Castlewood State Park is a public recreation area and Missouri state park occupying which straddle the

Meramec River The Meramec River (), sometimes spelled Maramec River, is one of the longest free-flowing waterways in the U.S. state of Missouri, draining Blanc, Caldwell, and Hawk. "Location" while wandering Blanc, Caldwell, and Hawk. "Executive Summary" fr ...

in St. Louis County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. The most visited section of the

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

lies on the north side of the Meramec; the park acreage on the south side of the river is accessed from

Lone Elk County Park Lone Elk Park is a county park in the U.S. state of Missouri consisting of located in St. Louis County west of the town of Valley Park. The park is located adjacent to Interstate 44, the World Bird Sanctuary, Castlewood State Park, and Tyson ...

and includes the World Bird Sanctuary.

History

Lincoln Beach

In the early 20th century, the area of the park was a developed resort town, Lincoln Beach. Lincoln Beach existed from about 1915 into the 1940s, with its highest popularity in the 1920s. The

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

ran regular service from St Louis to Lincoln Beach, and the resort hosted around 10,000 visitors on summer weekends. Venues included the popular Lincoln Lodge and the Lone Wolf Club, a private

speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States d ...

serving liquor illegally ( prohibition was in effect from 1920 to 1933). After World War II, visitor numbers steadily declined, due to factors including the advent of air conditioning and the switch to automobile transport (which allowed people to choose spots alternative to the railroad-served Lincoln Beach. By the 21st century, few traces remained of Lincoln Beach. All the buildings were destroyed over time, and the man-made beach itself was entirely washed away by regular flooding. A few foundations and ruins survive in the woods, and the concrete grand staircase which runs from the bottomlands up into the bluff remains in use by hikers, as does another, wooden, staircase.

State park

Castlewood State Park was established as a state park in 1974. The park has a history of fatalities due to the Meramac River. Since June 30, 2004, there has been a total of 16 deaths along the river within the park. Of the 12 drowning deaths, only one was the result of intoxication.8
/ref> The most deadly incident occurred on July 9, 2006. Five children died in a mishap along the river during a church outing. Joseph Miller, 16, lost his footing on one of the river's unexpected dropoffs and was swept away by an undertow. Damon Johnson, 17, attempted to rescue Miller, but was also swept away. Damon's siblings, Dana Johnson (13), Ryan Mason (14) and Bryant Barnes (10), tried to rescue him. Deandre Sherman (16) also waded in to try to save their friends. All of the children, with the exception of Joseph Miller, drowned. A comprehensive list of fatalities as of 2021 includes: 19-year-old unnamed male (2004), 13 year old Dana Johnson (2006), 10 year old Bryant James (2006), 16 year old Joseph Miller (2006), 14 year old Ryan Mason (2006), 16 year old Deandre Sherman (2006), 15-year-old Isaiah Green (2007), 18-year-old Luis Baez Gonzales (2011), 20 year old Salvatore Jasso (2011), 21 year old Philip Schwalm (2012), 18 year old Henry Manu (2016), 17 year old Samuel Neal (2016), 12 year old Deniya Johnson (2018), 35 year old Rose Shaw (2018), 16 year old Kara Wrice (2021), 19 year old Juan Sajbin (2022) A retired

hydrologist Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...

for the Army Corps Of Engineers, Gary Dyhouse, remarked that the slope of the Meramac River is steeper than all other rivers in the area. According to Metro West Fire Chief Mike Krause, these sudden dropoffs, combined with the river's swift currents, are what cause swimmers to drown.

Activities and amenities

The park offers fishing and boating on the Meramec River and more than 26 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use.

References

External links

Castlewood State Park
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Castlewood State Park Map
Missouri Department of Natural Resources {{authority control State parks of Missouri Protected areas established in 1974 Protected areas of St. Louis County, Missouri 1974 establishments in Missouri Tourist attractions in St. Louis