A bubbly waterfall and a monument to the Underground Railroad were found on the trails at the Olin Nature Preserve.

Overview

The 294-acre preserve was once owned by John H. Olin and has native species, such as tallgrass prairie, oak, and hickory trees and now managed by the Nature Institute.

Breakfast Stop

On the way there we went through Alton and stopped to buy some donuts at Mr. Donut. Our favorites are the twists and fritters, although they were out of the fritters today. Andrew loves donuts with sprinkles on them.

Arriving at the Park

We were here to explore the karst topography and go to Beaver Falls. First, we checked out the trail map on the trail information board by the trailhead to map out our route.

Storytime on the Trail

Along the trail, they have scenes on wooden boards from the tale of the Old Woman Who Swallowed the Fly. I read them to Andrew who found them funny.

Starting Out

We headed going east along the Rock Trail. Along the trail, there are a few wooden signs pointing out the types of trees in the area.

Spider and a Centipede

David spotted an intricate spider web and pointed it out to Andrew.

Then he spotted a centipede fighting with a worm.

“Can you save the worm,” Andrew said.

The centipede headed away to hide when he saw me above so I put the worm in another place. I saved a worm today.

Trail changes

We came to a sign that had an arrow for the Beaver Trail leading to Beaver Falls and we headed that way. They had made changes to the Rock Trail to make it easier to go to the falls. This was probably an improvement since the Rock Trail was wide, they just need to show this better on the map on the signboard by the trailhead which made us question how we were going even though we were doing it right.

The Route

We came to another intersection with Deer Trail going to our left and Rock Trail going to our right. We followed the Deer Trail to the left to head towards the falls.

The walk along the Deer Trail to the Beaver Falls Trail is scenic with a rocky brook and water flowing across small falls along the way.

The Bone and Arch

“There is a bone,” David said.

On a rock lay possibly a deer bone. We didn’t touch it but Andrew liked checking it out.

The rock stream bed continued and then David pointed out another feature.

“A wood arch,” he said.

A tree had bent forming an arch out of wood. St. Louis is known for the Gateway Arch, so it was cool to see this done in nature.

At The Falls

We came to another Beaver Falls sign and headed towards it.

The falls are not huge but include a rocky cliff that forms an overhang. Andrew wandered underneath it. He liked walking around the rock shelter like terrain for a bit.

You can go up above the falls and then take it around to the east into the forest.

We headed from the falls back the way we came, the Beaver Falls Trail to the Deer Trail to the Rock Trail.

Rock Trail to Underground Railroad Monument

We headed on the Rock Trail along the Beaver Creek to the Underground Railroad Monument.

The rock monument reads “From 1790 to 1863 this picturesque valley, known as Hop Hollow, was a major entry point on the Underground Railroad. With the help and protection of sympathetic landowners, hundreds of courageous men, women, and children sought freedom from this point.”

After the monument, you go straight up an old roadbed through the woods to a lookout over the Mississippi River. From the lookout, you can see distant hills and valleys of Missouri. Directly below is the Great River Road.

Near the lookout is Skeet Towers. Here people used to shoot clay pigeons that were released from the towers.  

Back at the Car

From here we headed down to the parking area and had some water and Gatorade and finished our donuts. We walked about 3.5 miles today. The day was becoming hot, so it was good that we started early.

NOTE: The nature preserve has other hikes so you can easily spend more time exploring other trails here. Also, the Deer Trail goes the length of the trail system. I tried to simplify the directions to make it easier to understand, go to the website for more information. Nature Preserve closes every season from Dec 1 – Mar 31 to protect the native wildlife in the region

Details

The Drive: The preserve is about the 20 miles from Edwardsville to the preserve north of Alton near Godfrey, Il. It is about 27 miles from downtown St. Louis taking Highway 367 north until it connects to Highway 67 in Alton. Then turn left onto Homer Adams Parkway which becomes Highway 3.  Then turn Left onto Levis Lane then another left onto South Levis Lane arriving at the nature preserve parking in the main lot.

Hours:  8 am – 8 pm Tuesday – Sunday and Closed on Mondays

Admission: Free

Address: 2213 S Levis Ln, Godfrey, IL 62035 

We took Highway 3 through the woods then headed to a back road to Elsah, an old stone village near the Mississippi River. It is like a New England town transported to the Midwest with stone buildings and colonial houses. It is our favorite town along the Great River Road and provided a nice end to our outing today.

MORE DAD HIKES

Hiking Gone Wrong at Cuivre River State Park

My first thought on doing Lone Spring Trail at Cuivre State Park should be renamed “Lost Springs Trail” since I spent some of the time not finding the trail. This was an adventurous hike with a lot of lessons learned.

Onondaga Cave State Park

Swimming in the Meramec River and hiking to an old cave entrance was our “Sunday Funday” as a family at Onondaga Cave State Park.

The cave is closed this year due to the coronavirus, but we took advantage of many other activities in the park.

Millstream Gardens Conservation Area

Majestic pines, huge rock boulders creating shut-ins, and rapids greet you at Millstream Gardens Conservation Area. In the spring when the water is high this area is known for its whitewater kayaking competitions.

Silver Mines Recreation Area

A mineshaft and a cascading river rushing through the remains of a stone cut dam are what awaits you at Silver Mines Recreation Area.

Sunflowers and Ferry Rides

Our family adventure included fields of golden sunflowers and a Mississippi River ferry ride.

Illinois Mississippi River Bluffs

My journey today was to explore two trails along the bluffs on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River just south of St. Louis.

Horseshoe Lake State Park

Walking among the green stalks of a cornfield and admiring the lakeside flowers were part of our adventure on Walker’s Island at Horseshoe Lake State Park.

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park with its huge gray boulders and splashing water slide like rapids is a hiking and swimming destination.

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!