Hiking River Scene Trail in Castlewood State Park | St Louis County Missouri
#riverscenetrailcastlewood #castlewoodstateparkmo #stlouishikes
I’m hitting the trail solo this week as I get outside and hike / trail run the River Scene Trail in Castlewood State Park. This is my second trip to Castlewood which is part of the St. Louis County Park system just 15min from where I live in Ballwin, Missouri. It’s also a Missouri State Park that offers amazing cliff top views of the Meramec River.
AllTrails Stats
River Scene Trail | Castlewood State Park
Type: Loop | Rate: Moderate | Traffic: Heavy
Length: 3.1 mi | Elevation Gain: 249 ft
Really the only difficult part of this trail the climb to the top of the cliffs. You can either go up a trail or via the stairs. Either way, the views are worth it once you’re up there!
I opted to go right at the trailhead split which started me in a counterclockwise direction around the trail loop. This had me on an immediate 250ft climb to the cliff tops. It sounds worse than it is. The other option is to stay left and hike the trail clockwise. Hiking or running the trail clockwise will start you off on the lower flat portion of the trail that runs along the riverside, but you’ll have to climb the massive set of stairs about 2.5 miles into your hike to reach the cliff tops. Personally I prefer to get my big climbs out of the way while my legs are still fresh (and to get the blood pumping). The nice thing is you’ve got options on this trail.
The reason I’m hiking solo in this video is because it was a little too cold for Abby. I’m sad she wasn’t with me, but the chilly Missouri weather did gift me with a bouquet of frost flowers!
What are frost flowers?
I asked the same question when my new trail friend Larry pointed them out to me. Basically frost flowers are formed when ice extrudes from plants overnight and curls into shapes that resemble flower petals. They tend to grow on northern facing hills (shaded from the sun) and only last until around noon the next morning.
Head to my Instagram @mshepjordan9 to see more photos from this hike!
This is also the first time I get to test out my new bright orange Nike Wildhorse 6 hiking / trail running shoes! It’s amazing what a difference hiking in shoes made for the trail makes. I love my Wildhorse 6 and am very happy they lived up to my expectations from my first impressions of them. Plus it was great to actually do some trail running. I’m definitely not in the best shape, but hey, I’m just starting out.
Overall Castlewood State Park did not disappoint again. River Scene Trail I’m told is the most popular trail in Castlewood, but if you go early and on a weekday like I did, it’s not too crowded. I feel blessed to be so close to this beautiful Missouri State Park!
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