City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation & Forestry
5600 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63110
314/ 289-5300
http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/
The St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry provides the amenities that make the city a good place to live, work and play. The Parks Division’s 104 parks located throughout the City provide pavilions for picnicking, lakes for fishing, ice for skating and paths for jogging. The Recreation Division offers free access to seven swimming pools; eleven recreation centers and runs camps in summer, helps students with homework in winter and sponsors sports all year long. The Forestry Division plants the trees that make city streets come alive with colors in the spring and provide shade in summer.
Forest Park Forever
5595 Grand Drive,
St. Louis, MO, 63112
314/ 367-7275
http://www.forestparkforever.org
Forest Park Forever is the non-profit organization dedicated to raising private funds for the restoration of Forest Park. It was founded in 1986 to work in partnership with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to make Forest Park the finest urban park in the nation. A sales tax passed by St. Louis voters in 1993 provides a $1.8 million annual infusion of public funds for Forest Park improvements. Along the way, private funds raised by Forest Park Forever have enabled repair, landscaping, and embellishment of various facilities within Forest Park. The major institutions located within Forest Park have also participated in improving their immediate vicinities, through the Forest Park “stewardship” program.
Tower Grove Park
4255 Arsenal St.
St. Louis, MO 63116
314/771-2679
http://stlouis.missouri.org/parks/tower-grove/
Tower Grove Park is owned by the City of St. Louis and governed by a special Board of Commissioners appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court. Henry Shaw, the founder of the adjacent Missouri Botanical Garden, established Tower Grove Park in 1868. The Friends of Tower Grove Park, an independent non-profit organization, has been active since 1989 in raising funds for significant improvements to the pavilions and other facilities in Tower Grove Park.
Trailnet, Inc.
5595 Grand Drive,
St. Louis, MO, 63112
314/ 367-7275
http://www.trailnet.org
Trailnet, Inc. (formerly Gateway Trailnet) is a regional land trust formed by private citizens, with the support of local leaders such as St. Louis Mayor Vincent Schoemehl, in 1988. Its mission is to develop multi-use trails, conserve greenways, and encourage walking and biking for recreation and transportation purposes in the St. Louis metropolitan region. Trailnet has been involved in developing the old Chain of Rocks Bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use, and building the Riverfront Trail that now extends from the Riverview Drive area to Laclede’s Landing. Trailnet along with Grace Hill Neighborhood Services has assisted the City of St. Louis in this project. The Trail is a developing 10 mile recreational greenway perfect for hiking, biking, rollerblading and the enjoyment of nature. Trailnet is involved in developing the Confluence Greenway, that will include both the Riverfront Trail and Chain of Rocks Bridge in a bi-state path network extending from downtown St. Louis to the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Through its Team MetroBike program, Trailnet has engaged in advocacy for on-road bicycling and improved bike lanes on local streets and roads.