Engelmann Farm Park Walk

Walk through grassy fields, among the trees, and by a historic family cemetery at Engelmann Farm Park in O’Fallon, Ill.

This park is 143 acres and includes two homesteads circa the 1830s and 1880s. It is on one of the highest points in the Metro East.

I hiked 2.5 miles at Engelmann Farm Park with 197 feet of elevation gain doing all the loops and trails here.

Parking Here

You enter the park through an open gate with a paved trail on the right that connects the park to Shiloh, Il.

Then I came to a lot fronted by two covered picnic tables with the trail going between them.

Cemetery

A historic family cemetery is at the front and I went up to check it out. I didn’t go inside the cemetery since it is a family plot for the Engelmann family. The main gates are between two white columns with the name Engelmann engraved on top.

*The trail heads into the former farm fields.*

Loop Trail

I headed back to the front of the parking lot where the blacktop trail begins. The single trail leads to a long loop around the grassy farmland. A smaller loop can be done on the west side of the property.

You have hilltop views at first of surrounding farmland and distant wooded hills before you head farther down and into the rolling countryside.

The outer trail first follows a tree line on the right before curving and then heading eastward.

A covered picnic table can be found at the back of the property.

Then you go around a grove of trees before heading to the east side along the tree line.

*Trail curves around back to the front of the property.*

Finally, we headed back up as the trail curved to the main trail.

Before you come to the main trail again you have a section of the inner loop and you can take this downhill and take the trail to the east for a short hike or back west for a much longer hike.

Final Thoughts

This is a hike if you want some uphill and downhill through open fields. This is a really good winter option when it can be cold in the woods.

Short Hike to the Entrance

Next, I went north of the parking area along the trail that leads to the entrance of the park. This trail is uphill and goes through the woods.

You pass by one of the historic properties. It has an upper deck with a stone front porch.

I came to the road entrance and a cement sidewalk went to the left. This would lead you back to Shiloh.

Then I turned back around and headed downhill.

Final Thoughts

This was a nice paved hike through the woods, although, there were a lot of fallen acorns on the ground that you can stumble over.

DETAILS

Drive: Take Interstate 55 to Exit 3 to Interstate 64 and go east then take Exit 19 for Air Mobility Drive going south then make a right onto Seibert Road then a left onto Johnson and then a right onto Shiloh Station Road and lastly a left onto Buena Vista that leads into the park.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset daily

Address: 309 Shiloh Station Rd, O’Fallon, IL 62269