In the heart of the midwest, St. Louis is a city with vibrant culture, a vigorous and diverse economy, and a history that perfectly encapsulates the American dream. Though amidst the bustle of civilization, rich wildlife flourishes in and around Missouri’s largest metropolitan area. The Gateway to the West, as St. Louis has been called, has a past steeped in the overcoming and understanding of our great wilds, from Lewis and Clark’s expedition in 1804 to the state-of-the-art botanical and zoological facilities of today.
Institutions of Nature
One such institution is the Missouri Botanical Garden. Informally known as Shaw’s Garden, the 79-acre plant preserve is a world-renowned center of botanical innovation; home to the Climatron, the world’s first greenhouse within a geodesic dome, built in 1960, and the second largest herbarium in North America, which houses over 6 million plant specimens.
Another distinguished establishment of ecological research, conservation, and care, the St. Louis Zoo is a subdistrict of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District alongside the Botanical Garden. With roots in the 1904 World’s Fair, the zoo has grown in the decades since to house over 16,000 animals from 500 different species. In 2017 and 2018, the St. Louis Zoo was chosen by USA Today as the best zoo in the nation and remains a model of animal science ethics and advancement.
The St. Louis Zoo is one of many nature attractions in Forest Park, the city’s historic civic center and recreation grounds. The St. Louis Art Museum, History Museum, and Science Center all reside within the park grounds and the Boat House provides access to 22 acres of waterways via kayak and paddle boat rental. Over 30 miles of paths and trails meander through the park and are walked by over 15 million annual visitors, making Forest Park the 6th most visited urban park in the country.
Hiking In and Around St. Louis
In addition to the trails at Forest Park, a number of nature preserves and conservation areas in the region offer attractive hiking opportunities. In the city, Tower Grove Park is a recognized arboretum with over 7,000 trees from 340 different species and Carondelet Park near the Holly Hills neighborhood features 2 stocked ponds and a recycling center. Both have trails allowing hikers to explore the parks’ wildlife.
Emerson Grand Basin Loop – 2.5 miles
Tower Grove Park Loop – 3.4 miles
Carondelet Loop – 2.1 miles
South of St. Louis City, Bee Tree Park and Cliff Cave Park along the Mississippi River provide a view of the great waterway and the ecosystem of the riverbank. Though the park’s namesake is closed to the public, Cliff Cave has been a part of the regional culture for centuries; local Native Americans thought the caverns to be sacred, soldiers have established several saloons there, and Anheuser-Busch has rented the cave to store beer. Bee Tree Park contains another locally historic landmark; Nim’s Mansion, which was built in 1929 by a telephone company proprietor as a weekend retreat. The home, along with 192 acres of surrounding land, was given to the county in 1973 to create the park.
Bee Tree Lake Loop – 2.3 miles
Cliff Cave Park Loop – 2.9 miles
Spring Valley Trail – 3.4 miles
Along Highway 44 to the west of the city, a collection of parks delivers ample options to enjoy Missouri’s wilderness. The Chubb Trail, a challenging point-to-point trail, runs through four of these parks; West Tyson, Sherman Beach, Castlewood, and Lone Elk; capturing the essence and beauty of Missouri’s geographical landscapes. The Castlewood and Bluff View Parks are situated on the bluffs that line the Meramec River and each offer scenic overlooks to appreciate the natural scenery.
Chubb Trail – 12.6 miles
Bluff View Trail – 5.2 miles
Castlewood Loop – 5.6 miles
Lone Elk Park is a further testament of St. Louisans’ commitment to conservation efforts. Originally populated with herds of elk and bison in the late 1940’s, the U.S. government claimed the land in the 1950’s and removed the animals, sending the bison to North Dakota and eliminating the remaining elk population. However, in 1963, a single bull elk was discovered in the park and in 1966, six additional elk were relocated from Yellowstone National Park through efforts from students at the Rockwood School District and the West St. Louis County Lions Club. A small herd of 20, descendants of those elk, inhabit the park presently.
Lone Elk has continued to serve as a refuge for Missouri wildlife in the years since. In 1973, six bison were introduced to the park from the St. Louis Zoo and can be viewed from a paved road through their vast enclosure today. Additionally, the World Bird Sanctuary was established in the park’s visitor center in 1986 and still serves as a rehabilitation facility for injured raptors and birds of prey.
White Bison Trail – 3.0 miles
Prehistoric fossils are on display at Mastodon State Park, where the first substantial evidence of human and American mastodon cohabitation in the region was discovered in 1979. Today, the museum contains exhibits to educate visitors about the region’s ancient past, such as a life-size model of a mastodon skeleton, and the Wildflower Trail leads visitors to the Kimmswick Bone Bed, where paleontologists and archaeologists first uncovered the ancient remains.
Limestone Hill Trail – 1.8 miles
Camping Near St. Louis
Several parks in eastern Missouri offer backcountry campsites for long-distance hikes and backpacking. Hawn and Meramec State Parks each provide unique perspectives on the region’s natural landscape; Hawn’s eleven mile Whispering Pines Trail winds through a section of the Mark Twain National Forest atop the Ozark Mountains and the eight mile Wilderness Trail at Meramec runs along the bluffs of the park’s namesake, the Meramec River. Both parks also offer conventional and RV campsites.
Traditional campsites are available in many parks near St. Louis. Washington State Park, best known for its 1,000 year-old Native American petroglyphs, has over 50 campsites and ten miles of hiking trails. Cuivre River, Robertsville, St. Francois, and Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Parks all provide basic and electric campsites as well.
With over 7,500 caves, Missouri is often known as the Cave State and two state parks near St. Louis deliver a view of the region’s subterranean environment. Graham Cave State Park along I-70 is a Native American archaeological site with artifacts dating back 8,000 years. Over 50 sites in the park present an opportunity to camp near the 100 foot cave, which native people used for shelter in the millenia before European settlers.
Onondaga Cave State Park, about an hour and a half from St. Louis, is another example of Missouri’s beauty below the surface. First discovered in 1886, the cave system became a popular sightseeing destination throughout the 20th century and its towering stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones can still be toured today. Another cavern, Cathedral Cave, is also accessible from Onondaga Cave State Park and both caves are just a small hike from the park’s campsite.
Onondaga Cave was featured in the 1904 World’s Fair alongside the newly opened St. Louis Zoo and many other local wonders. Then, citizens of St. Louis and the surrounding areas felt great pride as 19 million people visited to explore the city’s cultural and natural landscape. Now, Missourians view the state’s outdoors in a similar manner. From World’s Fair exhibits in 1904 to institutions such as Lone Elk and the Botanical Garden thriving today, the continued preservation of wildlife in the region is proof of the city’s honor and commitment to nature.
Anthony Bringaze 