My recent visit found features I liked around every turn, which was a welcome reward after all the twists on the county roads and state highways to get to the park. The Meramec River provides the property lines to the west and north, and Calvey Creek marks the eastern boundary.
An ample single-wide concrete boat ramp allows launching, and a nearby picnic area provides space for stream-side fishing. The river is wide, and the current is strong. Because of those dangers and the significant boat traffic in the area, swimming is not allowed.
Camping is not allowed in the day-use area near the river, but a 25-site campground near the park entrance includes 13 with electric hook-ups. Reservations are taken from April 1 through Oct. 31. Running-water restrooms and a shower house are available during those same months.
The hiking trails are outstanding options for visitors looking for a short-term stay. The Spicebush Trail is less than a mile long in a loop. It winds through the river’s floodplain with very little elevation change. The surface is all natural and after a rainy day can be slick and somewhat sloppy. Three small bridges cross a stream that leads to the river, but other low areas can hold water on the trail.
Just a few yards down the road from the Spicebush trailhead is the parking area and the beginning of the Lost Hill Trail loop. The surface is the same, but the hike provides additional challenges, beginning with its length of more than 2.5 miles.
In taking the south end of the loop first, a series of up-and-down hills begin with a mostly gradual 100-foot climb. The first peak is at the edge of a “lost hill” that is set apart from the other ridges in the area. About a mile into the walk, a spur from the campground joins the trail loop. After the intersection, about 100 feet of downhill hiking leads to Calvey Creek bottom land. The trail stays on that level for more than a mile before completing the circuit and returning to the trailhead.
A bonus hike is available in a one-third mile trek to an old family cemetery. A wrought iron fence surrounds the burial site of family members who owned and farmed the land in the 1800s. The oldest stone marks the gravesite of Thomas Roberts, who was born in 1793 and died in 1843. The cemetery is in the river bottoms, but the trail is well maintained grass, so even wet it wasn’t slippery.
I would have liked more information about the family and their final resting place at the site, so if I were going to the meeting this weekend, I might bring that up. Hunting is only allowed on state park property during special management events.
Representatives from Missouri State Parks have been holding regular meetings at parks and historic sites throughout the state. The park address is 902 State Park Drive, Robertsville.
A similar meeting is planned later that day at Don Robinson State Park, which is just a few winding county roads south and east of Robertsville. The public is invited to ask questions and collect information beginning at 3 p.m. Don Robinson is at 9275 Byrnesville Road in Cedar Hill. For more information about either meeting or other events at the parks, call 636-257-3788.
Another upcoming special event is a celebration of Missouri’s 200th anniversary from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Robertsville State Park. The Bicentennial Jamboree will include live music, food trucks and craft making, along with interactive and demonstration displays by local organizations. The event is free.
John Winkelman is Marketing Director for Liguori Publications near Barnhart, Mo., and the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas to share for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.