There are so many incredible hikes in the world, and it may be surprising to learn that quite a few of them are right here in St. Louis, Missouri! This list has what I would consider “bucket list” worthy and they are all within 90 minutes of St. Louis. They range in ability levels, length and terrain.
We have hiked all of these with our young children and I would consider these all kid-friendly (Taum Sauk is a more moderate hike, but still doable with kids).
St. Louis Bucket List Hikes
Pickle Springs Natural Area
This is an outstanding 1.9 mile unpaved loop in Sainte Genevieve. There are waterfalls, shallow caves and bluff overlooks. The trail is mostly shaded with some steep inclines. Between the vistas and box canyons, this has a little bit of everything. I call this one the perfect family hike because it has so many fun things to climb, and has creeks and views too! Pickle Creek may be flowing in some spots and it is more rain-dependent. The layered sandstone dates back to 500 million years old, and this Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark!
Hughes Mountain
Have you seen Missouri’s geological wonder, known as Devil’s Honeycomb? Located in Irondale, this is a 1.7 mile out-and-back trail with 387 ft elevation gain. The trail begins going through the woods and glades, and ending on the top of the area’s highest point. At the top, there are polygonal columns of rhyolite that were once liquefied by volcanoes associated with St. Francois Mountains. My kids feel so empowered each time we do this hike, because you actually climb to the top of a mountain! We climbed to the top and enjoyed a nice picnic lunch before hiking back down.
Note, there are no restrooms or garbage cans. A reminder to leave no trace.
Castor River Shut-ins
Missouri’s only known pink granite shut-ins and worth every minute to drive here! We enjoy primitive camping here so that we could see the sunset and sunrise with the pink granite glowing in the changing sunlight. This pink granite is from the Breadtray formation, an igneous formation dating 1.5 billion years old! There isn’t much of a trail here (that we could find), but we like to climb over all of the boulders and look for waterfalls. You can also swim here in the shut-ins too!
Elephant Rocks State Park
It’s not every day you can see 1.5 billion-year-old granite! This area is known for massive boulders. Located in Belleview, this state park has unbelievable views. There is a 1.0 mile paved Braille trail here, as well as lots of opportunities to climb the beautiful granite. We also like to see the old engine house! Instead of hiking on the trail that goes on the perimeter of the boulders, we love to hike up the incline in the middle. The view from up here is breathtaking!
On our last visit, we had the place to ourselves by arriving at 8am. The parking lot was more packed by noon, but it was still pretty spread out on the boulders. The main restrooms are located by the parking lot, and a portable bathroom is across from the playground.
Taum Sauk Mtn (Mina Sauk Falls)
Not only is this the tallest spot in Missouri, but it is also the tallest natural waterfall in Missouri! This 3.1 miles unpaved trail is in Ironton. The trail starts out passing a plaque showing the highest elevation. The trail continues through winding wooden trails to the top of Mina Sauk Falls. It truly is an incredible sight to hike down to the base of the waterfall (with some scrambling). We like to eat lunch on the boulders here before hiking back up to the trail. The trail then goes along a stream and through the forest back to the parking lot!
Hawn is a gorgeous park that follows Pickle Creek. We like to hike the Pickle Creek trail until it dead ends at .7 miles. Then, we crossed the creek and hiked on Whispering Pines to continue the loop back to the parking lot. It was almost a 4 mile hike for us. It would normally be 3 miles, but we picked up an extra hour from hopping on rocks along the creek. The Pickle creek trail follows right along Pickle Creek and the Whispering Pines trail leads higher up the hillside with a neat view looking down at the creek.
Johnson Shut-ins State Park
In Lesterville, this 2.4 miles paved/unpaved Shut-ins trail has beautiful views. The first .3 miles of this trail are wheelchair accessible and lead to an observation platform. The shut-ins and gorgeous teal water are amazing. From here, there are stairs leading further up the trail. I love the boardwalk through the forest here! The trail continues along the creek and offers views of unique rock formations. The rocks can be slippery and sharp in the shut-ins, but sure are the best to swim in the summertime. Note that this trail is not dog-friendly. We enjoy staying in the camper cabins here (right next to the campground).
We are so lucky to have such amazing hikes here in Missouri. I’d love to hear about your adventures! Happy exploring!
