My friend and I wanted to get out and go hiking over the long Memorial Day weekend. We were supposed to get some rain, but luckily the weather held off and we were able to get a hike in. Knowing that state parks would be crowded for the holiday weekend, I wanted to find a place that would not be so busy and I remembered seeing a post from Camping Missouri about LaBarque Conservation Area.

LaBarque Creek Conservation Area is about 45 minutes from St. Louis and is near Eureka, Missouri. From the parking lot, the trail head is across the road.

A bridge spans the crystal clear LaBarque Creek which is a tributary of the Meremec River.

The trail is a lollipop style trail where a main trail forks into a loop. We took the loop to the left as the sign indicated. The hike is about three miles long and I would say it is a moderate trail. There are a couple steep inclines and a couple rocky sections, but nothing too challenging. Overall, it is a peaceful hike through the woods. There were several unique features to this trail that kept it interesting. The trail climbs to a glade on top of the hill and then descends back down to the creek.

My favorite feature was the natural rock stairs.

I also liked that the trail had mile markers.

I wish the creek would have had followed the creek a bit more, but it was a nice hike. You can see the trail map below.

Be sure to check this area out!