A little while back, we decided to take a day trip to see some of the beautiful scenery in the Ozark Mountains in South Central Missouri. We set out looking for some hiking trails and to see some beautiful springs and rivers that the Ozarks have to offer. After a stop and short hike near the Current River, we headed to Alley Spring to see the the beautiful spring and restored mill. This was our first time in this area of the Ozarks. The drive there was nearly 3 hours, but we will be back. Checkout our photos of Alley Spring, Alley Mill, and the hiking trail around the park. They say Alley Mill is the most photographed mill in Missouri and you will see why in the pictures. There are some parts of the trails that are handicap accessible and some slightly rugged. The park offers some nice picnic areas as well. Some trails are also open to horseback riding also.
Category: Hiking
Meramec Greenway
We wanted to share one of our favorite places to go walk our dogs that we visit frequently. The Meramec Greenway is just across the Meramec River from Arnold, Missouri. The main trail is paved and very easy to walk. The Lower Meramec Trail does not loop and is 2 miles long. There are some other trails that branch off that are natural/earthen trails, but we usually keep to the paved trail. Along the trail, you will see some beautiful views of the Meramec River and wildlife. Since the trail is close to the river, there are some low lying areas and is prone to flooding when the river rises and can sometimes be closed. We like the the trail during warmer months because it has a lot of shade, but be sure to bring bug spray to keep mosquitoes away. In cooler months, the trail can be protected from cold winds making it more pleasurable to walk compared to other parks and trails. Check out our pictures below.
Elephant Rocks State Park
We took a recent trip down to Elephant Rocks State Park located near Belleview, Missouri to walk our dogs on a shaded trail. It was a very hot day on this visit, and the trees created nice shade. The park is located less than 2 hours south-southwest of St. Louis and is the site of a retired rock quarry. As you can see in our pictures, the park is named for a string of enormous granite boulders which resemble a train of pink circus elephants.
There is a nice paved walking trail that is wheel chair accessible. Dogs are welcome to be walked on a 6 foot leash and bags are also available to pick up after them. Along with the paved trail, there are options to walk off the trail to explore more of the park and access for rock climbing on some of the big rocks. Keep in mind, the side trails are rugged, narrow, and not paved. Signs are posted to let you know which way to go for the wheel chair accessible path. There is also a nice picnic area where you can sit and eat lunch with the elephant rocks. This was not our first trip to visit the Elephant Rocks, and we feel it is well worth the approximately 1.5-2 hour trip from St. Louis.
Jefferson Barracks hiking trail
We were recently looking for a new place to hike with the dogs. We decided to head to St. Louis and visit the Jefferson Barracks Park hiking trails. The weather was going to be hot, so we were not looking for something too long nor in the sun too much.
If you are not familiar with the location, the Jefferson Barracks Military Post is approximately 1,780 areas located on the Mississippi River in Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. On the premises, there are 3 different paved trails that are available for walking or bicycle riding. You can also play on the playground or play a round of Frisbee golf. There are several pavilions for picnics and family events and two museums – powder magazine and an ordnance museum. Check the local website for closures and times due to COVID-19 restrictions.
We chose to hike the Dennis A. Schick Trail which is named after a long time, now retired Park Construction Supervisor. This trail is directly off the main entrance road to Jefferson Barracks Park, but you can use other parking lots to pick up the trail in numerous spots. The trail is kept very neat and clean and is smooth. It is also mostly flat with only slight inclines and could be considered handicap accessible. The part of the trail we chose to start at makes a nice 1.6 mile loop if you stay to the north loop or you can add an additional 1.1 mile loop by turning onto the south loop.
We enjoyed seeing some natural wooded and prairie areas along the trail. There was lots of wildlife! Jaime spotted some wild prairie flowers growing where some bumble bees were busy pollinating. We also stopped for a moment in a wooded area to enjoy the sight and sounds of a male cardinal flitting around. The park also highlighted several areas where deer frequent.
The trail was definitely a breathe of fresh air. There was plenty to see and do at Jefferson Barracks, and we only explored a small, beautiful part of it. If you are looking for some outdoor activities for the entire family, we encourage you to stop by and check out the park. We hope to see you there!
UPDATE:
We have visited Jefferson Barracks walking trails a couple of times since we first posted about it. We walked on the 1.1 mile south loop of the trail for a longer walk and it was excellent like the rest of the trail. The area is beautiful and it is easy to forget that you are just minutes away from downtown St. Louis. We also found that you can connect to the Mississippi Green Way trail that we will check out later and possibly ride our bicycles on. There are plenty of sites to see around the Barracks as well. History of the area is in abundance along with some splendid views and overlooks of the Mississippi River.
The park also gives you an excellent chance to see deer up close. We have seen deer on each visit to the Barracks. In the picture below, you will see a herd of deer that had several nice bucks with large racks along with an abundance of does. Sometimes the deer are tucked in the wooded areas and sometimes they are roaming out in the open. The picture below was a little later in the day and the deer were grazing in the area near some softball fields.
