Photo: Onegentlemanofverona · CC BY-SA 3.0Des Peres has 75 acres of parks, 8.2 for every 1,000 residents
0.4 miles of mapped trail cross Des Peres, 0.1 per square mile of land. 72% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 3% of Des Peres’ land is conserved, about 83 acres.
Ahead of 39% of U.S. towns · #155 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
How much outdoors does Des Peres have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Des Peres is ahead of 39% of U.S. towns, #155 of 247 in Missouri. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Des Peres’ 3% is ahead of 68% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 26% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bittersweet Woods Conservation Area
Phantom Forest Conservation Area
All 5 parks & preserves
83 conserved acres
3% of Des Peres’ land. Who manages Des Peres’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Peres Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Sugar Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Phantom Forest Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 11 | Restricted |
| Pioneer Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Sunrise Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Harwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
8 places to go in Des Peres
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 lakes & rivers
3.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The walking year in Des Peres
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 45 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 80 | 69 | 55 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Des Peres →
Des Peres and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Peres | 3% | 0.1 | 8 | 72% | C+ |
| Kirkwood | 1% | 0.5 | 10 | 80% | B− |
| Town and Country | 1% | 0.7 | 5 | 37% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Des Peres
Where can I hike in Des Peres?
The longest trail networks: Sugar Creek Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Des Peres is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Missouri town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Des Peres’ trails?
Des Peres Park and Sugar Creek Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Des Peres?
3.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.9 of painted or protected lanes and 2.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Des Peres?
19,240 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Des Peres or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 75 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Des Peres have?
Ahead of 39% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #155 of 247 in Missouri. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Des Peres neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →