Visitors Guide to Parks & Natural Attractions
Metropolitan Saint Louis
Visitors to the metropolitan Saint Louis area won’t have any trouble finding parks and natural areas to enjoy. The crown jewel of the area is Forest Park which is home to the attractions such as the Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, and the Saint Louis Science Center. Visitors will also find Babler State Park and Castlewood State Park as well as two conservation areas with visitors centers.
Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park
Wildwood, MO
The Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park was created in 1934 and is an on-going commemoration of a well-known Saint Louis family. The Civilian Conservation Corps worked to develop the park by cutting roads through the hilly countryside and building scenic viewpoints, trails and covered shelters. This 2,500-acre state park green-space oasis that provides wildlife viewing, more than 13 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, camping, outdoor recreation, and the River Hills Visitor Center.
Castlewood State Park
Ballwin, MO
The Castlewood area originally provided Saint Louis residents a welcome respite from urban life in the early 1900s. City dwellers flocked to several small resort depots along the Meramec River using the Missouri Pacific Railroad for weekends of water fun, dancing and clubhouse partying. The grand staircase at the Castlewood depot led to the big hotels and clubs. Today the park features more than 15 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, picnic facilities, fishing opportunities, canoeing, rafting and sunbathing.
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area
St. Louis, MO
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area is in north Saint Louis County. This 4,318-acre area includes a view of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, over 6.5 miles of river frontage, about 800 acres of bottomland forest and a 110-acre island. Public access facilities include roads, trails, a river access, and a viewing area at the confluence.
Faust Park
Chesterfield, MO
Faust County Park is one of Saint Louis County's most unique parks. Created in 1968 the park is home to many historical and cultural attractions. Visitors to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House can view butterflies in the glass conservatory or in a natural setting. A historical village preserves the area's architecture and history with ten structures ranging from log to brick and spanning a period from 1840 to 1888. The Saint Louis Carousel is an original carousel created by the Dentzel Company of Philadelphia in the 1920s that has been restored. Thornhill is the restored the estate of Frederick Bates, Missouri's second governor.
Forest Park
Saint Louis, MO
Forest Park is one of Saint Louis' most treasured resources and one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It is the home to the region’s major cultural institutions—the Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, History Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and the Muny Opera. It also serves as a sports center for golf, tennis, baseball, bicycling, boating, fishing, handball, ice-skating, roller blading, jogging, rugby and more.
Fort Belle Fontaine
Spanish Lake, MO
Fort Belle Fontaine was established in 1805 on the south bank of the Missouri River near its confluence with the Mississippi River. The Fort was the first U.S. military outpost west of the Mississippi River. The site is preserved today as a Saint Louis County Park but no physical evidence of the original structures remains as shifts in the Missouri River channel have long buried the original site underwater. The park also offers sweeping views of the Missouri River and overlooks the location of sites where Lewis and Clark camped in 1804.
John F. Kennedy Memorial Forest
Saint Louis, MO
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Forest consists of approximately 90 acres of varied habitat in the southwest corner of Forest Park. Of the 90 acres, 13 acres south of Wells Drive are what can be called an urban park habitat with mown grass and picnic areas. There are “islands” of forest south of Wells Drive and combined with the forested area north of this thoroughfare, there are approximately 68 acres of timberland. Interspersed along the northern edge of the forest is the oak savanna restoration project which encompasses nearly 9 acres of this rare and endangered habitat. Bicycle and hiking trails criss cross the area.
Missouri Botanical Garden
Saint Louis, MO
The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the top three botanical gardens in the world and a 79-acre urban oasis of indoor and outdoor display gardens. Known as Shaw's Garden to St. Louisans, the Missouri Botanical Garden contains a formal English garden, traditional Japanese garden, Margaret Blanke Grigg Chinese garden, the Flower Trial Garden, greenhouses and extensive landscaping. The garden also features the Climatron Complex, water lily reflection ponds and the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening. Facilities include meeting rooms, classrooms, historical buildings, a restaurant and a gift shop.
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
Kirkwood, MO
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is 112 acres of oak hickory forest with 3 trails, one of which has interpretive signs and is disabled accessible. The nature center has 2 levels of exhibits related to backyard wildlife and conservation practices in urban areas. Movies are shown every weekend in the 250-seat auditorium. Fish in the large aquarium are fed at 1 pm on Sundays. The gift shop sells MDC produced publications, and educational gift items, as well as licenses.
Rockwoods Reservation
Wildwood, MO
Rockwoods Reservation is a 1,880 acre state forest and wildlife conservation area in Saint Louis County, Missouri. Rockwoods Reservation harbors a rich diversity of plant and animal life as well as springs, caves, and rock formations and the terrain is reminiscent of the Ozark hills. Visitors can discover Missouri's forests and wildlife on seven hiking trails which comprise 13 miles of foot trails of varying length and difficulty.
Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House
Chesterfield, MO
The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is the only permanent attraction of its kind in Midwest. Its glass conservatory allows visitors to see hundreds of butterflies in free flight and watch the process of metamorphosis. The outdoors Native Habitat, the landscaped grounds of property offers the opportunity to see native butterflies in a natural environment. The center also offers classes and educational programs that increase public knowledge of the world of butterflies. An additional 8,000 square feet adjacent to the Conservatory houses classrooms, a theater, visitor amenities and a gift shop.
Saint Louis Zoo
Saint Louis, MO
The Saint Louis Zoo has been named #1 zoo by Zagat Survey's U.S. Family Travel Guide in association with Parenting magazine. The Zoo is home to more than 22,000 exotic animals, many of them rare and endangered. The over 800 species represented at the Zoo come from all the major continents and biomes of the world. Set in the rolling hills, lakes and glades of Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo is always a great place to be. Features include the Fragile Forest, the River's Edge, the Cypress Swamp with the 1904 Flight Cage, the Insectarium, and Big Cat Country.
Suson Park Animal Farm
Saint Louis, MO
Suson Park is real working farm for urban dwellers to come see and enjoy. The park features a big red barn and features most breeds of farm animals such as draft horses, cows, goats, and feathery fowl.
World Bird Sanctuary
Valley Park, MO
The World Bird Sanctuary is a unique Saint Louis attraction and an entertaining environmental education opportunity. With over 130-acres and 350 animals in their care, the WBS offers a wildlife experience that is one-of-a-kind. Dedicated to preserving the earth's biological diversity and securing the future of birds of prey in their natural environments, the WBS is home to eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, vultures, parrots, mammals, and reptiles. A team of naturalists offer an array of education programs covering a variety of environmental topics, all presented in an interactive and humorous style.
For Travelers Heading Up River
Meeting the Missouri River
The two longest rivers of the United States, the Missouri and the Mississippi, meet at Saint Charles County, Missouri. The Historic Saint Charles downtown area offers visitors a variety of attractions including the Lewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center, The Foundry Art Centre, and Missouri’s First State Capitol. Nearby is Confluence State Park and the Daniel Boone Home.
For Travelers Heading Across the River
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is one of America’s newer scenic byways. With over 20,000 acres of forest and wetlands at the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, it is a nature lovers paradise. Visitors will find spectacular colors in the fall and bald eagles in the winter. History abounds in the region ranging from the prehistoric Cahokia Mounds to sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
For Travelers Heading Down River
French Colonial Country
Down river of Saint Louis and the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and Randolph County, Illinois. This area was heavily influenced by the French fur traders who inhabited the region from 1700 to 1840.
