River des Peres Greenway

Francis R. Slay Park to Shrewsbury MetroLink, Carondelet and Lemay Parks

ALERT- Updated April 9, 2024

MoDot has temporarily closed the Carondelet Connector between Carondelet Park and Koeln Ave. for a utility pole placement. There is an option to take the greenway from Carondelet Park, enter the parking lot at Loughborough Commons by AutoZone, stay on perimeter of lot and exit through the south parking lot entrance, turn left on Grand and left on Koeln to reconnect with greenway. Heading in opposite direction, turn left on Koeln, right on Grand, enter Loughborough Commons parking lot and stay on outside of parking lot and return to greenway next to AutoZone.

Amenities | Getting Here | Things To Do | Trail Info

The River des Peres Greenway is a wide open green space that wraps around the River Des Peres as it winds its way to the Mississippi River. The greenway has direct connections to the Gravois Greenway via a new bridge over the River des Peres, just east of Interstate 55. It also connects to Francis R. Slay Park at Canterbury, the Shrewsbury Metrolink Station, the Holly Hills neighborhood and Carondelet and Lemay Parks.

Click here to download a printable Greenway Info Guide for the River des Peres Greenway: Francis R. Slay Park to Shrewsbury MetroLink, Carondelet and Lemay Parks.

Click here for a printable Adventure Map for this section, complete with activities for kids and kids at heart.

This greenway travels through densely populated areas in south St. Louis, skirting the St. Louis city/county line, and crosses several major intersections including Lansdowne, Chippewa, Gravois and Morgan Ford. It also makes it easy to get to businesses, schools, neighborhoods, parks and transit. It links together multiple parks and green spaces including Francis R. Slay Park, Fultz Field, Old St. Marcus Cemetery and the Christy Greenway.
The Christy Greenway extends from the River des Peres greenway to Holly Hills Boulevard, where you connect to Bike St. Louis street routes that will take you to Carondelet Park. You can also connect to the paved Carondelet Connector trail at Germania and Highway 55. From there, you can walk or ride to Loughborough Commons, Carondelet Park and the YMCA.
There are restrooms, multiple rain gardens, playgrounds and water fountains to enjoy along the way. This greenway passes by several parks and greenspaces. Click here to visit the St. Louis City Parks website to learn more about each park!
Click here for the master plan, current status and future connections for this greenway!

Amenities

parking

restrooms

playground

benches

tables

shelter

drinking water

trash

bike racks

Getting Here

The north end of the greenway is near the intersection of Ellendale and Canterbury. There are also a direct connection to the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne Metrolink Station at the intersection of Lansdowne Avenue and River Des Peres Boulevard. If you live nearby, there are several ways to walk to this greenway. You can also walk to this greenway on the Christy Greenway or from Carondelet or Lemay Park.

Each greenway is managed in cooperation with different municipalities and parks departments, who set the rules for greenway use, parking and hours of operation. Greenways often span multiple municipalities, so please be aware that these rules can change as you travel along the trail. Please be sure to follow all posted rules and regulations while you are living life outside!

Click one of the buttons below to plan your route with Google Maps.

Plan Your Route

Francis R. Slay Park Shrewsbury-Lansdowne Metrolink Station Fultz Baseball Field Germania Street Carondelet Connector at Loughborough Commons Carondelet Park

You can access the River Des Peres Greenway at several points via Bike St. Louis. You can ride on the shared traffic lanes on Lansdowne Avenue to access the Lansdowne trailhead. You can ride on the dedicated bike lanes on Hampton Avenue and cross the River Des Peres at Gravois Avenue to access the greenway. If you are on the greenway you can cross the River Des Peres at Gravois Avenue and use the dedicated bike lanes on Hampton Avenue to access Willmore Park. You can ride on the dedicated bike lanes on Christy Drive to access the Christy Greenway and connect to the River Des Peres Greenway. You can also ride on Christy Drive to connect to Holly Hills Boulevard east to Morgan Ford Road and then directly south to the River Des Peres Greenway. Holly Hills Boulveard also gives you access to Carondelet Park and Connector to the River Des Peres Greenway. Another way to access the River Des Peres Greenway is to ride on South Grand Blvd to Carondelet Park and Connector.

There are two major MetroBus centers along the River Des Peres Greenway. You can get to the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne Metro Station on the following buses: #9, #11, #16, #17, #21, #30, #46 or #56. You can get to the greenway via the Gravois-Hampton Transit Center on buses #9, #10, #95, #90.

You can access the River Des Peres Greenway from the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne Station.

You can park at Fultz Field and in Carondelet, Lemay and Francis R. Slay Parks. Be sure to follow any posted guidelines regarding permitted hours for parking.

Things To Do

explore history

fish

swim

grill

play

You can play on the playgrounds and sports fields in Carondelet Park, Joseph R. Leisure Park, and River Des Peres Park. You can also play on the playgrounds, disc golf course or dog park in Willmore Park. You can access Willmore Park by crossing River Des Peres at Gravois Avenue and heading West on Hampton Avenue. Hampton Avenue has a dedicated bike lane.

Trail Info

9.90 Miles

The paved trail in the River des Peres Greenway stretches from Francis R. Slay Park to Carondelet and Lemay Parks. Thanks to the new bridge over River des Peres (just east of Highway 55) the greenway also connects to the Gravois Greenway. Construction on an extension that will link this greenway to the Mississippi River Greenway trail near River City Casino is on hold while we wait for permission from the railroad to build beneath the railroad trestle.
The trail is mostly flat and sunny. The section between Lansdowne and Gravois avenues was rebuilt in 2013, offering a smooth ride and gentle sloping grades. It has a bit less traffic then the nearby Grant’s Trail, making it a great place for a slow-paced family ride. There are restrooms as well as a couple of playgrounds along the way. There is also a bicycle education area directly off the trail to help teach kiddos the rules of the road.
About halfway between the Lansdowne and Alabama avenues, you can connect to the Christy Greenway; a neighborhood greenway that will take you approximately 1 mile to Holly Hills Boulevard. Once there, you can connect with Bike St. Louis on street bike routes to Carondelet Park.
The Carondelet Connector trail spurs off the River des Peres Trail at the intersection of Highway 55 and Germania Road. You can walk or ride your bike on the paved trail and connect to all of the businesses at Loughborough Commons as well as Carondelet Park near the YMCA.