Forest Park
Managed by City of St. Louis
1,345 acres13.1 mi of trail
Heels PathFlat Rock TrailPrimate Canopy Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Turtle Playground ParkingWebsite ↗
Photo: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, NPS from St. Louis, MO, USA · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in St. Louis
8% of St. Louis’ land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Forest Park (13.1 mi), Willmore Park (3 mi), Carondelet Park (2.5 mi). 8% of St. Louis’ land is conserved, about 3,004 acres.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #15 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
3,004 acres · of 61.7 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,935 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
189 mi
67 mi lanes · 56 mi paths
Highest peak
541 ft
Art Hill
Lakes & rivers
56
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is St. Louis?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does St. Louis have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, St. Louis is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #15 of 247 in Missouri. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of St. Louis’ overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical MO town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · MO 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,935 acres) · MO 11 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MO 74% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 82%
LessMore
Missouri towns of 2,500+ (247)Ahead of 94%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, St. Louis ranks #166 on Outdoors.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so St. Louis’ 8% is ahead of 92% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 74% of them.
Water is 7% of St. Louis’ area (4 of 66 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Forest Park, with 13.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Willmore Park
Managed by City of St. Louis
109 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Carondelet Park
Managed by City of St. Louis
171 acres2.5 mi of trail
Federer’s Folly Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tilles Park
Park
31 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Tower Grove Park
Managed by City of St. Louis
275 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Missouri Botanical Garden
Park
81 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape
Park
18 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
All 132 parks & preserves
Forest Park1,345 acres · 13.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsWillmore Park109 acres · 3 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsCarondelet Park171 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsTilles Park31 acres · 2 mi of trail
Tower Grove Park275 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMissouri Botanical Garden81 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsAnne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape18 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHyde Park12 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Riverfront Park159 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsO'Fallon Park137 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsVisitation Park12 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Penrose Park59 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSublette Park12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Compton Hill Reservoir Park31 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsFilippine Garden3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · General Services Administration
DirectionsSherman Park28 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLaclede Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Pleasant Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
River Des Peres Park176 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsW. C. Handy Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Franz Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Turner Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Park-Like1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Pulitzer Arts Foundation
DirectionsFrancis Park59 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsLafayette Park32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMarquette Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lindenwood Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fern and Russell F. de Greeff Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRuth Porter Mall Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsLyon Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
DirectionsGregory J. Carter Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
Citygarden4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFremont Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPontiac Square Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of St. Louis
Strodtman Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarol Gates Throop Memorial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKingsbury Square Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsUnity Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
GHV Terrace Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fairground Park128 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsGateway Arch National Park78 acres · National Park Service
DirectionsSt. Marcus Park31 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsBenton Park16 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsSaint Louis Place Park16 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsBarrett Brothers Park15 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsJoe Leisure Park15 acres · City of St. Louis
Hickey Park14 acres · City of St. Louis
Chain of Rocks Park13 acres · Great Rivers Greenway
DirectionsChristy Park11 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsSaint Louis Zoo Annex11 acres
DirectionsRiver Des Peres Extension11 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMemorial Plaza10 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsDeSoto Park10 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsGravois Park9 acres · City of St. Louis
Busche Park8 acres · City of St. Louis
Flora Place Park7 acres
DirectionsFrancis R Slay Park7 acres
DirectionsRay Leisure Park7 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsClifton Heights Park7 acres · City of St. Louis
Chambers Park7 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsPagoda Circle7 acres
DirectionsBellerive Park7 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsJet Banks Park7 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsTandy Park6 acres
DirectionsGwen Giles Park6 acres
Dickman Park6 acres · City of St. Louis
Cherokee Park6 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsBerra Park6 acres · City of St. Louis
Sister Marie Charles Park5 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMinnie Wood Memorial Square5 acres · City of St. Louis
Alaska Park5 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsFather Filipiak Park5 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsScott Joplin House State Historic Site5 acres · Missouri State Parks
DirectionsLoretta Hall Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Terry Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Lucier Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsYeatman Square Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Eads Square Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Amherst Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Fox Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsEugene "Tink" Bradley Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Beckett Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
Robert J. Baer Plaza4 acres
DirectionsKiener Plaza4 acres · City of St. Louis Parks Division
DirectionsChouteau Park4 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMcDonald Park4 acres
Fountain Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsNorman Seay Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsBuder Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsAmberg Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMestres Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsRumbold Park3 acres
Murphy Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsSoulard Market Park3 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsLemay Park2 acres · St. Louis County
DirectionsAloe Plaza2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsFrank Williamson Sr. Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
Cortex Commons2 acres · Cortex Innovation District
DirectionsJackson Place Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsWashington Square Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsCarondelet Lions Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
Kaufmann Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsHamilton Heights Park2 acres
DirectionsCarnegie Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsEternal Flame Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsLuther Ely Smith Square2 acres
DirectionsSt. Louis Square Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsAdams Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsPoelker Park2 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsMinnesota and Hill Park1 acres · City of St. Louis
Tiffany Park1 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsVivian Astra Park1 acres
Serra Sculpture Park1 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsPeace Park1 acres
DirectionsLucas Gardens Park1 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsRussell Park1 acres
Aloe Plaza West1 acres · City of St. Louis
DirectionsLafayette Park Historic Baseball Field1 acres
DirectionsEllen Clark Sculpture Park1 acres
DirectionsFather Maurice J. Nutt Park1 acres · Saint Louis University
DirectionsFanetti Plaza1 acres
Bank of America Plaza1 acres
DirectionsPeabody Plaza1 acres
DirectionsLaclede’s Landing Active Art Park1 acres · Pocketparks
DirectionsJanet B. Wood Park1 acres
DirectionsStrauss Park1 acres · Grand Center Inc.
DirectionsTriangle Park Plaza1 acres · Bi-State Development Agency
DirectionsFountain Park Plaza1 acres
DirectionsWilliam L. Clay Sr. Sculpture Park1 acres
Botanical Heights Playground1 acres · Botanical Heights Neighborhood Association
Soulard Community Garden1 acres · Gateway Greening Land Trust
DirectionsColumbus Square Park1 acres · City of St. Louis
Who protects it
3,004 conserved acres
8% of St. Louis’ land. Water is left out: St. Louis has 61.7 square miles of land and 4.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages St. Louis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,868 ac
National Park Service89 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits23 ac
Private owners22 ac
Regional agency22 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government7 ac
Other state land6 ac
Local Park · 2,911 acNational Park · 85 acLocal Recreation Area · 19 acLocal Conservation Area · 13 acLocal Other or Unknown · 11 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Park Local Park | Town or city | 1,277 | Open |
| Tower Grove Park Local Park | Town or city | 266 | Open |
| Willmore Park Local Park | Town or city | 189 | Open |
| River Des Peres Park Local Park | Town or city | 90 | Open |
| Gateway Arch National Park National Park | National Park Service | 85 | Open |
| St. Louis Riverfront Trail Local Park | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Local Park | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| Chain Of Rocks Park Local Park | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| David R Francis Park Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
| Penrose Park Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
365 places to go in St. Louis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in St. Louis
Chambers Park Outdoor Swimming PoolIn Chambers Park
DirectionsFairground Park Swimming PoolIn Fairground Park
DirectionsPlus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in St. Louis
Amberg PlaygroundIn Amberg Park
DirectionsAmherst PlaygroundIn Amherst Park
DirectionsBeckett PlaygroundIn Beckett Park
DirectionsBenton Park PlaygroundIn Benton Park
DirectionsCarondelet Lions PlaygroundIn Carondelet Lions Park
DirectionsChristy Park PlaygroundIn Christy Park
DirectionsEads Park PlaygroundIn Eads Square Park
DirectionsEast PlaygroundIn Tower Grove Park
Directions16 more playgrounds
Gravois Park PlaygroundIn Gravois Park
DirectionsJackson Place Park PlaygroundIn Jackson Place Park
DirectionsJuanita Park
DirectionsJuanita Park
DirectionsLafayette Park PlaygroundIn Lafayette Park
DirectionsLoretta Hall PlaygroundIn Loretta Hall Park
DirectionsLucas Garden PlaygroundIn Lucas Gardens Park
DirectionsLucier Park PlaygroundIn Lucier Park
DirectionsMargo Anderson PlaygroundIn Hamilton Heights Park
DirectionsNorman Seay PlaygroundIn Norman Seay Park
DirectionsOakland Avenue PlaygroundIn Forest Park
DirectionsRainbow Park
DirectionsRichard Hudlin PlaygroundIn Forest Park
DirectionsTurtle PlaygroundIn Forest Park
DirectionsTwin Snakes PlaygroundIn Francis Park
DirectionsVariety Wonderland PlaygroundIn Forest Park
Directions261 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in St. Louis
Forest Park Southeast Dog ParkIn Chouteau Park
DirectionsFox Park Dog ParkIn Fox Park
DirectionsK9 Garden
DirectionsLaclede's Landing Dog Park
DirectionsLucas Gardens Dog ParkIn Lucas Gardens Park
DirectionsRenaissance Place Dog Park
DirectionsShaw Neighborhood Dog Park
DirectionsSoulard Dog Park
Directions1 more dog park
Water Tower Dog ParkIn Compton Hill Reservoir Park
DirectionsPlus 10 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in St. Louis
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in St. Louis
7 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in St. Louis
Deer Lake RifflesIn Forest Park
DirectionsWaterfall of Tidal SoundIn Missouri Botanical Garden
DirectionsWise FallsIn Forest Park
DirectionsPlus 12 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in St. Louis
22 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in St. Louis
Art Hill541 ft elevation · In Forest Park
DirectionsGovernment Hill535 ft elevation · In Forest Park
DirectionsBig Mound (Historical)472 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in St. Louis
Concession Picnic SiteIn Tower Grove Park
DirectionsGurney Picnic SiteIn Tower Grove Park
DirectionsGus Fogt Picnic SiteIn Tower Grove Park
DirectionsPicnic Ground 3In Forest Park
DirectionsTunica Picnic SiteIn Tower Grove Park
DirectionsWest End Picnic SiteIn Tower Grove Park
DirectionsWilliams Family Solar PavilionIn Forest Park
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Disc golf in St. Louis
Laclede's Landing Disc Golf Putting CourseIn Laclede’s Landing Active Art Park · Pocketparks
DirectionsCommunity gardens in St. Louis
Baden Community Garden
DirectionsBoyle Laclede Community Garden
DirectionsBustani Ya Upenda
DirectionsEnglish Cave Community GardenFee
DirectionsEvans Avenue Urban FarmGood Life Growing
DirectionsFrank Seiferd Dogtown Community Garden
DirectionsGrandel Center for Urban Agriculture
DirectionsHebert Street Community Garden
Directions6 more community gardens
Hidden Alley Ranch
DirectionsMcKinley Heights Garden
DirectionsMetropolitan Village GardenIn Chambers Park
DirectionsSt. Francis Cabrini Academy GardenSeed STL
DirectionsThe Sidewalk Garden
DirectionsTransgender Memorial Garden
DirectionsPlus 10 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 53 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.8 miUnpaved · 15.7 mi
Heels Path2.6 mi
Federer’s Folly Trail0.8 mi
Flat Rock Trail0.3 mi
Primate Canopy Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Benton Park LakepondBoathouse LakelakeBowl LakepondBullfrog PondpondCascade LakepondCascades and Flegel FallsCatfish CovepondCircular FountainClifton Heights LakelakeClifton Heights Park Lake FountainColonial Daughter FountainCupples PondpondCypress LakepondCypress PondpondDeer LakelakeDolphin PondEllen S. Clark FountainEmerson Grand BasinlakeFairground Park LakelakeFanetti Plaza FountainFishtail PondpondFountain Park FountainFountain PondpondFrisella Family FountainGrotto PondpondHeron FountainHorseshoe LakelakeIvory Triangle FountainJefferson LakepondKoi PondpondKoplar FountainsLafayette Park LakelakeLily PondpondLily PondspondMaryland Plaza FountainMeeting of the Waters FountainMurphy LakepondNorth PondpondNorth Riverfront Park LakelakeNottingham FountainpondO'Fallon Park LakepondPost-Dispatch LakelakeReflective PoolRound LakelakeSea Lion SoundpondSouth PondpondSplit BasinSt. Louis University FountainThe Bather FountainThree Branched FountainMississippi RiverRiver des PeresTaylor Kindle River
Biking & sports
189 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
67 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
56 mi
off-road bike paths
66 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
126Tennis
55Basketball
45Pickleball
41Baseball
39Soccer
39Softball
17Football
12Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →444 places on the National Register, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 80 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic SiteNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 1966
About it432 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in St. Louis
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 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 45 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 80 | 69 | 55 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in St. Louis →
Next door
St. Louis and its neighbors
St. Louis has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
St. Louis38 miCentreville Township5.8 miClayton1.4 miChouteau Township1.2 miVenice Township1.1 miLemay0.4 miRichmond Heights0.1 miRiverview0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 8% | 0.6 | 14 | 99%+ | A− |
| Lemay | 3% | 0.1 | 4 | 80% | C+ |
| Clayton | 6% | 0.6 | 7 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Riverview | under 1% | under 0.1 | 1 | 96% | C− |
| Richmond Heights | under 1% | under 0.1 | 1 | 96% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in St. Louis
Where can I hike in St. Louis?
The longest trail networks: Forest Park, 13.1 miles; Willmore Park, 3 miles; Carondelet Park, 2.5 miles; Tilles Park, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of St. Louis is conserved land?
8% 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 St. Louis’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Forest Park (on leash), Carondelet Park (on leash) and Tower Grove Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in St. Louis?
189 miles of bike routes are on the map: 67 of painted or protected lanes, 56 of off-road paths and 66 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near St. Louis?
31,308 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. Louis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,935 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does St. Louis have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #15 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 St. Louis neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
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 →