Monday, January 19, 2015

St. Louis area trail’s Part one ‘Grant’s Trail”

 

Hello All,

I’m very lucky that I live just a stone’s throw from a terrific trail that is ideal for walking/running/biking or just taking your dog for a walk.

Grant’s trail, (named after Ulysses S. Grant)is  part of the ever growing Great Rivers Greenway organization and  at the time of this writing is an  8 mile paved path  running from Highway 55 near Bayless to just pass highway 44 in Kirkwood.

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Some basic info about the trail:

The trail opens 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes after sunset and has parking and restrooms about every two miles or so.

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Walking /hiking: The majority of the trail is very flat (the trail was once part of the Missouri pacific railroad) with very little challenge for experienced hikers but it is pleasant and there is a  1/2 mile nature path that leaves the main trail and cuts through a wooded section filled with sycamore and dogwood trees and Mulberry bushes. Joining the trail is Clydesdale park which does have a nice hill that leads up to the park and it offers several different workout stations for pull ups and push ups etc..

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Gravois creek runs parallel with the trail and the story goes that General Grant used to ride from near by Jefferson Barracks to see his future wife Julia Dent by following the creek. Julia’s folks as a wedding present gave them the land that is now Grant’s farm which you can  walk/ride on the trail and pass by the famous Clydesdales horses.

According to park history in the 1700’s the Kaskaskia and Tamaron tribes lived along this creek, to quote the Indigo Girls every step of this land is sacred!

Wildlife common on the trail includes:

Deer,wild turkeys, foxes,owls and hawks along with the occasional rat snake and even coyotes. Now I know this sounds like an urban legend but once I saw a huge turtle swim across the creek only to disappear under the water and it looked about the size of a manhole cover. A few days later I was in the same spot and a old guy was there and he asked me if I ever saw the big turtles down this way,he said they came from Grant’s farm. I have never seen one again but I do stop and look when I pass that section.

In short:

This trail is almost my second home if for no other reason then it is less then two blocks from my front door. So it will always be close to the top of my list as an all around go to trail. I use it for after dinner walks with my wife and enjoy a nice two mile path section. On the weekends I often go for a five mile hike that turns off to Clydesdale park and return through Gravois creek.  I always find something of interest on these walks and is my time to get back to nature and chill out.

Where this trail really shines though is as a  bike path. Eight miles of smooth paved asphalt with very little in the way of hills and if you choose to start at Orlando’s garden you can ride through to Kirkwood just over a bridge on highway 44 rest up drink some water and  then head back and get in a nice 16 mile ride. Which ever direction you choose to start at you  will find parking and restrooms near by. The trail runs right through the Crestwood area if you want to stop to eat as well. I have nothing but praise for the folks that run and maintain the trail, it always looks well maintained and not a bad way to spend your time.If your in the South county area of St. Louis stop by and check it out.

 

Peace and Love all

Grants trail

2 comments:

  1. It shines pretty bright as a place for inline skating, too.

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  2. Hey Keith, yes it does I think I failed to mention skating because unlike all of those graceful skaters that zip along the path, I'm more of a hazard to myself and everyone else when I tried it LOL!

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