We finally had a Saturday afternoon free, or at least relatively as we had an open afternoon. Life has been crazy and the last 4 weeks were an absolute blur. Ben and I agreed that we were both up for a hike, we just couldn’t quite decide where to go. After some back and forth and weighing out the options, we settled on an old favorite; the River Scene Trail at Castlewood State Park. We were not disappointed.
The Trail
The River Scene Trail is arguably the most popular trail in the extremely busy park. There are many reasons for this, but the main attribute is the multiple scenic vistas available from high atop the bluff overlooking the Meramec River valley. Any number of stops offer long-distance viewing over the primarily undeveloped Ozark hillsides. In addition, the trail is relatively short. It is a 3.1 mile loop with much of the trail running on flat ground parallel to the railroad tracks along the river. Lastly, because of the drastic change in elevation, the River Scene Trail does pass through quite a variety of terrain giving hikers a decent grasp of the park landscape. If this is your first hike at Castlewood, I would encourage you to start with the River Scene Trail.
Bluff top
On this day, Ben and I set out from the half-full trailhead on a rapid pace up the hill. I realized pretty quickly that my trail legs are rusty, and was pretty winded before we even made it to the first overlook. I slowed down as if to point things out to Ben, but really it was to catch my breath. Finally up atop the bluff, we were able to see for miles across the Meramec River Valley. I love the plant variety visible from this point. Residing high on the hills are the oaks and sugar maples. The silver maples group up near the base of the valley. This time of year, the tops of the maple forests appeared reddish as the new buds are trying to force spring upon this relentless winter. Lastly, the bottom lands hold the kings, the cottonwoods and sycamores. Many of these are over 100’ with massive trunks. Ben and I took in this view from one of the new benches installed at various points on the bluff.
The descent
The hike down from the bluff towards the river is nearly straight down, and fortunately a series of wooden stairways lead the way. We found the stairs in good condition. It appears that repair work had recently been completed in various sections. The stairs pass by several old concrete stairs on foundations, I believe the remnants of an old resort along the river. It’s fun to think about how this once must have looked and how difficult it would have been to build on that site decades ago. Once on the bottom of the hillside, the trail goes under the railroad tracks through a concrete tunnel.
The river side
The rest of the trail essentially follows the Meramec River, parallel to the railroad tracks for much of it. The river was up a bit on this most recent trip, and didn’t quite have the emerald green hue we sometimes get during the winter. I have a love/hate relationship with the forests at this stretch. Some of the trees are spectacular, giant cottonwood, maples, and sycamores reaching for the skies. Others are trashed, broken stubs, remnants of the flooding that frequently occurrs here. The underbrush is messy, full of flood debris and logjams. The trail is sandy, and also not very well marked here as it is easy to wander off the designated trail.
We had hoped to loiter around on the large gravel bar at the popular beach near the picnic area, but it was completely underwater. Rather than continue along the River Scene Trail, which ultimately leads near the confluence of Kiefer Creek with the Meramec, we cut back towards the car through the picnic area. During the spring and the fall this spot is packed with families enjoying the outdoors, but today we were the only people in this area. Of course we saw 20+ deer along the road, typical for the area as the park is overrun with the 4 legged critters.
Time well spent
Ben and I did not encounter too many other hikers on this gray, chilly winter day. Everyone we did cross pass with was in good spirits and clearly enjoying the outdoors as much as we were. As much as I enjoy the solitude that comes with a walk in the woods, I do enjoy the brief and friendly conversations with fellow hikers. I’m not sure Ben feels the same way, especially if one of the hikers is a canine of some sort.
Castlewood State Park is a gem for the St. Louis area, and I love exploring it during the slower winter season. If you haven’t spent any time in the park, I encourage you to do so. There is a large grassy lawn area perfect for playing catch or frisbee, and numerous picnic tables and charcoal grills available. Castlewood does have a large gravel bar alongside the Meramec River, but it is best to stay out of the water at this particular bend. Every year people drown at this beach when they find it suddenly drops off and the heavy current can be deceiving. If hiking is your thing, there are some wonderful trail options. Of course my favorite is the River Scene Tail. Give it a try, no matter the season. Thanks for reading!
For more information, check out this link:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/missouri/river-scene-trail
Or just check out the Missouri State Parks website:
https://mostateparks.com/park/castlewood-state-park
Also, here is a past blog about a different trail in the park:
Dan Klein
Thanks as always for taking me along with you my friend!