Walk, run, ride, or roll on down and see it for yourself!
Great Rivers Greenway and our partners at St. Louis County Parks gathered with area residents, local officials, donors, and contractors on Sunday June 24 to celebrate the expansion of the Gravois Greenway: Grant’s Trail and new Mysun Charitable Foundation Trailhead.
The Mysun Charitable Foundation Trailhead replaces the southern trailhead, which has been closed since fall 2017. It features a drinking fountain, restrooms, greenway parking, seating walls, a play structure, a bike fix-it station, and landscaping to help manage storm water, filter pollutants and provide wildlife habitat and food sources. The project also extends the existing 10-mile Gravois Greenway an additional 2,000 feet closer to its planned connection with the River des Peres Greenway.
The day’s festivities included light refreshments, yard games and a planetary walk along the new stretch of greenway, hosted by the Saint Louis Science Center. There was also an open house from 3-5 p.m. at Orlando’s Event and Conference Center, for area residents to learn about the next phase to extend the Gravois Greenway: Grant’s Trail two miles north and connect it with the River des Peres Greenway.
Click here to view the materials from the June 24, 2018 Open House:
“We are happy to open this trailhead and first stretch of greenway – we know people are ready to enjoy it,” says Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “Thanks to the generosity of Mysun Charitable Foundation, which provided a $1 million challenge grant, and our wonderful matching donors, we were able to build an enhanced trailhead so people can refill their water bottle, use the restroom, perform a quick fix on their bike or just sit and enjoy the fresh air on this popular greenway. All of these new amenities will make for a better experience for all.”
Construction on the next phase of the greenway extension is expected to begin in the fall of 2018 and open in spring 2020. When the Gravois Greenway-River des Peres Greenway connection is complete, there will be 21 miles of paved paths for walking, jogging, riding a bicycle, pushing a stroller and using a wheelchair. The greenways will also connect destinations such as the City of Kirkwood, Grant’s Farm, Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park, Jefferson Barracks County Park, River City Casino, Carondelet Park and the Lansdowne/Shrewsbury MetroLink Station.
Thank You!
Thank you to the Mysun Charitable Foundation for their $1 million challenge grant that helped bring this project to life! We are also grateful for all of the matching donors who stepped up to meet the challenge. The Matching Donors for this project are:
| William T. Kemper Foundation | Katherine W. Burg Trust |
| Finerty Family Foundation | Ward and Carol Klein |
| William S. Anheuser Charitable Fund of YouthBridge Community Foundation | Shaughnessy Family Foundation |
| Lotsie and Rick Holton | Midwest BankCenter |
| Wm. R. and Laura Rand Orthwein Foundation | William A. Kerr Foundation |
| Stupp Bridge & Iron Co. Foundation |
Gravois Greenway Community Cleanup Volunteers
Shout out to the 25 volunteers who joined us for a community cleanup on Saturday June 23. The hardworking crew of volunteers pulled 8 cubic yards of trash/ flood debris and 15 tires from the area along Gravois Creek near the new trailhead. We are grateful for your help improving water quality and habitat along the greenway!
