St. Louis has so many beautiful places to visit that it can be easy to overlook all that our Missouri State Parks have to offer. Each of these parks provides a unique outdoor experience, and each is also perfect for getting away from the city for a day. Read below to see the exciting adventures that await you in these state parks! Who said St. Louis isn't amazing? Not us.
1. Edward and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park
You can watch as the Missouri River and the Mighty Mississippi River meet at this state park. It is a beautiful place to spend time on the waterfront. It's also a great bird-watching destination! You can learn more on the official Missouri State Parks website.
Home to the Kimmswick Bone Bed, this archaeological and paleontological site is both an educational museum and a great outdoor park. You will learn about the great mastodons that roamed Missouri once upon a time, complete with life-sized models of these fierce creatures; you can also picnic and/or hike the wooded grounds. The hiking is truly amazing.
This state historic site is perfect for a romantic date or for seeing our history first hand. The Sandy Creek Bridge is one of only three remaining Howe Truss Bridges. It is completely restored and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970. This is one of our favorite hikes in the entire state, too.
4. Gov. Daniel Dunklin's Grave State Historic Site
At Cahokia Mounds you can walk to the top of one of the oldest Native American sites in the USA. The mounds here are preserved and protected as a World Heritage Site. There is also an educational center featuring many artifacts found in the area. Learn more about the Mounds and more in this awesome article.
Meramec State Park might just have the most activities to offer in one stop. You can visit caves here, camp, hike, go fishing, and boat or float on the river. Our favorite, though, is definitely hiking.
Castlewood State Park offers beautiful views and an abundance of outdoor activities too. This park is also an excellent choice if you like to hike. There are eight different trails offered here, with several that are open for equestrian use. We're not alone in our feeling that this park is VASTLY underrated.
The Washington State Park is a beautiful choice for hiking, boating, and swimming, but it is the petroglyphs carved into the rocks in this park that set it apart. Who created them is unknown, but it is believed that the Middle Mississippi People used the site as a ceremonial grounds. They were listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1970. Learn more on the official website!
Have you ever visited these awesome state parks near St. Louis? Share your experience with us in the comments. Looking for more outside fun? Check out the otherworldly Elephant Rocks State Park near St. Louis!
Missouri has stunning parks across the state, but St. Louis is pretty lucky to be so close to some of the best and most beautiful! These 10 amazing state parks are all less than 100 miles from St. Louis, which makes them perfect for both lovely day trips and excellent destinations for a weekend getaway! Plan to visit *all* of these amazing state parks near St. Louis sometime soon!
This beautiful and wholly underrated 1,818-acre park lies alongside the Meramec River and offers some excellent hiking opportunities. It also includes the World Bird Sanctuary, which is a dedicated bird preserve that works in the rescue and rehabilitation of wild birds, as well as research and education for the public about the fascinating feathered creatures who live here. Castlewood State Park offers tons of recreational activities, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, fishing, and boating. There is a lovely little picnic area, so pack a lunch and come enjoy the beautiful outdoor oasis at Castlewood State Park!
Castlewood State Park is located 27 miles west of St. Louis at 1401 Kiefer Creek Rd., Ballwin, MO, 63021. The World Bird Sanctuary can be found at 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Rd., Valley Park, MO, 63088.
This is one of Missouri’s most popular state parks as well as one of the oldest! Jacob and Henry Babler donated the park space in memory of their brother Edmund Babler, who was a successful St. Louis surgeon prior to his death. A bronze statue of Dr. Babler sits at the center of the park, which now offers visitors hiking and horse trails, wildlife viewing areas, and campsites to come visit this beautiful area. Old-growth forests, protected from destruction, blanket the area and provide a lovely natural oasis just 30 miles west of St Louis.
This unique park sits right at the confluence of the Missouri River and the Mississippi River! This site has special historical significance, as it was the starting place for the famous Lewis & Clark Expedition, which ultimately led to westward expansion and the addition of western territories into pre-United States land. Today, visitors can enjoy short walking trails, great birdwatching spots, and interpretive areas that offer some fascinating information about the significance of the area and the current wildlife that calls this area home.WordEdward "Ted" and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park is located 24 miles west of downtown St. Louis at 1000 Riverlands Way, West Alton, MO, 63386.
Route 66 State Park sits on the site of the former Times Beach. A once-thriving town, in the 1980s, it was discovered that the town was contaminated with dioxin, so the land was decontaminated and destroyed. Some of the deserted streets and buildings still line the edges of the park, which is now safe to visit and home to some beautiful fields of wildflowers in the spring months. The Visitor Center at Route 66 State Park now holds a fun, funky collection of Route 66 memorabilia, including the first historic Route 66 marker. The Inner Loop Trail is an easy two-mile hiking and biking trail that is paved and wheelchair accessible to visitors. The trail follows along the old Burlington Northern Railroad tracks and offer connection points to Kircher Park and Flat Creek Trail in the town of Eureka. The Outer Loop Trail is slightly longer (3.25 miles), but is still rated easy and offers glimpses of the beautiful Meramec River.
This incredible state park has some of the most diverse ecological features -- and hikes -- in the entire state! There are beautiful hardwood forests and lovely glades; however, the star of the park is certainly the caves! More than 40 caves are located throughout the park, the largest of which is Fisher Cave, located near the campgrounds. The park also offers places for visitors to canoe, fish, and go boating, and there are even rental cabins available for those who aren’t quite the camping type, but still want to be right in the center of the action.
There are several short trails to explore here, including the Braille Trail (which was the first of its kind to include adaptations for visitors with visual challenges), "Fat Man’s Squeeze" (through a narrow boulder gap), and "The Maze." Elephant Rocks State Park is located 86 miles south of St. Louis at 7406 MO-21, Belleview, MO, 63623.
Cuivre River State Park is a nature-lover’s paradise that's one of the best spots to see the beautiful seasons in all of their vibrant glory. The landscape is unique and includes prairie land, old-growth oak and hickory forests, and sinkhole ponds. Hiking and horseback riding trails make it easy for visitors to get out and explore these beautiful areas, and there are plenty of campsites available if you wish to extend your trip into a weekend adventure. You can also fish, swim, and canoe along the waterways, which makes this an especially popular spot during the warm summer months.
Onondaga Cave State Park is located right on the Meramec River, but the most beautiful sights are actually underground! The Onondaga Cave is truly a hidden gem. You can take a tour into the depths to see stunning stalagmites and stalactites, as well as cool flowstone formations and drip pools. The Onondaga Caves are a U.S. National Landmark and they definitely belong on your bucket list, but if you prefer to stay above ground, there is still tons to do here, including canoeing and fishing along the lovely Meramec River, camping, and hiking along the scenic trails.
This beautiful state park in Missouri in the Saint Francois Mountains is home to Taum Sauk Mountain - the highest point in the entire state! This wilderness area is a popular spot for hikers and backpackers, but the views from Taum Sauk are beautiful for just about anyone who visits. You will also find Mina Sauk Falls - the highest waterfall in Missouri - on Taum Sauk Mountain, so this is definitely one spot that packs a ton of natural fun into one stunning area.
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is located 97 miles south of St. Louis, Hwy. CC, Ironton, MO, 63656. Here’s the trail map provided by the Missouri State Parks website.
Sure, it’s not a "true" State Park, but Mastodon IS a designated Missouri historic site, and it’s definitely worth checking out. This area is a significant archeological and paleontological site that preserves the Kimmswick Bone Bed, where the fossilized bones of mastodons were discovered in the early 19th century. This is also the site where archaeologists uncovered the famous Clovis-point spears that greatly influenced the way we understand the life and spread of culture in prehistoric eras.
At Mastodon State Historic Site, there is a museum that offers TONS of information about the history of this area, including stories of the culture of the oldest Native American site in the entire state! The Museum also has incredible exhibits featuring the full skeletons of mastodons and other now-extinct creatures that once called this area home. There are also recreational activities offered here, including a lovely picnic area and three hiking trails to explore. The two-mile Limestone Hill Trail is quite rugged, with steep climbs through rough terrain, but the views of the Sekman Valley from the top of the bluff are absolutely worth the extra effort. The shorter Wildflower Trail (0.4 miles) is easier (yet still rated moderate), takes you down a wooden staircase to the Kimmswick Bone Beds where the first fossil discoveries were made. Interpretive information along the way help paint a beautiful picture of what life was like here thousands of years ago! The Mastodon State Historic Site is located just 22 miles south of St. Louis at 1050 Charles J Becker Dr., Imperial, MO, 63052.
Wow - we really are quite lucky to be surrounded by such amazing places! While there are hundreds of beautiful spots around the state, these are just a handful of highlights of state parks that are near to St. Louis and easy to visit, no matter what type of adventure you're looking for!
If You Live In St. Louis, You Must Visit This Amazing State Park
Cuivre River State Park offers a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, and stargazing, making it a perfect day trip destination near St. Louis.
The Cuivre River State Park is a lush and beautiful place to visit. It's located less than an hour from St. Louis, but will take you deep into the wilderness of Missouri. While it's known for its great float trips, this state park offers so much more to explore. Read below to plan a day away at this beautiful state park.
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The Cuivre River State Park is absolutely breathtaking, any time of day.
The trails here are rated moderate to rugged. Blackhawk Point Trail is open for equestrian use and mountain bikers as well. If you take the trail up to the top of Frenchman's Bluff, you'll see some incredible, expansive views of the Cuivre River Valley below.
The covered shelters of the Cuivre River State Park are a great place to plan a gathering.
The Stone Shelter can seat up to 50 guests and the Lakeside Shelter can host 120 people. Rental rates vary for each shelter and reservations are required for the Lakeside Shelter.
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This state park is an excellent choice for stargazing.
The park offers many options for camping, including group rates and a platform tent site, all of which offer great night sky views. The park occasionally offers special meteor shower events as well!
Close to St. Louis, but far enough away to be completely out of the city, this park offers a little wooded oasis.
You can find more information about this park on the Cuivre River State Park website.
You can also find information on the exciting special events offered in the park on the Cuivre River State Park Facebook page. The Cuivre River State Park can be found at 678 State Route 147, Troy, Missouri, 63379.
Have you visited this amazing state park? Share your pictures and experiences with us in the comments below!
Check out this list of other awesome local parks for a day outside closer to home!
