Salt Lick Point Land and Water Reserve, IL

ABOUT THE PARK:
Salt Lick Point Land and Water Reserve

DIRECTIONS:
38.302552, -90.308785

Salt Lick Trail Parking

TRAIL MAP:

Trail map at the kiosk.

Yellow - Johnson Trail 1.3 miles
Pink - Salt Lick Trail 1.8 miles
Green - Newman Trail 1.9 miles
White - private property

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HIKE DISTANCE:  5.5 miles

THE HIKE:

Because the views on the Salt Lick Trail would have been obscured by fog when I arrived, I headed left to the Johnson Trail first and would do the Salt Like Trail last, returning at this point.

Parking for the Johnson Trail across the way.

The trail is not blazed but there are mileage signs on trees.

Some plants along the trail are named.  From what I understand the flowers are gorgeous here in the spring.

Giant boulders scattered around that look like they probably tumbled down from above long ago.

Illinois farmland off to the left.

The bluffs up above.  That is where we would return later on the Salt Lick Trail.

The trail comes out on to a field and looks like it continues along the perimeter to the right but ...

... backing up a bit, a post marks a footpath to the right that ends up at the same place in the field where continuing along the field would.

Now on to the Newman Trail straight ahead.

This trail is blazed green where the other trails are not blazed.

The first of 13 creek crossings.  Yes, I counted and it's 13 each way but they are all easy enough with plenty of rocks to step on.

The Newman Trail ends ...

... at a kiosk ...

... with parking for this trail head to the left in the church parking lot.

Heading back and crossing the creek 13 more times.

Back at the field ...

... left towards Salt Lick Point, still on the Newman Trail.

Right to the overlook.

Zooming in to a  truck on the Jefferson Barracks Bridge over the Mississippi River.

Retracing and keeping straight along the top of the bluffs on the Salt Lick Trail.

A juvenile red-headed woodpecker.

Cedar Waxwing

Dark-eyed Juno

The trail head and parking down below.

At the bottom, old mines.

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