Walking along former residential streets through the bottomland forest was my hike at Arnold City Park. FIRST HIKE A gravel parking lot for the hike can be found at the end of Bradley Beach Road past the main area of Arnold City Park. This walk is along gravel roads and parts of them are still used for auto traffic. Starting the Hike I began the…
Hiking along a former street in a ghost town near the skeletal remains of a Route 66 bridge across the Meramec River was my destination. This area has a lot of history, from once being a resort town to becoming contaminated by the dangerous chemical of dioxin. History How A Ghost Town Began Times Beach, Mo., where the park now exists, was born from promotion…
Like scenes of a post-apocalyptic nightmare or a zombie movie, abandoned cement bunkers are scattered throughout August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area. History In the 1940s the Department of the Army took over the area for the production of TNT and DNT production and by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1960s for uranium ore processing. Then in the 1980s it was designated a Superfund…
Views of the Meramec River and walk through spicebush, lush forests and creeks can be found at Robertsville State Park along with a trip to an electrified cemetery. HISTORY The park was once part of the land owned by Edward James Roberts who moved with his family to the area in 1831 when he was 14 years old. He was once the largest landowner in…
Grounds of a former 19th century U.S. Military installation and ruins of a popular summer retreat in the 1930s can be explored at Fort Belle Fontaine County Park in North St. Louis County. Rumors are this place is haunted by soldiers and it does have an eerie vibe to it with all the ruins. I also stopped nearby at what is sadly known as “Small…
Another view of the ruins on top of the hillside
Bobcats, eagles, and foxes are just some of the wildlife you can see at Treehouse Wildlife Center. It is located about halfway between Grafton and Alton in the country. We took the kid who ran back and forth between birds and the other wildlife and not in order. Luckily there was plenty of animals to check out and kept his interest the whole time we…
Eagle Valley Trail follows along clear streams and goes into wooded hills in Greensfelder County Park in West St. Louis County. Overview It consists of 1,724 acres and is the largest St. Louis County Park and has 15 miles of seven interconnected trails. Facilities at the park include restrooms, a campground, picnic sites, stables, and playgrounds. Eagle Valley Trail The Eagle Valley Trailhead is located…
Walking along a clear stream, going up into Ozark hills and through a pine forest was part of my three-mile hike at Young Conservation Area. Hiking the Taconic Trail combines two loops and provides variety in what you see with ponds, stream crossings, and creek views. Starting the Taconic Trail Hike I headed out of the parking area down the trail close to the trailhead…
Finding a disappearing stream was part of the fun at Forest 44 Conservation Area. I hiked the 2.2-mile Dogwood Trail and the .4-mile Losing Stream Trail here. What Is the Losing Stream? The losing stream is where the creek disappears under a rock ledge and wells up like a spring several hundred yards downstream. Losing Stream Trail This paved .6-mile trail starts from the back…
