Castlewood State Park

Castlewood State Park

With nearly 17 miles of trails, Castlewood offers some of the best variety of riding in the area. From the flat and curvy along the Meramec river, to the numerous climbs and downhills on the bluffs, there's something here for everyone.

The trails can be simplified roughly into two categories: the easier, flat trails along the river bottom such as the River Scene, and Stinging Nettle; and the more advanced, technical ones in the higher areas including Cedar Bluff, Lone Wolf, the Rollercoaster and Grotpeter.  There are several shorter trails- Mountain Ridge Connector, Ranger Station, and Justin's, which link parts of the main trails. If you're unfamiliar with the park, a map will be very helpful.

Trails along the river bottom are fairly slow to dry, while the higher, rockier ones are more durable and dry more quickly. It would be wise to avoid most of the trails after rain, but this park sees such a high volume of trail use that there is generally always someone out on the trails, no matter the conditions.

Castlewood is one of the busiest, and most popular parks in the area, so you might find yourself sharing the trails with families out for a picnic, hikers, birdwatchers, runners, equestrians, or cross-country mountain bike racers. Be extra careful on nice weekend days, as the park will most likely be extremely busy.

Directions

Castlewood is outside St. Louis near Ballwin, along Kiefer Creek Road. Take Hwy 141, Meramec Station Road,  until Big Bend exit. Turn west onto Big Bend. Big Bend turns into Oak Street. Turn left at Ries Road. Go over the hill and turn left at the Castlewood sign.

Trail Information

Trail Steward(s)

John Peiffer, Shannon Ranson
 

Rating

Beginner / Intermediate

Length

Around 17 miles

Type

Multiple Loops

Weather

Trail Conditions

Latest Conditions

From Goat on Mon, 03/11/2024 - 11:45am - Castlewood State Park (St. Louis Area)
Gtg
From Bartman on Fri, 02/23/2024 - 8:40am - Castlewood State Park (St. Louis Area)
Grotpeter, Rollercoaster and Lone Wolf G2G. Still a bit soft on north side of Lone Wolf along creek.
From Bartman on Tue, 12/19/2023 - 9:25am - Castlewood State Park (St. Louis Area)
Grotpeter/Lone Wolf good to go but a huuuuuuge tree is down just west of Ries road on Grotpeter, about .1 miles from road. It’s a monster
From Turkeydangler on Thu, 12/14/2023 - 1:13pm - Castlewood State Park (St. Louis Area)
Grotspeter good to go, Lone wolf damp near the creek
From Bartman on Fri, 09/22/2023 - 4:03pm - Castlewood State Park (St. Louis Area)
Grotpeter/Lonewolf gtg lying water along lower, creek sections, just a bit squidgy up top on double track east of Ries but drying fast. All trees removed!
From Bartman on Sun, 08/27/2023 - 6:36pm - Castlewood State Park (St. Louis Area)
Grotpeter/Lonewolf Water laying at low spots near creek and up near Ries crossing. Two trees down on Lonewolf climb. G2G otherwise