In summer, bats are active throughout the park at dusk and dawn. Take H south for 6.5 miles to the state park entrance. Whether you're canoeing or just wading at this access to the Meramec River, there's plenty to see. Watch for muskrat, mink, raccoon, wood duck, great blue and green herons, belted kingfisher, Fowler's toad, cricket and green frogs, hellbender salamander, red-eared slider and spiny softshell turtles, northern watersnake, and many aquatic insects near the river. Songbirds, especially warblers, stop in the river valley during spring and fall migration.
Fish viewing for smallmouth bass, hogsuckers, long-eared sunfish and darters is spectacular.
Nearby, Maramec Spring Park has facilities for camping, trout fishing and picnicking. Whether you're canoeing or just wading at this access to the Meramec River, there's plenty to see. Watch for muskrat, mink, raccoon, wood duck, great blue and green herons, belted kingfisher, Fowler's toad, cricket and green frogs, hellbender salamander, red-eared slider and spiny softshell turtles, northern watersnake, and many aquatic insects near the river. Songbirds, especially warblers, stop in the river valley during spring and fall migration. Fish viewing for smallmouth bass, hogsuckers, long-eared sunfish and darters is spectacular.