Al Foster Memorial Trail

I woke up this Saturday morning to an inch of wet snow on the ground and more falling down.  Temperatures were hovering right at 32 degrees and the forecast was for warmer temperatures and sunny skies for the afternoon.  I really needed to get out and hike, but knew I would have to pick a trail that wouldn’t be too sloppy given the conditions. I opted to head out to the Al Foster Memorial Trail near Glencoe, MO and was not disappointed.  

 

The trail is a cooperative partnership between the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, St. Louis County Parks, Great Rivers Greenway, and the City of Wildwood.  And it is a gem.  The trailhead is located near Old State Road and Highway 109, and is a large asphalt parking lot with a nice restroom.  The Wabash, Frisco, and Pacific Railroad Association has a mini-train that you can ride for about 2 miles near the trail for a small fee, and is very popular with young families and located right near the trailhead.  For more information on this go to:

http://www.wfprr.com

 

The Al Foster Memorial Trail is 8’ wide and constructed of packed gravel, and is essentially flat as it follows an old railroad line.  It is open to cyclists and pedestrians and can get very busy, but on this sloppy day I would only run into a few other casual walkers near the trailhead as well as near the Sherman Beach Trailhead.  My kind of day. Almost immediately you get to choose between a .5 mile walk to scenic overlook to the right, or the main trail to the left, and I chose the latter. The trail runs above and alongside the Meramec River, a particularly beautiful stretch below a large, noisy rapids and deep hole below the bluff.  Today the river was showing its winter emerald color, and with the snowy banks and large Sycamores shining against the stark winter sky, I found it stunning.  

 

 

The trail continues alongside some incredibly tall limestone bluffs, offering plenty of interest to complement the river on the other side.  I always think of my young family many years ago walking this trail and using the bluffs as a backdrop for our Christmas card photo.  

These first 2.5 miles along the trail are perfect for hikers of all ages and abilities, and popular for that reason.  For those seeking more adventure and some hills, the Bluffview Trail branches off to the left.  At approximately the 2.5 mile mark, you reach the railroad bridge at Sherman Beach.  Here you have more options, including the Rock Hollow Trail, Zombie Trail, and Stinging Nettle Trail.  If you choose to continue into Castlewood State Park, you can also take the Cedar Bluff Trail.  In short, you have multiple options to choose from depending on your skill level and time you have to spend.  No matter which path you choose, though, plan on sharing the path with off-road cyclists who enjoy the area as well.

 

On this day I was going for distance and trying to keep on flat surfaces to avoid sliding around and possibly damaging the trail surface, so I took the Stinging Nettle off-shoot that follows the river.  This river bottom trail is home to some exceptionally large Silver Maples and Ash trees, many trying to outstretch the giant Cottonwoods and Sycamores that are prevalent in the area.  The many smaller Box Elders have plenty of dead limbs to nourish the many woodpeckers that are in the area.  This sandy trail winds along the river, offering many scenic vistas and some opportunities to walk down close to the river and skip rocks or take a lunch break.  

 

I stumbled across some recent work from apparently a very ambitious beaver who has some work ahead of him trying to dam up the Meramec River.

 

 

The trail shows signs of flood damage from the past several years of high water.  There is still some river trash, including a few chairs stuck over 25’ above the trail which really give me an idea of how much water was here just last year during the historic flood.  There are also some piles of limbs and trees, but the trail itself is very clean and in great shape.  I always enjoy the sheer size of some of the trees down here, and posed next to one of the large Cottonwoods.

Need a larger hat to hide that gray hair!

 

After lingering a bit and enjoying the solitude and scenery in this portion of the trail, I stepped up the pace and hightailed it back towards the trailhead.  As I got close, the sun finally came out and I had to stop for a few more photos of the Meramec River.

 

I finished the trail a bit tired, 9.5 miles in about 3 hours time.  But what a great day, even better than I had imagined it to be.  Come visit the Al Foster Memorial Trail yourself someday, you won’t be disappointed.  If you enjoy the solitude like I do, just make sure to do it on a sloppy day like this and you will be rewarded just as I was.  

 

For the birders among us, the bird activity was constant and the birdsong a welcome sound.  Birds seen today included Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Robins, American Crows, Starlings, Belted Kingfishers, 2 very stunning Bald Eagles, Cardinals, Bluejays, Eastern Bluebirds,Hermit Thrush, Mourning Dove, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, Mallard, Flickers, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and some very vocal and beautiful Pileated Woodpeckers.