Hikes,  Hiking,  Kids,  Missouri,  St. Louis

A Walk with River Views on Mississippi Rivers Greenway at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis

  • Length: 1.6 miles each way
  • Difficulty: 1 out of 5, Paved whole length
  • Scenic Value: 3 out of 5, Nice river views

Great Rivers Greenway is a public agency in St. Louis with a mission to make the St. Louis region a more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a regional network of greenways. So far the agency has developed over 125 miles of beautiful greenways and amenities throughout the St. Louis area. I posted here about the Cliff Cave County Park section we walked last year. Not far from Cliff Cave, we recently explored another Mississippi River Greenway segment from the historic Jefferson Barracks park north to the River City Casino.

Jefferson Barracks was a U.S. Army post from 1826-1946 before becoming a St. Louis County Park. Many historic structures remain along with several museums worth a visit. While several trails cross through Jefferson Barracks park, the official start of the greenway segment is near the northeast corner of the park. We parked near the Old Ordinance Room Building and Missouri Military Memorial. The Memorial is worth a visit as well.

This mixed use trail for biking or walking starts with a fun series of bridges over a marshy area as it extends toward the Mississippi River.

Several kiosks are located along the trail outlining the history of Jefferson Barracks.

After a short walk on the series of bridges, the river comes into view.

Another kiosk and benches are located here and make a nice spot to watch the river traffic pass by.

If you are lucky you might even see a special feathered friend.

The trail continues on towards the casino as shown in the photo below. Eventually the trail will connect to the River Des Peres Greenway but for now the turn around point is just past the casino at the 1.6 mile mark.

This is a good trail if you need an easy walk or a paved trail for a bike ride or pushing a stroller. Also a good one to explore if you are a history buff. Be sure to check out the museums and other sites on interest in Jefferson Barracks Park.

Happy Hiking!

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