Black Friday is more commonly known as Opt Outside Day to many hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. This year, it was my goal to “opt outside” on the day after Thanksgiving. I texted my usual hiking friends and they were either working, out of town or busy so I drug my brother (who was home for the holiday) out of bed and told him he had to come along =)

We headed for Sherman Beach Park which is in Ballwin, Missouri along the Meramec River. This park is not too far from Castlewood State Park so if you have never been there, be sure to check that park out as well since it has amazing overlooks!

From the parking lot, the Al Foster trail takes off in both directions, We decided to hike the trail to the right going northwest. I was impressed by the towering bluffs that line the trail!

We hiked for a while and then turned around and headed towards the beach area. Ellie walked in the water and we enjoyed the peacefulness of the area.

This area is really nice since you can hike for as long as you want along the Al Foster Trail. Previously, I had hiked the Bluffview Trail which is a spur off of the Al Foster trail.

Be sure to check this area out as it is a really nice area to hike and has a lot of different trails in the area!