Hikes around St. Louis - Rockwoods Reservation and Lone Elk State Park

Once in a great while, the stars align and I have a day off and the gas money to afford a trip out of the city, past suburbia, and into the wilderness. Or at least, as wild as I can get in one afternoon's drive. Since it also turned out to be a warm, sunny day I decided to set my sights on Rockwoods Reservation out by Wildwood, Missouri. Although fairly small, the reservation (ran by the Missouri Department of Conservation) offered a few trails and neat features such as a bird blind by the visitor's center; in the coming months, when plants start to bloom and the weather evens out, I imagine the reservation is a great place to see wildlife.