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St. Louis Outdoor Adventures
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This place is so spectacular! It should be raved about as a national destination but I rarely hear anything about it. ![]()
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It was quite crowded on Labor Day so clearly some folks have gotten word of its wonders. Located in the Shawnee National Forest, it is an easy 2 hour, 45 minute drive from St. Louis. There are lots of other great outdoor destinations nearby such of Bell Smith Springs, Jackson Falls, and Cave in Rock State Park.![]()
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Formed more than 320 million years ago, the wind and rain have sculpted these sandstone formations into some of the most stunning and extraordinary rock formations known to man. The formations have so much personality that we constantly found ourselves pointing out their animal-like characteristics... monkeys, camels, elephants, and bears, Oh my! ![]()
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The observation trail is only 1/4 quarter mile long, but we spent 2 hours scrambling around, on top of, under, and through the fascinating rocks and enjoying the spectacular vistas. ![]()
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Definitely a place to add to your bucket list.
On a hot, muggy day, there's nothing better than a spring-fed swimming hole. Between the cold water and the painful rocks under our bare feet, my usually reserved crew was hootin and hollering and having a blast. ![]()
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Bell Smith Springs was supposed to be just a quick stop this weekend but it was so nice we ended up camping there and exploring more. We started off with swimming at the Devils Backbone swimming hole after a long day of climbing at Jackson Falls. Water shoes or sandals are recommended here as the rocks that make up the streambed to seemed to be a specially crafted torture device for my wimpy, city-dwelling feet. ![]()
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It was getting dark after that so we decided to camp at the Red Bud campground that was only a couple minutes away. The next morning, we hiked to the massive Natural Arch, the biggest in Illinois. The trail is beautiful as it winds along between bluffs and a lovely creek, but it was quite overgrown with poison ivy in spots so if you react badly to poison ivy, you might want to avoid the hike to the top of the Natural Arch. The natural arch is so massive it was hard to capture through the dense summer foliage so I don't really have any good shots from the bottom but it was very cool. ![]()
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We have so much more to explore here. I definitely want to come back soon.
I'm fascinated with River Des Peres. Over the many years of driving and biking along and over it, I'm always craning my neck trying to see into its depths. When we get big rains, I often go and watch the rushing waters through sections near my house in U. City. ![]()
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It is the closest river to me. But there is more to it than that. It has it's seedy sides... serving as an open sewer when St. Louis's antiquated pump systems can't keep up with storm flooding that was foolishly combined with our sewage system in the distant pass (and which we are spending billions of dollars to undo). It also has graffiti, and trash, and broken concrete, and industrial settings, and neglect, and, more. ![]()
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But it also has a lot of beauty to offer. Yesterday, I made my first real effort to explore some parts I haven't explored before and capture some of the beauty, and some of the grit, and maybe, share a bit of what it is that charms me about this flowing ecosystem that has gone through a LOT in the last 100 years.
As I continue my quest to paddle all 219 miles of the Meramec River (in small chunks), I finally had a chance to knock out a 15-mile segment of Section 1 (aka the upper Meramec). On Sunday, July 23rd, two friends and I set out from Scott's Ford Access and paddled to Bird's Nest Beach. Both access points were nice and had a good number of people around (a good thing as your catalytic converter is less likely to get misplaced). It is a easy 20-minute drive between the two access points. There was one other public access point, Riverview Public Access off Highway O) within this segment so it could be in smaller or different chunks.![]()
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I didn't really expect there to be many outfitters or people along this segment as I hadn't really heard much about it. I was wrong. There were at least 4 outfitters in the section: Adventure Outdoors, Indian Springs, Birds Nest Lodge, and The Rafting Company. Lots of people were out on this particular Sunday enjoying the river in rafts, kayaks, tubes, and a few jet boats. Mostly larger groups but all well-behaved. This definitely seems to be a family-friendly floating section. ![]()
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Recent rains had brought the river up to a nice level. The segment started out really fun with good gradient and frequent easy rapids for the first 3 miles or so but it got much slower and flatter for the last 10 miles. The last 10 miles did have some rapids and 2 ledges (a rock ridge where the river drops a good bit in a couple feet) but it was a lot of paddling. There was a good 15-foot-high cliff that was good for jumping off (forgot to take a picture) probably around mile 12. ![]()
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There were 2 springs in this segment. The first was about 3 miles from Scott's Ford. It was small and nice. I haven't found a name for it. The 2nd was Fishing Spring and it is spectacular with a great cave and a blue pool. ![]()
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There are a couple banners advertising the last 6 miles of this section as the "#1 top-rated 6-mile float". I have no idea what the basis is for this. Doing it in a raft seems like it'd be a very slow trip with all the slow moving pools. Overall, a nice float. Not as scenic as other segments of the Meramec (not many rock bluffs or rock formations). If you're coming from St. Louis, I think there are some better floats closer by, but Fishing Spring is what really sets this one apart.
I love springs! My latest paddle on the upper Meramec River took me past 2 springs. The one featured in these photos is called Fishing Spring and it is particularly spectacular with a great cave and blue pool. The water is COLD but quite a few brave souls were reveling in plunging themselves, head and all, into it. ![]()
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Fishing Spring is about 3/4 of a mile West of where the Meramec crosses under Highway 19 (Just a mile NorthWest of Steeleville, MO). There are several outfitters that put boats out on this section of the Meramec including The Rafting Co. and Birds Nest Lodge.
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Took advantage of the warm weather on Friday to explore George Winter Park for the first time. In my research on the Meramec I learned about George Winter Park but hadn't heard much about it besides that. It seems to be a very popular destination for power boaters as the two ramps are big enough to have six boats loading/unloading at the same time and there is lots of parking for trailers. I'm guessing it gets quite crowded on Summer weekends. It was quite busy on a warm Friday evening in mid-April and that is well before boating season. ![]()
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George Winter Park consists of a couple fairly large lakes that connect to the Meramec River. The water was quite muddy/silty when I was there. These photos don't really capture that. I was prepared to be fairly underwhelmed by it but It is hard to go wrong when you combine water and a nice sunset. Still, I prefer the Meramec further upstream where it is cleaner and more scenic IMHO. But I will explore this area further and report back.
"Sounds boring!" was the response when I asked my 12-year-old if he wanted to go hike around Riverlands and look at birds on a fairly chilly and grey day. So, I ended up going by myself. By many standards, he was right. It was not what many people would consider a thrilling adventure. But for me, on that day, in the mood I was in, it was perfect. ![]()
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There's a lot of freedom in being alone. There's no pressure to try and make an experience something more or something different than it is. The sky was mostly grey with some of the Sunset peaking through. The landscape colors were muted the browns and yellows of late Winter with a few touches of orange. Several of the things I had intended to do were closed. The road that leads to a parking lot below the dam (a great place for watching lots of big birds fish) was closed for construction. The trails in the Marsh areas were closed for conservation purposes. So, without many other options, I ended up hiking the Ellis Island trail for the first time. ![]()
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Ellis Island is actually a peninsula that juts out between the Mississippi River and Ellis Bay. There's a main 1.25 mile gravel hiking/biking trail with a few offshoots that lead to and through ponds and bird viewing areas (some with blinds to keep you hidden). These pics are all from that hike. Birds were all around. Flying, chasing each other, performing mating rituals, and swimming. Quacking, screeching, honking and squeaking. It was wonderful in the fading light of the sunset.![]()
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On the 1.25 mile hike/run back, it rained and sleeted on me. The sound of sleet on the grasses is lovely. #riverlands #hikestlouis #missouriphotographer #missourioutdoors
My new absolute favorite place to catch a Sunset in St. Louis is the Chouteau Island beach by the Chain Of Rocks of the Mississippi River. A large beach, amazing view of the whitewater of the chain of rocks, beautiful view of Sunset over the Mississippi. Now I just wonder if I should bring my dog and let her chase a ball into the Mississippi? It is definitely a nice calm eddy there off the beach below the Chain Of Rocks but...