16. Katy Trail
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (800) 334-6946
Description: The 185-mile Katy Trail, the nation’s longest rails-to-trails project, begins in St. Charles, just 30 minutes west of downtown St. Louis. Named for the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas rail-road line and given the nickname “Katy,” the flat path is made of crushed limestone gravel and never exceeds a 5 percent grade. Bicycle-rental services are located at trailheads along the 8-foot-wide, wheelchair-accessible trail, which runs nearly 200 miles across the state of Missouri. You can rent bikes at various locations in St. Charles. (For more information see the Day Trips and Weekend Getaways chapter.)
17. Quail Creek Championship Golf Course
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 487-1988
Address: 6022 Wells Road
Description: Quail Creek is a public, 18-hole, par 72 championship course with Bermuda grass fairways and bent grass greens. The facility was designed by Hale Irwin and is located on 150 acres of picturesque hills, creeks, and valleys. Quail Creek’s course features three sets of tees and offers a full range of amenities, including a driving range, locker room facilities, private lessons, a fully equipped pro shop, and a full-service restaurant. It is tied for the most difficult public course in the St. Louis area with a slope rating of 141. Golfers with soft spikes or tennis shoes receive a nominal discount, and the facility is open year-round, weather permitting.
18. Castlewood State Park
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (636) 227-4433
Description: Between 1915 and 1940, St. Louis residents would take the train each weekend to the Castlewood area for water fun, dancing, and clubhouse partying. Today 1,779-acre Castlewood State Park preserves the history of the former resort. The park stretches for nearly 5 miles, straddling both sides of the Meramec River. Hikers can explore the park on more than 15.5 miles of trails, including the 3-mile Grotpeter Trail that winds through the park’s wooded uplands. The River Scene Trail is a 3-mile loop that ascends the tall bluffs along the Meramec River, then descends to the floodplain along the river’s edge, and the Chubb Trail is a 7-mile trail that is open to both hikers and equestrians.
19. Elephant Rocks
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (573) 546-3454
Description: Elephant Rocks, which also has an adjoining campground and 30 picnic sites, is a hike through natural granite formations that look like—you guessed it—elephants. The giant rocks look like a train of circus elephants standing tail-to-trunk. The main path is accessible to almost all ages, and it has views of two quarries, including a red granite one that has provided stone for paving blocks for the St. Louis levee and downtown streets. The main path is very accessible, and the more adventurous can do some climbing. There’s also a 1-mile Braille Trail to accommodate hikers with visual disabilities, and it passes a quarry pond that features its own array of animal life.
20. Steinberg Skating Rink
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 361-0613
Description: One of the nation’s largest outdoor skating rinks, the Mark C. Steinberg Memorial Skating Rink has been a popular St. Louis attraction since it opened as an ice rink in 1957. The facility offers ice-skating during the winter and hosts sand volleyball leagues during the warmer months. Skate rentals are available on-site, or visitors can bring their own. Hours of operation vary by season, but the rink’s indoor/outdoor Steinberg Cafe snack bar is open year-round.
21. Joe Clarke Soccer Camps
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Joe Clarke has been a collegiate soccer coach for more than 25 years, and spent 7 years playing soccer professionally. With a staff comprised of various area high school, college, and professional coaches, the camps offer age-appropriate instruction for all skill levels. Residential and daylong camps take place at Washington University, Parkway Central High School, and Chaminade High School during the summer months. Private team camps and specialized small-group skill-training sessions are also available.
22. St. Louis Soccer Camps
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 647-2385
Address: 7542 Lovella Avenue
Description: St. Louis Soccer Camps is an organization created to increase player knowledge of the game of soccer, facilitate skill development, and enhance the overall desire for advancement to higher levels of achievement. The instructors at the facility are all current or previous coaches or players who participated in soccer at the college level. The weeklong camps are geared to athletes of all skill levels, and mini camps are offered to teams or individuals in order to focus on improving a certain area of the game. The camps also travel to individual team’s fields for instructional camps.
23. St. Louis Soccer Club
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (636) 349-3760
Description: The Soccer Club is directed by Steve Pecher, former captain of the USA National Team and the St. Louis Steamers. The facility offers a variety of camps for boys and girls of all ages, as well as specialized programs designed to help athletes build strength and endurance, enhance goalkeeping skills, and improve overall game skills.
24. Richard C. Hudlin Tennis Courts
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 367-7275
Description: Located on the east side of Kingshighway Boulevard in front of Barnes-Jewish Hospital are the Richard C. Hudlin Tennis Courts, named for an African-American St. Louis tennis coach whose most famous student was Arthur Ashe. These courts are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge, and a small public playground is just east of the courts.
25. Tower Grove Park
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 776-8722
Description: First used in 1911, the three grass tennis courts in Tower Grove Park are the only grass courts remaining in St. Louis. The park, which also features twelve lighted, hard-surfaced tennis courts, has a well-supplied pro shop and locker facility in the Henry Shaw Memorial Tennis Building, which is located adjacent to the hard-surface courts. Fees for daily use of the courts is usually less than $10 for two people.
26. Ymca Of Greater St. Louis
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 436-1177
Address: 1528 Locust Street
Description: There are 21 YMCA locations throughout the St. Louis area, including two facilities downtown. All offer different activities and amenities with membership, but most offer an extensive schedule of classes and special events, including fitness assessments, swim clubs, and CPR training and certifications. Many also have personal trainers on staff to instruct you how to train safely and effectively. The majority of the family Ys offer child care and special classes for the younger set. Call individual locations for hours of operation, the facility’s schedule of events, and the availability of child care.
27. Downtown Ymca
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 436-4100
Address: 1528 Locust
Description: When this 10-story building was built in 1926, it was one of the largest YMCAs in the country. Today the facility features a host of modern amenities, including an indoor pool, a full-size gymnasium, indoor track, Cybex and cardiovascular equipment, free weights, racquetball and handball courts, steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, and locker rooms. There’s also a variety of sports equipment available for checkout, including volleyballs, basketballs, racquets, and boxing gloves. The Downtown Y also offers massage therapy, laundry facilities, and even a hair salon. Open daily.
28. Marquette Ymca
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (314) 436-7070
Address: 314 North Broadway
Description: In anticipation of greater needs in the downtown community, the Downtown YMCA opened the Marquette satellite facility in 1987. The state-of-the-art facility, located on the third and fourth floors of the Marquette Building, features a group cycling studio, fitness centers with Cybex equipment and cardiovascular machines, free weights, steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, and locker rooms. Closed Saturday and Sunday.