- saintlouis
- events
- staff
- places
Backwoods in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri 
Follow Us: Facebook ››
At our Backwoods store in Lake St. Louis, the wealth of knowledge and rich experience of our dedicated staff sets the standard for area outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you are going bouldering for the first time or are a seasoned veteran of many mountaineering adventure trips, our Backwoods staff is always ready to provide you with insight and understanding that far surpasses other outdoor stores. Even our location is special; we have 10 trails designed for hiking and biking within 3 to 17 miles of the store!
Our employees are dedicated to sharing their love of outdoor pursuits with anyone who wants to learn more. Beyond just selecting the right outdoor gear for everything from mountaineering to running in barefoot shoes, our staff lives the outdoor life to the fullest and shares that mindset with our customers. At any given moment someone is training for some newly discovered or established favorite hobby, like mountain bike racing, an Ironman, trail running and Adventure races. Several staff members are typically planning an upcoming travel adventure somewhere interesting like hiking in Utah, snowshoeing in Colorado or rock climbing in Arkansas. Between us we’ve travel extensively for backpacking, mountaineering, and adventure travel. Some of our favorite destinations include Mt. Rainier, Dolly Sods, Seneca Rocks, the Colorado/Rocky Mountains, Weminuche Wilderness Area, the Utah Canyon lands, Cedar Mesa, the Arkansas- Buffalo River, Hawaii, Ireland and Peru.
We all enjoy sharing our enthusiasm with customers and hosting fun events; at the Reel Rock film festival we had a 30 foot climbing wall in the parking lot all day provided by Upper Limits, a local climbing gym. Customers could climb for free; it was great to see everyone so motivated to try a new sport, and for our experienced rock climbing customers to show their skills!
It’s really rewarding getting to know our customers personally and even their pets; one customer has a wonderful Great Dane named Diesel who has his own dog backpack, goes camping with his owner and sleeps right next his owner in the tent! We take customers on Backwoods hikes in the area and one customer who enjoys hiking brings along a toy poodle and ironically, that little dog is also named Diesel! We have a lot of fun and customers get a big kick out of our Ex Officio Technically Sexy Underwear and we get a lot of questions about Bear Spray.
We opened in 2009 and between us we have 34 years of experience working for Backwoods. From experienced travelers, to families with young kids to Adventure racers training for their next event, we keep the outdoor enthusiasts of St. Louis equipped and eager to try new activities and enjoy a variety of outdoor pursuits.
|
There is no need for a long drive from Backwoods St. Louis to see some of the coolest aspects of nature in all of the Midwest. North America's two greatest rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri converge in the heart of St. Louis. Its ever-growing network of outdoor recreation, parks, and nature cover over 200 square miles. My favorite time of year in the confluence is November to February when the waterfowl migration and the bald eagles feeding grounds move through the area. The Confluence area offers some of the best duck hunting in all off North America. There are few things more wonderful to watch than a morning flight of 30,000 ducks fly over and your retriever picking up a green head out of the decoy set. If you are like me, and love shooting photography you must hit the Chain of Rocks and Alton Bridge area to watch hundreds of mature bald eagles feeding and nesting. I suggest going out early in the morning and leaving the heavily occupied eagle-watching areas to find the wood lined creeks where the eagles roost. You can get extremely close and will quite often see 8 to 10 in a single tree. Just start hiking the trails, as there are 200 square miles to explore. I promise you will find something for everyone. For more information checkout 
If you want to step up the adrenalin a touch, try kayaking. You don't have to make an 8-hour drive to the big water of the east to paddle whitewater. The St. Francis River offers an easy day trip from Backwoods St. Louis. The river is only a 1.5-hour drive south, to Fredericktown, MO, and offers Class III+ / IV water with lots of boaters year round. Though the best time for more consistent boating is the wet spring and fall, you can find perfect boating conditions any time of year. This is a wonderful river for beginners to learn the sport of kayaking, as the local MWA (Missouri Whitewater Association) group conducts learning clinics and boating events throughout the year. Check out 
Keeping with the adrenalin theme, lets go vertical. Southern Illinois has wonderful rock climbing for the Midwest. The area has several locations, which offer routes for all climbing levels. The 2.5-hour drive from Backwoods St. Louis makes for a nice overnight or weekend trip. The Giant City, Ferne Clyffe and Jackson Falls areas are some of the most popular and provide plenty of nice clean campsite areas. You are able to find several top rope and sport climbing routes in southern Illinois, and though you can ask around, I would recommend stopping by Backwoods and picking up Eric Ulner's book, Vertical Heartland. The book provides detailed information on many of the climbing areas, routes, as well as needed gear. Make it a family affair as there are several locations perfect to get the little kids involved in the sport and are safe for them to run around. Check out 
Free Shipping for Orders over $50!
Backwoods - Be An Outsider
-
Mens
-
-
By Category
-
By Brand
-
-
Womens
-
-
By Category
-
By Brand
-
- Kids
-
Gear
-
-
By Category
-
By Brand
-
- Footwear
- Climbing
- Adventure Trips
- Stores & Events
- Who We are
