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St. Louis Outdoor Adventures
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"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...
If you and/or your kids like to bike and also like boats, barges, tugs, and locks, a ride along the Chain Of Rocks Canal is a fabulous way to tie them all together. On this particular day, the headwind heading South was fierce but it was still a fun adventure. ![]()
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The Chain Of Rocks Canal is located on Chouteau Island just South of 270 in Illinois. The canal was built for barge traffic on the Mississippi to bypass the dangerous Chain Of Rocks section of the Mississippi.![]()
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We parked at the parking lot South of the road just as you get onto Chouteau Island and then headed South on the levee trail the parallels the canal. We rode 10 miles in all (5 out, 5 back) and rode to the lock a bit before the canal rejoins the Mississippi. A very interesting ride. Good potential for birdwatching too. #bikestl #explorestlouis #BikeStLouis #outdooradventures
Hawn State Park is one of the most beloved outdoor destinations in the area. Great for backpacking, hiking, camping, or just wading in Pickle Creek. These pics are from December 29th, a warm day after a few days of a very cold spell. We hiked the Pickle Creek trail out and then took the Whispering Pine trail back for a total hike of around 3 miles. Great in any weather but really enjoyed all the ice on this day.
Perhaps my very favorite time to head to the woods is on a warm day after a very cold spell in Winter. Thursday was the perfect day for this. We started at Hickory Canyon hoping the 30-foot wet-weather waterfall would be frozen over and we were not disappointed. We also finally managed to check out the 2 mile loop hike on the other side of the road for the first time. Also fabulous. Hickory Canyon is near Hawn State Park, a bit over an hour from St. Louis. The trails are short but very scenic. Pairs well with Hawn SP or Pickle Springs if you want more hiking. #winterhiking #missourioutdoors #hikemissouri #frozenwaterfall
NIce! We love the MCT trails.Madison County Transit (MCT) is planning a major expansion of its bicycle trails, bridges and tunnels over the next five years. This $34 million expansion will add 20 miles, seven bridges and two tunnels to the 138 miles of trails available now!![]()
📷: Scott Evers ![]()
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#enjoyillinois #riversandroutes #trails #bicycle #hiking #outdoorfun
Video of Roaring Spring. Separate because Facebook doesn't seem to let me do videos and photos together.
On my latest Meramec River paddle, I stumbled upon the absolutely spectacular, Roaring Spring. I had never heard of it before, though apparently there are a couple different springs named "Roaring Spring" on the Meramec not far from each other. On a hot summer day, I could spend hours relaxing by this beautiful spring. This particular Roaring Spring is about 4 miles downstream from Sand Ford Access.
If you want to try out paddling, 4 places in St. Charles county now provide kayak and paddleboard rentals. I prefer rivers over lakes but lakes are a good, easy way to get started.
Paddle Share Program Launches in St. Charles County
terrain-mag.com
With our bountiful rivers, streams, and lakes, the St. Louis region offers plentiful opportunities to explore the outdoors on water. Paddling not only is a peaceful way to pass some time, but it also ...