West Tyson Park - Saint Louis County
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.50971, -90.58897
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| Chubb Trailhead Parking |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE DISTANCE: 11.1 miles
THE HIKE:
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| Starting off at the beginning of the Chubb Trail. |
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| The rocks look like Swiss cheese here. |
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| Locator numbers in case of an emergency. |
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| Dogwood in bloom. |
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| The Chubb Trail is blue, the Flint Quarry Trail is Green; I would be taking the latter on the way back. |
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| A picnic table at the highest point where trails converge. |
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| The trail descends ... |
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| ... then is relatively flat until returning to this point. |
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| Exit the gate ... |
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| ... over the railroad tracks ... |
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| ... then through another parking lot and another gate. |
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| I have never seen this before. Apparently you can either mail your ticks in or deposit them in one of these boxes. |
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| At the far end of the prairie you can either turn right and continue along the prairie or go straight into the woods on the low water trail, which is the more scenic trail. Fortunately, it was low water on this day. |
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| This runs along an offshoot of the Meramec River. |
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| You can connect back over to the Chubb Trail along the prairie about half way through but no, it's too pretty here so continuing on the low water trail. |
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| Meeting up with the Chubb Trail and turning left. |
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| The Chubb Trail now runs along the scenic Meramec River. |
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| Lots of bird activity along the river. |
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| Yellow-sided Warbler |
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| Lot of spring wildflowers throughout. |
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| Arriving at the spot where I had left off the previous weekend; now the turn around point. |
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| Heading back. |
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| The yellow-throated warbler is the first migrant I have picked up this spring. They are incoming! |
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| Meeting up with where I had come off the low water trail, now continuing on the Chubb Trail. |
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| Then leaving the Chubb Trail for the Prairie Trails. |
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| The Prairie Trails lead back to the railroad crossing and the Chubb Trail to retrace back uphill. |
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| Swamp Sparrow |
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| At that picnic table, turning left on the Flint Quarry Trail. |
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| Just the other side of that shelter up ahead ... |
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| ... is the parking lot. |
