It's Time to Take a Hike in St. Louis! Mention St. Louis, and most people think of the famous arch. Residents and knowledgeable visitors appreciate the many outdoor recreational opportunities the Gateway to the West has to offer. With new hikes and updated text and maps, Steve Henry's 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis points hikers to the best outdoor trails and rambles within easy reach of the city. Whether walking in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, exploring amazing rock formation in the Pickle Springs Natural Area, or trekking along a portion of the longest rails-to-trails paths in the United States, hikers are sure to be amazed at the diversity of outdoor experiences awaiting them. Steve Henry grew up on a farm in the rolling hills of central Kansas, spending much of his youth working under the blue skies of the plains. After earning bachelor’s degrees in marketing and agricultural economics at Kansas State University, he served a sentence of seven years in the offices of a large insurance company. Missing the outdoor life, he left the corporate world in 1985 to cycle across the continent twice, including one trek from Alaska to Key West. Since then he has led bicycle and backpack tours, contributed articles to outdoor publications and websites, and written Mountain Bike! The Ozarks and The Best in Tent Camping: Missouri and the Ozarks. He heads for the mountain and desert West whenever he can shake himself loose from the Midwest, and he always looks forward to fall and winter hiking, camping, biking, and canoeing in the Ozarks. When not roaming the outdoors by foot, bike, or canoe, Steve sees the country from the driver’s seat of a Peterbilt 379. LONE ELK COUNTY PARK Key At-a-Glance Information LENGTH: 3.25 miles, with optional 0.5-mile hike at the World Bird sanctuary - CONFIGURATION: Loop - DIFFICULTY: Easy - SCENERY: Wooded hills and deep hollows around a small lake - EXPOSURE: Shady throughout - TRAFFIC: Medium - TRAIL SURFACE: Packed earth and gravel - HIKING TIME: 1–2 hours - DRIVING DISTANCE: 6 miles west of the I-44/I-270 interchange - ACCESS: Park open from 8 a.m.– sunset; World Bird sanctuary open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. - MAPS: Manchester USGS topo; online map available at www.stlouisco.com/parks/trailmaps - WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY: No - FACILITIES: Restrooms, water, picnic sites, picnic shelters - SPECIAL COMMENTS: No pets―they’ll chase or spook the elk and deer. Nor should you closely approach these unpredictable wild animals. GPS Trailhead Coordinates UTM Zone (WGS84) 15S Easting 714111 Northing 4267614 Latitude N 38° 31' 52.2" Longitude W 90° 32' 37.3" DIRECTIONS From I-44, take exit 272 for Valley Park– Fenton–MO 141. Access the North Outer Road and drive 2 miles west to the park entrance. IN BRIEF While exploring Lone Elk Park on the White Bison Trail, you’ll probably hike right past the park’s elk and deer herds; in the neighboring World Bird Sanctuary, you’ll see eagles, owls, and myriad other birds. Bring your camera and binoculars! DESCRIPTION Lone Elk County Park, where you’ll hike past elk and deer and view bison from the park’s scenic drive, wasn’t always such a peaceful place. During World War II and the Korean Conflict, property that’s now within Lone Elk and the neighboring Tyson Research Center and West Tyson County Park was an ammunition storage and testing site. Earth and concrete bunkers held munitions, armed guards roamed the area, and the hills echoed with the sound of gunfire from ammo testing. Between the wars, St. Louis County bought the land, and elk, bison, and deer were introduced to the area as part of the short-lived Tyson Valley Park. The Army reacquired the land during the Korean Conflict, removed the buffalo, and left the elk and deer to roam the landscape. When a bull in rut rammed one of their vehicles, though, the Army decided to shoot the elk herd. Even with all that ammo at their disposal, the Army missed one elk. And when the county bought the land in the early 1960s to again develop a park, employees spotted a majestic bull living secretively in the park’s hollows. Unseen by humans for nearly ten years, he was named the Lone Elk, and he eventually became the park’s namesake. Students in the Rockwoods School District, fired up over the sad plight of the lonely elk, teamed with the Lions Club to raise money to buy additional elk for the new park. In 1966, a half-dozen elk imported from Yellowstone National Park were released in the park, and a bison herd was added to St. Louis’s new wildlife park in the early 1970s. Elk, bison, and deer aren’t the only wildlife on display for your visit to Lone Elk. The World Bird Sanctuary, an educational organization dedicated to rescuing and preserving threatened species and their habitat, is on Lone Elk’s entrance road. The sanctuary has restrooms, water, cold drinks, and a fascinating visitor center where you can closely observe raptors, tortoises, and several species of snakes. The sanctuary has an easy hal