Meramec River Greenway: Simpson Park to Arnold's Grove

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Features River/Creek · Wildlife

The Meramec Greenway Trail, as envisioned, will run the length of the Meramec River in St. Louis County. This particular section of the trail is a paved path that runs through Simpson County Park and connects Kirkwoods Greentree Park to the east and Valley Parks River Front Park to the west. Trailheads can be found at the east end of Greentree Park and the west end of River Front Park as well as across Marshall Road from the entrance to Simpson County Park.

You can also access the river from a gravel bar off of the trail. This area is popular with local fishermen. The trail winds through a bottomland woodland. Keep an eye open for two large Burr Oaks that can be found just east of the AMVETS. The trail then heads along through Kirkwoods Green Tree Park.

Continuing upstream along the river, you'll have a great view of the Meramec. Utilizing an old road, the trail continues through Simpson County Park into River Front Park. While hard to imagine, there was once a series of clubhouses along the entire length of the trail. Floods eventually forced people to move to higher ground. A new one mile trail is being planned to cross Fishpot Creek and continue one mile upstream along the Meramec.