Last weekend, it was such a sunny and warm-ish day for January, so we decided to take a little trip…read moreto Cliff Cave County Park with the pup. This was our first visit and so we parked in the lot that gps took us to and then followed the signs for the hiking trail. We were impressed with the number of hikers and mountain bikers out and about. What I really enjoyed about this park is that the trails are all easy to follow and loop around so that you can choose any direction to walk. We started with the shorter hike and walked to the overlook which was so pretty! We spent some time just watching the river and then decided to try another trail for a bit. Honestly, it was really nice to be outside. Baxter was so happy to be able to play in the leaves and we all got really excited because we saw a bunch of deer while we were out walking! Of course, when we saw them, we all stopped and just let the deer have their space to get where they were going. The loop that we completed was about 3 miles and I really appreciated how easy it was to navigate the park. We did not get over to the cave during this visit, but will plan to visit again on another warm-ish day so that we can explore the other trails.

I've been to this park before and like that it offers walking trails not far from the city. The…read morewalking trails offer out and back trails, so I definitely got a couple miles of walking in. Fir those who want more of a "nature" feel there are some hiking and biking trails tucked away near the walking trails, which in my opinion, could use better trail markers. The hiking trails are still close to the border if the walking trails, so you don't go far into the wooded areas. My favorite part of the park were the caves, as soon as you enter the bottom of the trail where the caves are you can feel the cool air from the caves. It was great to check out and I wish the trails offered more scenic views in addition to this.

Need a place to take the kids so they can get their zoomies out? Come here it's amazing. Two floors…read moreof all nature themed rooms with activities all over. Mom approved!

I've been to powder valley a few times and I love that they offer scenic hiking trails that are not…read moretoo far from the city. The trails themselves are completely paved and easily accessible. The trails are 1/5 in difficulty and generally takes about an hour and a half if you walk through all 3 trails, so if you're a hiking enthusiast and looking for a more intermediate/advanced trail you won't find it here. But the trail does offer nice scenery and it's beautiful to walk through during the Fall to see the changing of the leaves.

Great hiking and bike riding location. Lots of trees and near Katy trail! Love this place!read more

(AUGUST 2025) I'd never seen the sunflower fields that my friends post about with their children…read moreand families until recently. It almost seemed unbelievable some of the imagery stemming from these 7,000 acres of natural beauty and outdoor recreation in the heart of scenic Missouri wine county. Once you are off highway 40, it's 50-55mph WINE-dy back roads to get there. Once you get into the turn in, it's a graveled road with a trailhead to the Katy Trail. Do not even think about having a clean car upon entering this place. It will get dirty and dusty. There are also (surprisingly) random humans running in the middle of the narrow driveway leading up to the sunflower field and ending at a boat ramp. I never understood why people never stick to one side of the road while on foot amongst VEHICLES. I find my friend and we exit our vehicles to begin our mini photoshoot in the sunflower fields. I felt like Candy(wo)man as the bees tended to the sunflowers while I freaked out thinking they'd sting me with my bright yellow shirt on and black skirt. It was so blissful to see sooo many beautiful BIG butterflies fly around us. The caterpillars were on like every leaf just hanging out like the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. It was nature at its finest. Sunflowers for as far as the eye can see. The sounds of bees (and flies) buzzing about. I tried to relax, and we got a few non-frantic pictures of me. I will wear pants next time and try to relax more. I was invading THEIR space, not the opposite.

It's nice that I live here, I'd probably die without this place. It's nice and clean, and great for…read moreactive movement. Scenery is also jaw-dropping. Shoutout to the horses, I went with my little sis and we both agreed they were cool. The entire trail is a nice break from everything, and I would recommend this trail.

I love Grant's Trail!…read more This trial is a great spot to get outside and enjoy the fall weather we're starting to have. It's 10 miles long and stretches from Orlando's in south county to I-44 in Kirkwood. I ran a half marathon a couple of years ago, and did a lot of my training runs here. Here's what I really liked about it: - the miles are marked; made it super simple to keep track of where I was - very little hills, great for endurance training! - scenery was amazing, I was training in the fall time. My favorite spot was the Gravois Road to Pardee Road. You get to see Grants Farm and the Clydesdales. It was beautiful with the changing leaves. - I felt super safe. - if you go early-ish in the morning, it isn't packed. - they've got a great layout of the trail online, section by section. It explains points of interest, Peking, facilities, and pictures. It's a great opportunity to get outside!

My wife and I hike here all the time. It is usually packed on the weekends. We like to come here…read moreduring the week when there is less foot traffic. Their trails are nice and clean of brush. Plenty of variety for mileage of hiking. They also have tables for pinics and more. Plenty of parking and well kept up park!

This is one of the best trails within a half hour of St. Louis and all of Missouri in my humble…read moreopinion. Dan Robinson State Park has two different trails that you can hike one is around 5 miles. The other one is about 2 1/2 miles. It has beautiful views and lots of Interesting formations. Don Robinson really gave the state of Missouri a great gift when he left his property to the state. It's somewhere around 5 to 700 acres with some very interesting flora and fauna that you can't find elsewhere in the state. It's a shame to see his old house in the condition it's in. I understand that the state is going to try to rebuild it. I can remember in the 1980s hanging out at Dan's house and skateboarding his enormous in-ground pool. He was quite the character. I highly recommend this park

The LaBarque Creek Conservation area has a moderately difficult loop trail that is about 3 miles…read morelong with about 500 feet of total elevation gain during the hike. There is a dirt parking lot with space for approximately 20 cars. The clay dirt on the trail can be muddy and slippery with morning dew or rain. Definitely worth wearing muddy hiking boots. Hiking downhill may involve the occasional slip if not careful. The views of the rolling hills are enjoyable, and even more distance is visible after the leaves have fallen.

Terrific place to camp! All of the campsites are fairly secluded, unlike some campgrounds that jam…read moresites side by side. Clean restrooms and showers. Lots of flat-ish paved roadways to bicycle. Some of the campsites have decks for pitching a tent! All sites are shaded and situated in the woods. River access is only for powered john boats and the like. I wish there was a dedicated trail or roadway to the creek, which is a nice place to swim and relax when it is hot.

Came to traditional camp for 14 days. I reserved my two weeks online and paid for them. I stayed…read morethe first week alone and the second week with my young son. Never once did a camp host come by in the first 7 days. Never once did they change the numbers on my pole. It still had dates from months ago. On day 7 while I was putting up second tent for my son a very angry man stopped by in a golf cart. He was yelling about us leaving in a day. I explained to him we had the lot for two weeks and offered proof by receipt in my email. He got even angrier and threatened me with some man name Mike paying me a visit!?!? After he realized he was wrong he tried to tell us we could not have two tents. Not true. I had to show him proof on my phone. Then he tried to tell us our tent we just put up was in the wrong place. It was not. I showed him the lot map. The man seemed intoxicated but I'm not sure. After he left he went to the next lot and yelled at that man . I personally have never been treated so rude. This place has no real camp host. This place has no hospitality. The camp host from lot #20 is a real creep. There is something not right with him mentally and I suggest others do not camp near lot #20 camp host. The camp host at lot #20 needs to be fired. He should not be around families or children. Beware of this park for many reasons. 1) camp host lot #20 2) homeless 3) dirty , trash everywhere. 4) no good trails 5) no water access 6) pot smoke and meth smoke in the air at night 7) camp host #20 8) camp sites are uneven mud pits Untill this park puts real camp host in place it will remain a dump. Beware. Stay away

We hiked 3 miles at the Matson Hill Park near Defiance/Augusta off 94. Within the fist 5 minutes,…read moreif you head counterclockwise, you'll come across a sinkhole on the right side of the path. There are several small stream crossings, but plenty of rock bridges to keep your feet dry. We were impressed that the trail was clear of rots/rocks/overgrowth. Makes sense that the trail was also intended for bikers. The trail was built by mountain bikes for mountain bikers, but the day we visited, there was a sign at the trailhead that said "hikers only." There was so much shade on this trail. Perfect for a hot summer day. The trail has a few loops depending on if you want to hike the smallest 1ish mile trail, the 3 mile hike on the Matson Hill Loop, or the 2 add-on trails: 3 miles Hays Trail and the 2 mile Oxen Mill Trail. The maps at the trailhead and throughout the trail indicate the historic 1830s stone homes on the property were closed to visitors. Checking out the St. Charles County website now, the Hays and Boone family homes are open to the public again after a renovation in 2020! We almost hit a deer on the side road after getting off 94. Just keep your eyes peeled and your speed appropriate on the curving roads.

If you want terrific trail cycling or hiking, this is the premier spot in the St. Charles County…read morepark system. The large park covers 475 acres--most of it natural, rugged, and forested. Trails include more than six miles of natural surface paths that wind and curve and roll across the landscape. Besides the trails a key feature is the 1830s stone home of a Daniel Boone's grandson, Daniel Boone Hays. The home/museum contains exhibits about the Boone and Hays families.