St. Louis Trails

See Missouri's tallest waterfall and stand on its tallest peak on this overnight on the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail. BY MARK HINCH

St. Louis Trails

Notch the prettiest section of the Ozark Trail on this overnight along the Eleven Point River. BY SAVANNAH WASZCZUK

St. Louis Trails

Wander through three-season wildflowers on this overnight.

St. Louis Trails

This remote valley in Mark Twain National Forest is often overlooked, but it's a great escape for hikers willing to bushwhack along and through its streams to huge granite walls.

St. Louis Trails

This rugged 11.2-mile out-and-back on the Ozark Trail winds through the volcanic uplift of the St. Francois range to Missouri's highest peak and tallest waterfall.

St. Louis Trails

This 9-mile lollipop loop is an adventurer's delight: scenic bluffs, spring-fed streams, quiet campsites, and--for those who dare--an elusive limestone cavern.

St. Louis Trails

This 8.5-mile loop climbs to rugged bluffs and views of the Missouri River and its bluffs, then rolls through cool hollows in Weldon Spring Conservation Area.

St. Louis Trails

This 6-mile out-and-back offers commanding views from bluffs overlooking the St. Francis River and passes remnants of an old mining operation.

St. Louis Trails

This 8.8-miler takes you deep into Ozark backcountry, where deer and turkey outnumber hikers.

Illinois Trails

This 7.3-mile ramble along a serene stream, by old settler ruins, and thorough big woods illustrates why this pocket park is considered one of the most beautiful in Illinois.

St. Louis Trails

This easy 5-mile adventure takes you above rugged, staircase-like bluffs, then down into the hushed hollows of Cuivre River State Park.

Illinois Trails

On this 6.8-mile loop, you'll find reclaimed prairies, sacred Indian grounds, and scenic overlooks of the lakes and rivers surrounding St. Louis.

St. Louis Trails

Introduce the kids to mass transit, then hike to President Grant's Farm (zebras, horses) on this gentle 6.4-miler.

St. Louis Trails

Explore ridges, evergreen forests, and odd rock formations on this 4.3-mile dayhike through the smallest wilderness in Shawnee National Forest.

St. Louis Trails

This 3.4-mile out-and-back in the heart of Missouri's Little Dixie region travels the wavy, wooded banks of a 205-acre lake.

Illinois Trails

Scope for wildlife on bluffs high above the Illinois River on this easy 3-mile loop hike.

Illinois Trails

Whet your feet--and your appetite for nature--on this moderate 3.6-mile loop in Illinois' Shawnee National Forest with two creek fords, year-round wildflowers and soaring fern-covered cliffs.

Chicago Trails

Traversing trickling falls, spongy boulders, and finger coves along Kinkaid Lake's western shore, this 9.2-mile out-and-back ends high above the lake—and leaves you dry.

Chicago Trails

An easy, family-friendly dayhike, this 2.8-mile loop tours the mature forests and wildlife-festooned shores of the Sam Dale Lake Conservation Area.

Illinois Trails

An exposed fault above the Illinois River and 30-mile views of St. Louis make this 3.5-mile loop in Illinois' largest state park a worthwhile escape from the Gateway City.

Illinois Trails

Birders take note: The shallow depths of Horseshoe Lake and the grain-rich fields of Walkers Island attract an unusually wide range of feathered fliers to this 3.8-mile loop just outside St. Louis.