Back in 2008, seeing the potential in a little strip of the city then known as Forest Park Southeast (and now as The Grove), Roo Yawitz opened The Gramophone. On the third night it was open, a guy named Mike “Big Muddy” Clark came in and said he’d been out canoeing on the Mississippi River. Yawitz—who had done Ozark paddle trips and long expeditions in Canada’s Boundary Waters—was intrigued. Seven years later, after the two men had become friends and Clark had taken Yawitz out on the river, Yawitz took over the business side of Big Muddy Adventures (2muddy.com).
“Before I met Mike, I didn’t realize—like most people in St. Louis—that you could use these rivers recreationally,” says Yawitz. “We grow up with our parents telling us that if you go into the Missouri or the Mississippi, bad things happen. At some point in the history of St. Louis, we unfortunately decided that the rivers were off limits to fun and recreation. Yet it’s gorgeous being out on them, and it’s safe as long as you know what you’re doing. Once you go out on the river with us, and the river changes your mind, you might tell your kids something different.”
Are people beginning to realize that? They are. We still haven’t found the top of the demand. There are more and more people who want to have a great day on the river or dinner on an island. Our trips are small. We could take more people on a full-moon float, but we keep it to 18, because that’s the most you can gather around a campfire and have it be fun.
What wildlife do you see as you paddle? The birds are unbelievable. American bald eagles, great blue herons, egrets. Then, beavers, otters, deer, turtles. You don’t see the hundreds of thousands of fish swimming under you, but they’re there. These rivers are not just highways for barges—they’re very much alive.
Paul Nordmann
You have a new retail shop, too, with a library of maps so people can plan hiking and camping trips. We’re not crazy enough to think everybody wants to go canoeing on the Mississippi. We just try to be an icebreaker. If people are utilizing these big rivers recreationally, it’s an indicator of the overall outdoorsiness of St. Louis. There’s the Katy Trail and the entire state parks system—recognized as one of the best in the country. Other departments come to Missouri to study our state parks; they’re a massive asset. We have the big rivers but also the little rivers—the entire Ozark river system, with the Current, the Big Piney, Jacks Fork… St. Louis is sandwiched between two amazing national forests, Shawnee and Mark Twain, which both have hiking, camping, caving, paddling, rock climbing, mountain biking….
Mountain biking? The trail system is small but growing. Greensfelder County Park has about 35 miles of mountain bike trail; Weldon Spring Conservation Area has a nice trail; Zombie Trail, right off the Al Foster Trail on the Meramec; Lost Valley Trail….
What’s best for regular cycling? The Katy is obviously amazing… The Ozark Trail, you can do multiday hikes or bike to your canoe and paddle back. Last summer, I paddled on the Big River to Robinson Bluff and did some rock climbing, then continued down the river. You can make these multiday adventures for yourself—all you need is a friend with another car. And there are overnight camping options in state and county parks, Missouri Department of Conservation areas, and on lakes managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Lots of off-the-grid options.
What’s a hidden-gem hiking trail? Green Rock Trail is one of the oldest in the area. It runs through three different units of public land. The trailhead is on Fox Creek Road, and the trail ends in Rockwood Reservation. I also love the Berryman Trail, just east of Steelville in the Mark Twain National Forest.
THERE’S THE KATY TRAIL AND THE ENTIRE STATE PARKS SYSTEM—RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
And what are some of the most beautiful trails? Obviously, I’m partial to river views, so everybody should hike the Lewis Trail in Weldon Spring. It’s an easy hike, and you get an amazing bluff view of a gorgeous bend in the Missouri River. Also, Don Robinson State Park—LaBarque Creek runs right through it, and there are all sorts of waterfalls and interesting rock formations.
Can you share more about the Brickline Greenway? It’s something I’m very excited about. I think it’s going to be a vital way to connect North and South City with the central corridor. Soon it will connect Tower Grove Park to Cortex with off-road safe bike paths, and eventually it will connect Forest Park to the Gateway Arch. Every time Great Rivers Greenway adds a connector to the River Ring and brings two trails together, it opens up a whole new set of rides.
What do people not realize about outdoor recreation here? If you live in Denver, it’s common to take two and a half hours to get somewhere just because of traffic. If you draw that circle around St. Louis [to show what you can access in two and a half hours], you’ve just completely changed what you think of as outdoor recreation. Also, people are blown away by how few people they run into. That’s the Achilles’ heel of mountain west destinations—they’re so crowded.
Why does outdoor recreation matter? It’s good for your health. And people care about what they’ve actually experienced. I hope every time we get someone out on the river, we have increased the number of people who care about these rivers. This region has all these outdoor recreation assets we don’t talk about enough. These are not massive infrastructure projects that have to happen. They’re already here.
