Enjoy stunning views of the Mississippi River valley from the Johnson Trail and Fults Hill Prairie Trail in Illinois.

Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve

The gravel parking lot is only available for a few cars. It was the reason why I went on a weekday.

The trail starts with a long set of staircases going up from the valley below and the reviews say you have to be ready for a long climb. The ascent to the top is about 300 feet.

As you come towards the top of the river there are short trails that lead to lookouts on the cliffs. 

It was a clear day and I had 50-mile views of the valley and swamp below and the distant Missouri Ozark hills along the Mississippi River.  

The grass is high around you in summer since it is considered a prairie. If I do this trail again I might do it in winter with less high grass and clearer views with tree foliage gone.

If you don’t like heights I wouldn’t recommend doing this trail since much of it is along the cliffs.

I didn’t end up taking the loop trail since it was so overgrown. The trail was there but the vegetation was thick and I wasn’t in the mode to bushwack my way around.

Turkey vultures circled in the distance below me, it was cool to be above where they were flying.

Also, today the trail had many green lizards scurrying about. They were fun to watch. I was thinking they might be out after all the rain.

On the way down I picked up some chestnuts for Andrew. It was much easier to go down. I saw a trail going towards the left of the parking lot, which might have been part of the loop but it didn’t look interesting to me.

Final Thoughts

It was still worth doing, even though I did not complete it. I enjoyed the views and took a moment to check out the white cliffs around me before heading down.

If you do the whole loop trail it is 1.4 miles long.

Details

Hours: Dawn to Dusk

Admission: Free

Address: 509 IL-155, Prairie Du Rocher, IL 62277

Salt Lick Point Land and Water Reserve

I would recommend doing the flat Johnson Trail first then doing the Salt Lick Trail. I did it the other way last time, which made this hike a lot harder. Going up from the Johnson Trail was easier than going straight up the Salt Lick Trail at the beginning.

This also let me relax on the Johnson Trail first. On the left through the trees is a cornfield. On the right though is the hillside filled with fallen boulders. Many of these boulders have ferns and other plant life growing on them. I’m not sure why there is such a large boulder field but it is interesting. I will probably take my son Andrew here in the future and we can wander around the boulders more. Some are close to the trail and others are farther up the hillside.

Salt Lick Trail Section

Johnson Trail ends at a field then, you head to your right up to the Salt Lick Trail. Going up here is a slow ascent up the spine of the hill. The first lookout here rewards you with views of the distant St. Louis skyline on a clear day. It is way in the distance, but it is an interesting view this far away from the city.

After that lookout, others along the way allow for more views of the valleys and hills. One branch of this trail stays close to the top with lots of up and down. The back trail follows more into the woods. If I do this again I would go along the back trail to do the loop after seeing the cityscape. I had also already seen the valley view earlier from the Fults Trail. Although, if you stay along the trail with the lookouts you do gain a harder workout.

Final Thoughts

The whole trail system is about three miles so expect a good walk when you do this.

I feel the Johnson Trail is the best going through the valley first and then heading up into the hills. I liked seeing St. Louis in the distance and the boulder fields in the woods.

Combining the two trails it is a 2.9 mile loop.

DETAILS

Drive: Take Interstate 255 across the Jefferson Barracks Bridge into Illinois then take the exit for Illinois Highway 3 south. Next, take the first exit off Highway 3 and then make a right onto Palmer Road and continue onto where it becomes Bluff Road. Next, make a left off of Bluff Road onto Quarry Road and then another left into the trail parking area.

Hours: 8 am – 6 pm

Admission: Free

Address: Valmeyer, IL 62295

Late Lunch in Waterloo

 I decided to eat in the local area. Waterloo was nearby and I tried Hopskeller Brewing Company. I was hoping they sold six-packs but they only do growlers. Judging by the sign by the restroom on Wednesday they do ½ price growlers, so if I was so interested I would purchase it then.

The High Desert Pale Ale was all right, next time I’m in the area I might try their Raspberry, which they call their “flagship beer.”

The meal was Cut Across Shorty pizza that included Shorty’s Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce, smoked brisket, red onion, banana pepper, mozzarella, goat cheese, and bourbon BBQ drizzle. This is what I read on the menu. Shorty’s is the local BBQ joint in town and it is nice that the businesses work together. The pizza was tasty, but I couldn’t taste the BBQ sauce, I wondered later if they forgot to put it on.

After lunch, I did the drive back home heading through the city where I had to keep an eye on the road with traffic.

Downtown Waterloo also has the Stubborn German Brewing Company which I might try next time when it is open.

Historic Stops

Along the drive, I took a few stops to check out some historic sites.

Cahokia Courthouse

I stopped at the Old Cahokia Courthouse in Cahokia, Il., which was originally built as a French dwelling around 1740. Lewis and Clark used the courthouse as a headquarters. The visitor’s center was closed but I stopped and took a few photos of the courthouse. I plan to go back in the future with Andrew so he can gain a little history in the area.

Address: 107 Elm St, Cahokia, IL 62206

Maeystown

I drove south through the country to the town of Maeystown. German immigrants from Bavarian Rheinpfalz settled it.

It is a picturesque community filled with white stone buildings and white flatboard houses.

Since we had a lot of rain the small stream in the back of the village was filled with water. I took a moment to walk behind the Maeystown Preservation Society and take some photos of the water cascading over the rocky landscape. The creek is crossed by a stone arch bridge in the distance.

Address: 1113 Mill St, Maeystown, IL 62256

More Dad Hikes

Horseshoe Lake State Park

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

Dad Hikes is a new feature on my blog. Many times I will do these hikes alone to learn the lay of the land before we do it as a family. Feel free to share suggestions for hikes to do. Also, share any questions you might have on the hikes!