Trail of the Month Program - Bluff View Trail - Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites, MoDNR

Hikers' Comments on Bluff View Trail
Meramec State Park

	Month Hiked	Comments from participants of the 2007 Trail of the Month Program
	October 2007	Be sure to visit the display on the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the store adjacent to the trailhead parking area and you will understand who built the river overlook shelter you will see along this trail. It was a nice walk through the woods to the overlooks and back.
	October 2007	Watch out for the outcrops (rocks) on the path. This trail was challenging for me, but well worth it. The Meramec River is beautiful there.
	October 2007	Very interesting walk. It was steep and narrow in places. Trail of the Month walking stick was a great help and a terrific buy at $7.
	September 2007	It is a little rocky but the views make it well worth the effort. The views of the Meramec River are spectacular. I really enjoyed this one. I think we should thank the CCC for giving us such a beautiful park with wonderful trails. Also, I love the beautiful state of Missouri. We have fantastic state parks.
	September 2007	This park was very nice. While hiking along the bluff, we saw lots of canoers and swimmers below, enjoying the water. We also saw lots of lizards, skinks, and one chipmunk.
	September 2007	We entered the trail from the lodge/store parking lot, headed downhill, and almost immediately saw two young does on the hillside. There were squirrels running around and climbing trees all along the trail. We really enjoyed the hike because today was the first cool weather we've had in over a month. This is a narrow, slightly rugged trail that takes you uphill and down and runs along the Meramec for about a third of its length. The trail shelter (gazebo) and CCC overlook 'house' are interesting, also. We exited this loop trail back at the lodge/store parking lot.
	August 2007	A nice hike that follows the Meramec River along some nice bluffs. You will find a few older CCC structures along the way.
	July 2007	Lot's of butterflies. Our daughter loved it. The park itself is worth visiting even without the hike.
	July 2007	The Bluff View Trail is a challenging trail with very rewarding views of the river. After the hike on a hot day, the A/C in the lodge is also very rewarding!
	July 2007	Breathtaking view of the river from the top of bluff. Lots of exquisite damselflies and dragonflies.
	July 2007	Take time to enjoy the river scene. It's closer than the river at Castlewood, and you'll find more people canoeing and swimming below. This is not a difficult hike, but it is pretty!
	July 2007	Really cool; kids loved it! The trail was a bit dangerous at the cliffs over the water for small children. We found a fun cave to go in. It was a long hike! It felt like a lot more than 1.5.
	July 2007	At 5:30 in the evening, we saw a deer and several squirrels. This trail loops around the bluff;and down along the Meramec River. We found an old lookout and also a gazebo type lookout over the river.
	July 2007	Makes a loop around the bluff. Deer and other animals are all along trail. There are two lookout towers on this path overlooking the river.
	July 2007	Was excited to see a "teenage" deer -- small and still had spots but not large enough to be an adult. It was without mommy and daddy so it must have been a teenager. Need I say more. Also, startled about six turkey vultures and then smelled whatever they were dining on. The noise when they took flight was amazing. This is a hiker's delight with a shady single file trail through a wonderful forest.
	July 2007	One of my favorite trails so far; great bluff view of the river. Floaters on the river were very nice, not loud and annoying.
	June 2007	Take the time to enjoy the river views on this trail. We saw a lone fawn who watched us for quite awhile before running off. As we were enjoying a river view, a tree branch across the river broke and fell into the river with quite a splash. Otherwise a very peaceful walk.
	June 2007	It was a little confusing. If you start at the campground on the River Trail when you get to the Bluff View Trail make sure you go to the right. It is much easier climb to the top and come back down from the left.
	June 2007	There are two neat stone gazebos along the trail that look as if they were built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930s. One is round and the other is square. Both are overlooking the Meramec River.
	June 2007	The trail description states Trailhead: Near picnic shelter #3. But if you do this, it is easy to lose the trail, which is what we did. I would say it is better to enter the trail at the park store. Lovely butterflies and berries along the way.
	June 2007	If you don’t like rocky hills, up or down, you would not like this trail.
	June 2007	Start at the lodge where the start sign is. Starting at shelter house #3 adds a good 1/4 mile and starts out straight up.
	June 2007	Initially I encountered a fairly challenging steep climb. The trail had several points of entry. I apparently entered somewhere in the middle of the trail and followed it to the trailhead, then looped back to where I started and went the other way, finishing the trail...a little confusing. It could have been more clearly marked.
	June 2007	It was slightly confusing. I got closer to a doe than I have ever gotten before, while it just stood on the side of the hill, eating. I also liked the two little huts I saw along the trail and the views of the Meramec River from the bluffs.
	June 2007	Be prepared to hike on a rocky trail at times. This trail has some up and downs! It has some scenic views of the Meramec River and a variety of wildlife along the way. I saw a prairie ring-necked snake on the trail near the rock faces! It was only about 12 inches in length and very docile, allowing me to get some good pictures with my camera!
	May 2007	This was a trail that provided a good workout with some hills. The trail by the river bluff provided good views. The trail was fairly narrow, and some parts were slippery. It had rained recently, so it was damp. We saw several types of flowers including climbing milkweed. We had not seen this flower before.
	May 2007	If you start walking the trail at the #3 covered picnic area, just know that it starts off with a steep incline.
	May 2007	The highlight of this trail is the bluff views of the Meramec, of course. Trees sometimes obscure the view, however. The remaining parts of the trail offer a peaceful hike through the forest.
	May 2007	This was an enjoyable trail however I don't recommend bringing a stroller and a baby! There were beautiful yellow, white and purple flowers up on the bluffs overlooking the river. I didn't realize that there were two shelters out in the woods and I've been camping at Meramec State Park for years!
	May 2007	Be prepared for some rugged footing. There's also some really good overlooks along the bluff.
	May 2007	It was a lovely trail. I saw a toad, ruins and views of the river.
	May 2007	I was a little confused about which way the trail went. Glad I picked up a map at the visitor center.

June Trail of the Month Page | State Parks/Historic Sites Home Page