by Joe Copymachine

Created on: March 11, 2009   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

Wondering where to go hiking near St. Louis? Plenty of areas in St. Louis deserve the "concrete jungle" comparison, but living in the city doesn't actually mean you're light years from natural scenery. There are at least a few good places to hike near St. Louis.The city is surrounded by the sprawling suburbs of St. Louis County, and neither the city nor the county seem like ideal places to sight-see or hike. But nestled in between the seas of cul-de-sacs and cookie cutter houses of suburbia are some seriously impressive nature preserves and state parks.

They make for perfect places to go hiking near St. Louis. A hike through the pockets of Missouri forest can give us St. Louis residents the illusion that we don't live on the fourth floor of a crumbling apartment building from which we can only see dumpsters, cars, more crumbling buildings and a Walgreens. Going on a hike near St. Louis can be therapy - if you can find a place to do it.Castlewood State Park, about a half hour west of downtown St. Louis, is an excellent area to hike or bike on the winding River Scene trail along the Meramec River. It's located in Ballwin, Missouri on Kiefer Creek Road.

The trails can be a little crowded, especially on very nice days, but probably not enough to distract from the picturesque scenery provided by the cliffs, prairie and waterways in the area. Railroad tracks cut through the wooded area, which might be annoying if a person has a low tolerance for noise, but can also make the scene more interesting visually. My girlfriend and I went there recently to take pictures, and the tracks (and passing trains) made for good photography subjects. The trails are generally well-maintained and there is plenty of parking close by.Cliff Cave Park the closest place to go hiking near St. Louis city. Located on the Mississippi River, a couple miles south of Interstate 255, Cliff Cave Park has a number of trails that are great for short hikes for after a long work day or on a lazy afternoon.

There are a few scenic overlooks near the river, and hikers are warned to be extra cautious near the long drops. Like most places to hike near St. Louis, the park is surrounded by subdivisions, but don't let that ruin the experience. If nearby civilization is going to keep you from enjoying the trees and streams, you might as well stay in your loft on the next sunny spring day.There's another relatively short hiking trail in theEmmenegger Nature Area Kirkwood, Missouri. It's only a mile and a half long, which means it's probably not going to keep most hikers and bikers entertained for more than an hour or so. But fortunately, the Russel E. Emmenegger Nature Park Trail is close enough to the city (about 25 minutes west of downtown on Interstate 44) that it doesn't really matter. This trail also gives hikers a good look at the Meramec River, one of the most beautiful waterways in Missouri.

There are plenty of other places to hike near St. Louis, especially if you're willing to drive more than a half hour. But these are definitely some of the best.

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