St. Louis Urban Hikes - New Around Every Corner

Hello to all,

Urban hiking is something you can do everyday. Grab a daypack, load it with water (or maybe a bottle of wine and some plastic glasses), some munchies, the camera, a notebook or digital recorder and head out the door. Pick a direction familiar or not. It's okay to drive to a starting point, park, lock the car and use your feet. This, and upcoming missives and pictures are from St. Louis and the surrounding area, but your city is full of exciting, weird, and unique places. GO FIND THEM!

In the Soulard area of St. Louis there is Benton Park. It isn't big but it has a long history (pre-1860s), a beautiful lake, bridges, a fountain (that sprays irregularly), majestic old trees, grassy hills, a lonely tennis court and a cool playground.

The park has its own legend. Under it is English Cave (a fact). Back in the day a pair of Native American lovers, from different tribes (they must have read Romeo and Juliet) leapt into a open shaft, falling to their death in the cave system below. The city fathers say the cave is full of water now and inaccessible. I have my doubts.

The first picture included is of one of the sinkholes that are forming around the park. This one is seven feet deep and growing larger each week. You can see the slope of part of the karst caverns the dirt is falling in to. The sidewalk around the lake is completely undercut.

Second pic is the park during a recent snowstorm. You can see the orange danger fence across the lake on the left. It is another sinkhole.

I have maps of the city from 1875 that show hundreds of sinkholes (pothole to acre size) all over the Soulard/Benton Park area. Are they opening again? How much of St. Louis will they reclaim?

Take a walk in your city.