Al Foster Memorial Trail - City of Wildwood
Castlewood State Park Cedar Bluff Loop - Missouri State Parks
Castlewood State Park Stinging Nettle Trail - Missouri State Parks
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.53573, -90.58824
 |
| Al Foster Trail at Sherman Beach Park Parking Lot |
TRAIL MAP:
Sherman Beach Trails - City of Wildwood
Castlewood State Park Cedar Bluff Loop Trail Map - Missouri State Parks
Castlewood State Park Stinging Nettle Trail Map - Missouri State Parks
HIKE DISTANCE: 7.75 miles
THE HIKE:
This hike is on the opposite side of the Meramec River from where I hiked the past two times.
 |
| Sherman Beach to the right; Stinging Nettle Trail to the left. |
 |
| The red blazed Stinging Nettle Trail. |
 |
| Coming up on the Meramec River. |
 |
| Early on the app picked up the bird of the day, the Northern Parula. Migrants are incoming! |
 |
| Balloon #3 of the year. |
 |
| I think that Northern Parula was following me because the app picked him up every single time. |
 |
| There he is again. Then the app picked up a wood duck ... |
 |
| ... that I spotted way across the river and was able to zoom in to get a blurry shot. |
 |
| At the benches up ahead ... |
 |
| ... The Stinging Nettle Trail ends at the Al Foster Trail. I wanted to go straight a bit to meet up with where I left off in Castlewood State Park in October 2018. |
 |
| I was almost at that point when there was a vertical descent. There is a rope on the right to help but I figured it was not worth doing that for a few more steps so I turned back. |
 |
| Coming back up on those benches, staying right on the green blazed Al Foster Trail. |
 |
| Right on the Cedar Bluff Loop. |
 |
| Tunnels under the railroad tracks. |
 |
| Built in 1883. |
 |
| Shortly after the tunnel the trail splits. I went right but it's really hard to see. |
 |
| The brown markers blend so well with the tree trunks. |
 |
| There is a short side path to views of the railroad tracks. |
 |
| This part of the trail is pretty rough - thick leaf drop and washed out, eroded trail surfaces. |
 |
| The trail improves higher up and is much better coming down the other side. |
 |
| Then I happened upon this... |
 |
| Get a room! I tried to wait because they were smack in the middle of the trail and I did not want to interrupt baby turtles in the making but all of a sudden a mosquito tried to take a chunk out of my finger so I had to keep moving. One step forward and he turned his head to look at me and took a flying leap. |
 |
| This is how he ended up, upside down and wedged under her shell. Did you know turtles can scream? Yes, he was screaming. I unstuck him and rolled him back over with my trekking pole. |
 |
| Can't say all was well again but at least they were right side up. |
 |
| I can now say I got a dirty look from a turtle. I did apologize profusely but I felt terrible about the whole situation. |
 |
| This must be their home a bit along the trail. They might have had more privacy here. Just sayin'. |
 |
| At the top a bench for a break... |
 |
| ... then the trail continues along a ridge with some nice views before the leaves all come in. |
 |
| Back at those tunnels. |
 |
| This side says 1929. Maybe it was one track in 1883 and a track was added so the tunnel was extended in 1929? |
 |
| Right on the Al Foster Trail to the end. |
 |
| There are several trails that connect back over to the Stinging Nettle Trail. |
 |
| Back at the parking lot. |
