This is a great park. I loved the theme with a high climbable volcano and all the great playground…read morefeatures. It's unfortunate is flooded it still is but I'm sure once the water goes down it will be ice to play by the creek. This park is cool because it was provided on all donations and to think that the community wanted this place so much that they were willing to put up the cost for it. The bathrooms are new and nice but not too clean. The next time I am in the area I will definitely be back to this park.

I will go out of my way to check out a covered bridge and especially so when it's not even that far…read moreout of my way. This bridge would have been worth the detour! Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is in excellent condition and while it has been closed to vehicle traffic, you can still walk across it. The bridge is the centerpiece of this park which includes parking, picnic tables, primitive bathrooms and lots of captions with historical information. I had a terrific visit and really appreciate what has been done to preserve this history for posterity. [Review 1261 of 2024 - 362 in Missouri - 22284 overall]

As one would expect, there's a lot of history of this bridge! This is one of four covered bridges…read morefrom the 19th century still standing in Missouri. However, it has been rebuilt, redone and repaired in various years. But Missouri lawmakers and residents see no reason to tear this one down, as it shows a lot of importance. This bridge was used to connect St. Louis and Hillsboro (MO). Oddly enough, Lemay Ferry Road, which is prominent in South County, once extended all the way to this park. The bridge is in very fine condition. I have visited four old covered bridges (a couple were restored) in Illinois and all of them have graffiti and at least some sort of vandalism on them (no exaggeration, sadly). This one looks untouched, and I hope it stays that way. Anyone can walk through the bridge, and even under it! As for the park, it is a bit tricky to get to, but there is a decent-sized parking lot and park there. Restrooms are available as well as picnic benches. There's even historical markers at the site that talk about the history of Missouri's covered bridges. Plenty of space to walk your dog. There are some nature trails - one that leads past the bridge (to somewhere?). Summer or any day with great weather is a perfect day to come out here. It is part of Missouri's State Park system so check it out! Winter? I'm not so sure...maybe for photographers when it snows.

Been looking forward to this for almost a year now and was trying to plan a birthday trip. I don't…read moreknow how this business stays afloat, no pun intended. The voicemail box is full and nobody answers their phone. We have been trying to call for 2 weeks now...we don't wanna drive 4 hours and find out it's not even open/a thing or availability is all gone.

Reservations were made as planned. No issues. This place is amazing and so was the tour guide!…read moreHe's 75 and has been kayaking since he was 14. He's full of life, energy, and a passion for this place. There were also two younger assistant guides with the tour of 6. The kayaking cave tour we took was 2 hours and well worth it. It's actually a small fraction of the 927 gigantic rock cave columns that make up this old, flooded mining cavern. This is a one-of-a-kind wonder that is spectacular if you enjoy caves. It was my first time in a kayak, and I'm 60. The water is so still and calm. My husband and I highly recommend it

One of the coolest nature experiences in the St. Louis area (Metro/Illinois side) lies in Valmeyer…read more The trail is about a mile long but plan to walk at least two miles. Starting at the parking lot, I highly recommend the Salt Lick Trail, which ascends to a hill (lots of steepness!). As you walk further on the trail, you get rewarding views. Near the end of it, you'll get a great view in which, on a clear day, you can see the St. Louis skyline. There are two other trails that link to the Salt Lick Trail. One of them starts at some church in Valmeyer.

This is a moderately challenging trail with lookout points and views in otherwise relatively flat…read morefarming country. The trail is well-marked once you get on the trail. The most challenging and interesting route is to hike up Salt Lick Trail, take a brief left on Newman Trail, and return to your car via the Johnson Trail. The loop is a lot simpler than it sounds (see my Garmin map pic). This resulted in a 3-mile loop with 551 feet of elevation gain, up to a max elevation of 858 ft near the outlook. There are occasional viewpoints with benches all of the way up, with a flat limestone outlook at the point. There are steep areas (and steps with a cable). I would argue that the woods and limestone bluff are more interesting than the surrounding farmland. On your return via the Johnson trail, look up and left at the bluffs to see caves emerging from the historic salt mine. If you take this route, the abandoned salt mine building will be at the end of the Johnson trail, near the parking lot return. It was moderately advanced, and I recommend good hiking boots. Enjoy!

This is a 1.3 mile hike up the side of the bluff. It is rated an extreme hike, once you get past…read morethe 50 plus stairs, you have to stop at the top and look out on the view. It is so pretty it keeps making you want to press on to see more. It was a great hike to the top, the path was very easy to follow. Coming down was a little extreme, pretty steep hiking back down. Great view, great workout and great way to spend an hour.

"40 Acres Club" (FAC for short) was the second (nudist) stop on our 10-week, 10,000-mile road trip…read moreadventure to the Pacific Northwest to visit nudist resorts. It's located in Lonedell, Missouri, about 1 hour from St Louis in a very rural wooded area about 15 minutes from anything. It's a nudist, not clothing-optional, resort. We were there on slower days (Wed/Thurs) & none of the people we saw had a stitch on. The resort is run by its members, who pitch in to upkeep the grounds and facilities. A few members live year round but it's mostly a weekend get-away with lots of small RV's and houses. After 3 visits, guests are required to get a membership (of which there were are several levels). Singles are welcome. The in-ground pool was small but clean & warm (and has a water volleyball net). The hot tub is an above ground residential-type one (6-8 ppl), and like most clubs, a central social spot. This resort has a rec hall, a large covered picnic pavilion & attached bbq "hawg pit", a large community fire pit, an indoor kitchen/cafe for weekends, and a small community kitchen w/ stove, fridge, microwave & and plethora of cookware & utensils for guest use (which we found super helpful). There is also a large outdoor covered shower & bathroom area, plus a very spacious indoor shower & bathroom area (called the Taj Mahal). Everything is conveniently located together in the central area. In the large Rec hall they have multiple activities such as table tennis, billiards, darts, & a shuffleboard table to help keep you entertained even in bad weather. They have dances there, as well. There's also a large couch area with cable TV. We appreciated the prominently displayed POW/MIA Missing Man table, too. There were nice nature trails for hiking and ATV'ing. A creek runs through the grounds and there is a gathering area alongside the creek not too far down one of the trails which had a campfire, tables & chairs. We cooled off with a splash in the creek &, of course, a lovely photo op. We met up with some friends that live in the area. We all had a relaxing time grilling, swimming, playing card games, and taking a walk through nature. We chose to tent camp (in our "fancy" SUV tent getup). Most of the tent and RV spots are graveled areas, not grass. There are some cute little motel rooms for rent, with A/C, mini-fridge, & microwave. Clean and comfy according to our friends who stayed in one. We would recommend this resort. It's small but clean and had all the amenities we wanted. Deedee & Don, the managers, were super welcoming and accommodating!! *We got permission to take & post photos.

Nice hiking trails thru wooded area, pool area excellent, quiet mornings, clean quaint rooms,…read morefriendly host & hostess

Shoutout to our friends at Twin Eagle Lake Estates & Hideout! We absolutely love working with them-…read morethey've been big fans of our CBD pet chews, and we're huge fans of their gorgeous campground. It's always a pleasure doing business with such great people in such a beautiful place! Thanks for the continued love and support from all of us at South Point Hemp!

Want to escape the craziness of the city, only drive about an hour, still have great amenities like…read morea pool, general store, and bar, while being fun and family friendly? This is the spot :) Open a few years ago, this campground area has tons of RV spaces, campsites, and even a few one-bedroom and studio cabins to rent. Be sure to do so early though, as it is popular! Pro tip: check their Facebook page for last minute cancellations. Once arrived, you can partake in swimming, cornhole, free kayak/paddleboard rentals, general store shopping, nightly live music, BBQ and more. It also even has a pet turtle that roams the grounds! Little ones are safe to roam around and everything is very walkable. We love being able to open up the cabin doors and let them explore while having fun. Give it a try!

I recommend the YMCA to anybody looking for a new Gym for multiple reasons first the Silver…read moreSneakers Program no other facility has programs that will fit here needs they have Activities for all Children from Swim lessons to Sports and Camp and Childcare All Instructors are Professional and will take to show you in all Classes what will work best for fitness goals the Management I give them 5stars for making sure everything is set up daily for all Customers. My name is Carla Hill and my Family support the Ymca

We have had our daughter in swim for now 3 sessions and will not be back for a 4th. 2 reasons not…read moreonly is this sessions instructor less than qualified and apparently confused about her job but they don't hold spots for active swimmers for the next session. The establishment is dirty and just tonight there was a single man lurking in the Family locker room and watching the young kids through the door.