Park Trails

Spice Bush Trail

This trail goes through the Meramec River’s floodplain along slightly elevated terraces to the nearby level forest floor, where red-headed woodpeckers frequently feed and often nest. In late April, bluebells bloom in profusion along much of the trail. Along the journey, three bridges cross a perennial stream but after a good rain other small drainages could make for a wet and slippery hike. The trail passes through a rich bottomland forest with a mixed herbaceous ground cover below tall sycamores, ash, pawpaw and black cherry. The dominant under brush is spice bush, for which the trail is named.