There are closer escapes to nature and ones that offer better views of the giant rivers that define so much of the landscape around St. Louis, but there is no better place to find solitude than the Wilderness Trail at Meramec State Park. Located in the northern part of a park riddled with caves and clear streams, the Wilderness Trail climbs through pine and oak forests and skirts several majestic hillsides. There's an optional cutoff that puts the hike at six miles, but get there early and leave time for the ten-mile loop — it rewards you with breathtaking views of the surrounding forests and dramatic outcroppings of the park's famous cave system.