Engelmann Woods Natural Area preserves old-growth forests that once covered the uplands along the Missouri River. This family hike allowed us to venture into the deep woods and climb some hills.
Forest Life
Trees here include red oak, white oak, white ash, basswood, and sugar maple that grow in the rich soil of loess deposits.
Some of the larger trees are three feet in diameter, 100 feet tall, and approach the age of 200 years.
Pawpaw and spicebush can be found along the bottomland forest.
The drier west and south-facing slopes are dominated by chinkapin oak and the canopy level with flowering dogwood and serviceberry in the understory.
This area also attracts deer and turkeys along with songbirds and woodpeckers, which we saw that day high in the trees.
Length of the trail
It is designated as a 1.5-mile trail, but this does not include part of the trail that you take to the loop, which makes it closer to a two-mile hike.
Our Time Here
Parking Area
Parking here is limited to only a few cars. We backed into a parking space to make it easier to get out.
First Section
The hike begins following a ridge along an old road.
On one side of the ridge are views down into the woods and on the other side is Highway T and forested hills in the distance.
Then we came to an open area for a pipeline cut before the large wooden sign for the area and around it were some large boulders that my son Andrew played on.
Hiking clockwise down the ridge
We decided to head from the old road down into the forest path and doing it clockwise from where it splits into a loop. This area is filled with tall trees with many different leaf colors during fall.
David pointed out a tree with loose bark on it and Andrew checked it out.
“Look, Andrew here is a decomposed log,” David said. He had found a log that was more soil now than wood.
As we walked we made sure to notice the brown wooden signs with the words TRAIL on them to keep going in the right direction.
Break time
“Can I have a snack,” My son Andrew asked?
We had made our way across some switchbacks to the bottom of the ridge. Here I spotted a fallen tree that we could sit on and have some trail mix and water.
At The Bottom
Andrew and I explored a small gorge a bit along the dry creek bed.
We then walked along this bottomland for a short while crossing over some small dry brooks.
Second Ridge
We rounded a bend and now we were making our way back up again on another hillside.
I spotted a cut tree trunk. “Look here, you can see striations,” I said to Andrew. “You count the circles and tell the age of a tree.”
I pointed them out to him and we counted before heading on.
We came across rocky terrain and bluffs. Here it seems that water flows like falls when there is a lot of rain. I stood on one bluff and looked out into the forest. Another small brook was like rocky stairs, which Andrew enjoyed doing.
A large collapsed tree blocked our way and I ducked down but Andrew was mostly able to walk under it.
Around the Bend
We came across the 1.5-mile marker and we were now close to where the loop ends. Here you can see again far off hills if you look through the trees in which many have lost their leaves.
The walk heading back was easier now since it is downhill to the parking area.
Andrew walked quickly wanting to beat us to the parking area. This was a fast end to our hiking adventure today.
Final Thoughts
This hike has some ups and downs so it is a workout. It could be muddy if there was recent rain, which was not a problem we had on the day we were there. Although with rain, the water might be flowing along the creeks and crevices, which would be pretty to see.
If you come here in the fall you can really enjoy the trees are changing, which added a lot of color to the walk. Winter’s advantage would be more views of the distance Missouri River valley, which we could not see on the day we were there. Spring would allow you to see the blooming of wildflowers.
Second Short Trail at Engelmann Woods
A small trail goes up near the main trail information sign. It is a short trail that peters out when it meets the pipeline field. It goes straight up and is an added trail if you want to do more hiking here.
DETAILS:
Drive: Take Interstate 64 west to exit 19B and go south on MO-340 to MO-100. Then make a right onto this highway and then a right onto Missouri Highway T/ St. Albans Road and look for the entrance to the park on your right near Adda Road.
Hours: Area is closed from 10 pm to 4 am
Address: 1 St, Adda Rd, Labadie, MO 63055
More St. Louis Area Forest Hikes
Dad Hikes: Alone in the Woods at Rockwoods Range
Rockwoods Range Conservation Area is a wooded area in St. Louis West County that is not as busy as the other nearby parks so if you want a hike close to St. Louis alone then this is the trail for you.
Dad Hikes: Rockwood Reservation
Hiking in Rockwoods Reservation you come across caves, old mines, and a spring. In this 1,880- acre conservation area just outside of St. Louis, you can hike a number of different trails through forest, grassland, and hills.
Dad Hikes: Spending the Day At Castlewood State Park
Cliffside walks along the Meramec River and wading in Kiefer Creek were part of our day at Castlewood State Park.
Dad Hikes — 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!
