Home to One of the Nation’s Biggest (and Best) Urban Parks
At the western edge of the city limits is the 1,300-acre jewel that is Forest Park. It tops the “best” lists year after year, and rightly so. Walk, bike, picnic, read, run, golf, play softball, practice yoga, and much more. Tucked among its 45,000 trees, you’ll find the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, The Muny (America’s largest outdoor theatre), Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Science Center, and a brand-new Nature Playscape. You could spend an entire weekend and still not see and do everything. This is why St. Louisans return to it again and again.
Over 200 Parks — and 55 More Just for the Dogs
Those who come from the coasts may call us landlocked, but when a lot of that land is fantastic parks, it’s all good. No matter where you are, you’re a stone’s throw from a park or greenspace of some kind. St. Louis City alone has 108 parks, and is home to the Missouri Botanical Garden, the nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark. St. Louis County has over 70 parks. The western suburb of St. Charles has nearly two dozen. And that’s still not all of them. It’s one of the reasons St. Louis is in the top 20 (out of 100) Parkscore ranking by The Trust for Public Land.
We’re a pet-friendly city with 55 dog parks to make sure our four-legged friends have lots of room to run too.
128 miles of Greenways & Growing
In 2000, a regional vote created a sales tax dedicated to developing parks and greenway. The Great Rivers Greenway is a network of over 128 miles (and growing!) of activity arteries throughout the region that connect our communities through bike/walk/run trails and conservation projects. All are developed with equity, healthy lifestyles and strengthening our civic well-being at their core. One of the newest greenways in progress, the Brickline, flows through an urban landscape with 20 potential miles and will connect up to 17 city neighborhoods.
Wide-Open Green Spaces
If you want to venture out side the city limits to enjoy the outdoors, St. Louis is a short drive to the Ozark Scenic Riverway, Mark Twain National Forest, and Cahokia Mounds. There’s an incredible River Country nearby as well, with even more to explore.
Photo of Forest Park by Steve Jett