Castlewood State Park Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

This moderate, rolling route is perfect for those looking for a quick way to get outside. The views of the river are lovely, and the forest on both trails is dense, making this a nice, shaded choice in the summer. You'll be near the water's edge, so be sure to bring bug repellent!

This is a combination of the Lone Wolf Trail immediately accessible from the trailhead connecting to the River Scene Trail. The Lone Wolf Trail is shorter, and and at some point turns back north toward the park entrance. It is blazed in orange but has several splits to accommodate mountain bikes.

I could not tell exactly where the trail split from the River Scene Trail, which on it's west end, descends a series of wooden staircases and brings you down to the base of the flood plain. You cross under the railway bed and emerge in the wooded floodplain of the Meramec River.

Don't worry, you won't get lost. The problem is that the trail signs are blazed in orange (Lone Wolf) or red (River Scene), but they are faded and all look orange! While you'll have to contend with stairs in the western portion, the rest of the trail is mostly flat as it meanders alongside the river.

Overall, this is a lovely route that makes for a pleasant outing.

Bluff hardwoods (oak, hickory) and cottonwoods and elms in the floodplain.