How to Use This Guide

This guide is designed to be simple and easy to use. Each hike is described with a map and summary information that delivers the trail’s vital statistics, including distance and type (loop, lollipop, or out-and-back), difficulty, park hours, fees and permits, canine compatibility, and trail contacts. Directions to the trailhead are also provided, along with a general description of what you’ll see along the way. A detailed route finder (Miles and Directions) sets forth mileages between significant landmarks along the trail.

How the Hikes Were Chosen

This guide describes trails that are accessible to every hiker, whether a visitor or a local resident. The hikes are no longer than 9 miles round-trip, and most are considerably shorter. They range in difficulty from flat excursions perfect for a family outing to more challenging treks in the rolling hills of the Ozarks.

While these trails are among the best, keep in mind that nearby trails, sometimes in the same park or in a neighboring open space, may offer options better suited to your needs. We’ve selected hikes in the immediate St. Louis Metropolitan Area, southern Illinois, and the northern Ozarks. Wherever your starting point, you’ll find a great easy day hike nearby.

Selecting a Hike

These are all easy hikes, but easy is a relative term. Some would argue that no hike involving any kind of climbing is easy, but climbs are a fact of life in the St. Louis area.

Easy hikes are generally short and flat, taking no longer than an hour to complete.

Moderate hikes involve increased distance and relatively mild changes in elevation and will take one to two hours to complete.

More challenging hikes feature some steep stretches, greater distances, and generally take longer than two hours to complete.

Keep in mind that what you think is easy is entirely dependent on your level of fitness and the adequacy of your gear (primarily shoes). Use the trail’s length as a gauge of its relative difficulty—even if climbing is involved, it won’t be too strenuous if the hike is less than 1 mile long. If you are hiking with a group, select a hike that’s appropriate for the least fit and prepared in your party.

Approximate hiking times are based on the assumption that on flat ground, most walkers average 2 miles per hour. Adjust that rate by the steepness of the terrain and your level of fitness (subtract time if you’re an aerobic animal; add time if you’re hiking with kids), and you have a ballpark hiking duration. Be sure to add more time if you plan to picnic or take part in other activities like bird watching or photography.