers start blooming, and the new leaves are an incredibly bright green when the buds first pop. Redbuds tinge the hillsides pink, and after the flowering dogwoods bloom the forest floor is carpeted with white petals. The songbirds return, and in the wetlands the symphony of frogs belting out their mating calls is entrancing. Spring rains fill the streams, and all the waterfalls and cascades come to life. Don’t let rain keep you off the trail—it’s worth getting a bit damp just to enjoy the noisy streams, and leaves and mosses along the trail glow a bright, iridescent green when soaked by spring showers.

On the other hand, fall hiking is hard to beat. The temperatures are moderate, the bugs disappear, the heat and humidity of summer are gone, and the colors are incredible. I like hiking just after the leaves have fallen. Then, even on cloudy days, yellow leaves carpeting the forest floor make the whole landscape glow as if lit from beneath. The trail is crunchy with leaves and acorns, and the air is crisp and sweet. Only two drawbacks mar fall hiking: once the leaves are down it’s harder to find the trail when hiking less-traveled paths, and in November and December hunters take to the woods. Hiking more-popular trails can solve the former problem, and choosing hikes in state and county parks, where hunting is prohibited, takes care of the latter one. And avoid Department of Conservation properties during deer hunting season; almost all of these are popular hunting destinations.

Early spring on Lower Rock Creek (see page 199)

Summer isn’t a fun time to hike around St. Louis. The trails are hot, humid, overgrown, and buggy. Still, occasional cool fronts sometimes bring respites, and hiking early in the morning can be delightful. If you’re really adventurous and determined to hike in summer, check the calendar for the full moon and do some night hiking. Most conservation areas are open until 10 p.m., national forest trails have no time limitations, and if you’re camping in one of the state parks, you can wander their trails from your campsite. It’s fun to explore the woods in the moonlight, listening to the owls and coyotes as you go.

Whatever season you choose, you’ll find hikes of all lengths and difficulties in this guide. I focused more on true hikes as opposed to walks, though there are several short, paved hikes included in the book. Because I used the edge of the metro area as my starting point for the 60-mile radius from town, some hikes are beyond 60 miles from the Arch. As you scan the table of contents, you’ll note several trails a bit farther than 60 miles, no matter how you cut it. These trails are some of the best hikes in the two-state area, so I included them anyway. My yardstick for choosing hikes was this: if you could drive to a trail, do the hike, and easily drive home again the same day, it went in the book. Had I stuck religiously to the 60-mile limit, you’d miss out on such treasures as Mina Sauk Falls and the beautiful Mississippi River overlooks at Trail of Tears State Park.

You’re also getting quite a few more than 60 hikes. Many of the parks described in this guide offer more than one trail—in some cases six or more routes in one trail system—totaling more than 100 hikes. That’s why you’ll see wide ranges in estimated hiking times and difficulty ratings in some hike profiles. Trail-difficulty ratings are an inexact science, and the multiple-trail profiles mentioned above get tougher ratings because of their total distance, even though they may include short hikes deserving easier ratings. Don’t take the ratings as gospel—read the text to get a feel for how tough a given hike really is, as well as whether there’s a shorter option more suited to your time and energy.

Also see the 60 Hikes by Category table on pages xv–xvii to find hikes that fit your wants and needs. Remember, however, that hiking recommendations are somewhat subjective. My beautiful hike may be your boring one and vice versa. Several times I’ve thought a trail somewhat unimpressive, only to later hear others rave about how great it was. Also, the kid-friendly category doesn’t mean those trails are cakewalks. All hikes in that category are short, but they may include stretches of rugged trail and occasional stream crossings. After all, kids love to climb boulders and play in water, so trails with these features are perfect for kids.

The maps in the book are good ones, but trail maps from the parks and forest service are more detailed. These are often found at trailheads and park offices, and many are available in printable format on the internet. Especially useful are the interactive printable maps available for Missouri’s state park trails. Go to mostateparks.com, use the Find Your Park feature to access your destination’s webpage, then click on Park Trails or the hiker icon to access printable maps for each trail in the park. For interactive maps featuring GPS coordinates for features on your hike, click the Detailed Trail Information button at the top of the trail list.

Because trail systems sometimes undergo changes, don’t be surprised to occasionally find different trails or markings from those described in the text. Reroutes take place, flooding forces adjustments, new trails may be added to a network, or different marking systems may be adopted. Also, in the text you’ll often read of trails marked with Carsonite posts. In case you’re not familiar with these, they’re the flat, flexible, fiberglass posts often used to mark trails. Most hikes are well marked and easy to follow, and those that aren’t are noted in the text.

Though I rarely get lost, I always carry a map and compass or GPS with me on an unfamiliar trail, and I recommend you do the same. If you lose your way, simply backtrack to the last known marker on the map, orient yourself with your compass, and you’re all set. If you somehow lose the trail completely, your compass will guide you on a heading to the nearest road. With a GPS it’s really simple—if you set a waypoint before leaving the trailhead, you can use the trackback feature to find your way back.

Another hiking essential is a good pair of hiking boots. The most scenic trails are often the most rugged, and good footwear makes hiking them more enjoyable. Waterproof boots, either Gore-Tex or treated leather, are preferred. They let you splash dry-footed through the many shallow streams and wetlands you’ll cross on these hikes. Also helpful on stream crossings and rugged trails, especially when it’s rainy or icy, is a good hiking staff. You can usually find a stick along the trail that serves the purpose, but the new lightweight, telescoping, metal ones are superb.

I recommend carrying a camera, pair of binoculars, magnifying glass, and a couple of field guides or smartphone apps like iNaturalist or Merlin Bird ID on your hikes. They’ll slow you down, but in a good way. You’ll find yourself spotting birds, identifying wildflowers, and photographing bluffs and waterfalls, thus being drawn more deeply into the landscape and experiencing the natural world in a more satisfying way. Hiking is more enjoyable if you know a bit about the territory you’re wandering through. Without an understanding of what’s behind nature’s beauty, hiking through scenic landscapes is like reading a travel book in a foreign language—you’ll like the pretty pictures, but you’ll miss out on the fascinating story in the text.

Powder Valley Nature Center (see Appendix E) and Shaw Nature Reserve (see page 227) are two destinations perfect for developing your knowledge of western Illinois and eastern Missouri’s natural beauty. Powder Valley’s visitor center is a superb place to study the area’s flora and fauna, and Shaw’s Whitmire Wildflower Garden will give you a leg up on identifying wildflowers and trees. While you’re at Powder Valley, you can subscribe to the Department of Conservation’s magazine, Missouri Conservationist. Free for all residents of Missouri, it’s full of informative nature articles and features on places to go within the Missouri Department of Conservation’s vast array of landholdings.

Whether you know a little or a lot about the natural world, you’ll find much beauty along the hikes in this guidebook. I hope you enjoy hiking these paths as much as I do and that you get out on the trail often. May you surprise flocks of turkeys, spot bald eagles, meander through carpets of wildflowers, splash through clear cascades, and picnic on scenic, cedar-studded bluffs.

Hope to see you out there!

—Steve Henry

60 HIKES BY CATEGORY

Late winter in Hickory Canyons Natural Area (see page 256)

Meramec River bluff in Onondaga Cave State Park

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the new edition of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis! If you’re new to hiking, or even if you’re a seasoned trailsmith, take a few minutes to read the following introduction. We’ll explain how this book is organized and how to get the best use of it.

About This Book

ST. LOUIS METRO AREA

These hikes explore a mix of state conservation areas, St. Louis and St. Charles county parks, and three Missouri state parks. They range from easy jaunts along old railroad grades on the Al Foster Trail to wild and rugged hikes in the LaBarque Creek watershed southwest of Eureka. In spite of their proximity to civilization, most of these treks feel wonderfully secluded. Wherever you live in the metro area, you’ll be within 15 minutes of at least one of these getaways.

ILLINOIS

Hikes in the Land of Lincoln explore bits of wildland tucked into an otherwise developed landscape. Three trails explore steep bluffs along the Mississippi River, where you’ll be treated to panoramic views of the river valley, and, in season, you can admire wildflowers scattered across tiny remnants of hill prairie. Piney Creek Ravine showcases some of the few known petroglyphs in the state, and Little Grand Canyon explores a hidden gorge in the Shawnee National Forest.

WEST AND NORTHWEST OF ST. LOUIS

Scattered along or around the Missouri River valley, these hikes explore rugged hills that aren’t quite mountains. They show off several of St. Charles County’s new parklands and meander among recovering forests in the previously developed landscapes of Weldon Spring Conservation Area and Klondike Park. While they aren’t as remote and wild as hikes farther south, their proximity to St. Louis makes them ideal for quick evening escapes or summer cool-of-the-morning getaways.

SOUTHWEST OF ST. LOUIS

With six hikes in the Mark Twain National Forest and several others in remote parts of state parks and conservation areas, here’s where the wild and rugged hikes begin. Visits to Missouri’s two highest mountains are included here, and from the state’s high point in Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, you can hike 13 incredibly rugged and scenic Ozark Trail miles to Johnson’s Shut-Ins, one of Missouri’s most popular parks. Three bushwhack hikes will challenge your route-finding skills, and the geology of Hughes Mountain Natural Area will astound you. And yeah, I know, some of them are over 60 miles from town, but these places are worth the trip.

SOUTH OF ST. LOUIS

Remote and wild treks are in this region, too, though not as many as the one above. Fantastic geology is a theme, with beautiful canyons, rock walls, bluffs, and glades found at several of these sites. Your hike can be long, steep, and rugged at Buford Mountain and Hawn State Park, or short, easy, and awesome at Amidon, Pickle Spring, and Hickory Canyons. Steep yourself in the past by exploring Mastodon State Historic Site, admiring petroglyphs at Washington State Park, checking out poignant visitor center displays at Trail of Tears State Park, or poking around the old tailings and dam on the St. Francis River at Silver Mines. Just upriver from the old mine are the beautiful, boulder-strewn rapids of Millstream Gardens, home to Missouri’s best whitewater boating.

How to Use This Guidebook

Overview Map and Map Legend

Use the overview map on page iv to assess the exact locations of each hike’s primary trailhead. Each hike’s number appears on the overview map and in the table of contents. Flipping through the book, a hike’s full profile is easy to locate by watching for the hike number at the top of each page. A map legend that details the symbols found on trail maps appears on page viii.

REGIONAL MAPS

The book is organized by region as indicated in the table of contents. Prefacing each regional section is an overview map of that region. The regional map provides more detail than the overview map, bringing you closer to the hike.

TRAIL MAPS

A detailed map of each hike’s route appears with its profile. On each of these maps, symbols indicate the trailhead, the complete route, significant features, facilities, and topographic landmarks such as creeks, overlooks, and peaks.

To produce the highly accurate maps in this book, the author used a handheld GPS unit to gather data while hiking each route, and then sent that data to the publisher’s expert cartographers. However, your GPS is not really a substitute for sound, sensible navigation that takes into account the conditions that you observe while hiking.

Further, despite the high quality of the maps in this guidebook, the publisher and author strongly recommend that you always carry an additional map, such as the ones noted in each entry’s listing for Maps.

THE HIKE PROFILE

Each hike contains a brief overview of the trail, a description of the route from start to finish, key at-a-glance information—from the trail’s distance and configuration to contacts for local information—GPS trailhead coordinates, and directions for driving to the trailhead area. Many hike profiles also include notes on nearby activities. Combined, the maps and information provide a clear method to assess each trail from the comfort of your favorite reading chair.

KEY AT-A-GLANCE INFORMATION

The information in this box gives you a quick idea of the specifics of each hike.

DISTANCE This notes the length of the hike round-trip, from start to finish. There may be options to shorten or extend the hikes, but the mileage corresponds to the described route. Consult the hike description to help decide how to customize the hike for your ability or time constraints.

CONFIGURATION This describes what the trail might look like from overhead. Trails can be loops, out-and-backs (that is, along the same route), figure eights, or balloons. Sometimes the descriptions might surprise you.

DIFFICULTY This notes the degree of effort an average hiker should expect to exert on a given hike. For simplicity, the trails are rated as easy, moderate, or strenuous.

SCENERY This rates the overall environs of the hike and what to expect in terms of plant life, wildlife, streams, and historic features.

EXPOSURE Here’s a quick check of how much sun you can expect on your shoulders during the hike.

TRAFFIC This indicates how busy the trail might be on an average day and if you might be able to find solitude out there. Trail traffic, of course, varies from day to day and season to season. Weekend days typically see the most visitors.

TRAIL SURFACE This indicates whether the trail is paved, rocky, smooth dirt, boardwalk, or a mixture of elements.

HIKING TIME This is how long it took the author to hike the trail. Estimated times are based on an average pace of 2–3 miles per hour, adjusted for the ease or difficulty of the hike’s terrain. Hikes with widely ranging time estimates describe trail networks with hiking options of varying lengths. Keep in mind that if you’re a birder, wildflower lover, amateur geologist, or a doze-on-rocks type like the author, hike times will be quite a bit longer.

DRIVING DISTANCE This indicates the distance necessary to reach the trailhead from a nearby city or landmark.

ELEVATION RANGE This lists the highest and lowest points for each hike.

ACCESS This notes when the hike route is open and when permits or fees are needed to access the trail.

MAPS Here you’ll find the best, or easiest to read (in the author’s opinion), maps for this hike, including USGS topo maps, and where to find them.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS Here’s what to expect in terms of access on the trail and at facilities.

FACILITIES Here’s what to expect in terms of restrooms, water, and other amenities at the trailhead or nearby.

CONTACT Phone numbers and websites, where applicable, are listed for up-to-date information on trail conditions.

LOCATION The city (or nearby community) in which the hike is located is listed here.

COMMENTS Here you’ll find those extra details that don’t fit into any of the above categories, such as information on trail hiking options, dog rules, and other handy tips.

IN BRIEF

Think of this section as a taste of the trail—a snapshot focused on the historical landmarks, beautiful vistas, and other interesting sights you may encounter on the hike.

DESCRIPTION

This is the heart of each hike. Here, the author provides a summary of the trail’s essence and highlights any special traits the hike has to offer. The route is clearly outlined, including landmarks, side trips, and possible alternate routes along the way. Ultimately, the hike description will help you choose which hikes are best for you.

NEARBY ACTIVITIES

Not every hike will have this listing. For those that do, look here for information on nearby attractions, such as other parks and trails, restaurants, and even ice-cream shops.

DIRECTIONS

Used in conjunction with the GPS coordinates and trail maps, the driving directions will help you locate each trailhead. When possible, directions begin from the nearest interstate exit off highways leading from St. Louis. Directions to trails far from expressways start from nearby towns or major highway intersections. When you arrive at the trailhead, park only in designated areas.

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES

As noted in Trail Maps, on page 2, the author used a handheld GPS unit to obtain geographic data and sent the information to the publisher’s cartographers. The coordinates included with each hike profile—the intersection of the latitude (north) and longitude (west)—will direct you to the trailhead for that hike. In some cases, you can drive within viewing distance of a trailhead. Other hiking routes require a short walk to the trailhead from a parking area. You