Tag: Missouri Greenway – Monarch Chesterfield Levee

Greenway Getaway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee, Busch Greenway and KATY Trail

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This greenway getaway is built around the walking and biking path on the Boone Bridge over the Missouri River.  It offers stunning river views and connects two counties (St. Louis, St. Charles) and two greenways (Busch and Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee) via the KATY Trail. 

Whether you are just getting back on your bicycle, are a marathon runner, or simply looking for a new place to walk—this “Greenway Getaway” has something for everyone. Here are a few options depending on what you want to do!

5 MILE ROUTE

view from boone bridge
View from atop the Boone Bridge (you can’t see this from a car!)

Starting at Busch Greenway Duckett Creek Trailhead in Missouri Research Park
This is a perfect walk, run or easy bike ride for people of all ages. It offers plenty of shade, great river views and there are no steep hills!  Park at the Busch Greenway Duckett Creek Trailhead in the Missouri Research Park  and walk .75 miles on the paved greenway down the bluff to the KATY Trail. Take a left, (east) and walk one mile to the new “cloverleaf” that takes you up to the pedestrian path across the Boone Bridge. At first glance, it looks a little steep, but the incline is very gradual. There are a couple of bump outs on the bridge where you can stop and enjoy the views of the Missouri River. Keep walking or riding across the bridge to the Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee. The trip across the bridge from the cloverleaf to the Missouri Greenway is .75 miles. Stop at St. Louis Premium Outlets for a quick break. Turn around and head back across the river the same way for a total trip of 5 miles. (shorten the trip by turning around on the bridge.)

5 Mile

looking towards premium outlet from monarch, after crossing bridge
Facing west from atop the Monarch Levee looking at St. Louis Premium outlet parking lot. There is a gravel road that connects the parking lot and greenway.

13 MILE ROUTE

From Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee at St. Louis Premium Outlets
This trip offers gorgeous views of the River from atop the bridge and along the KATY Trail. St. Louis Premium Outlets welcomes you to park in the northwest corner of their parking lot near the levee. You can also use their restrooms during business hours.  You will have to walk up a short gravel road to access the Missouri Greenway’s paved trail on the levee. The trip across the bridge to the KATY trail is .75 miles. Travel down the cloverleaf and take a right (west) on the KATY Trail for one mile to connect with the Busch Greenway. Once you are on the Busch Greenway, you’ll meander through a shady hardwood forest as you head up the bluff towards Missouri Research Park (.75 miles). As you travel through Weldon Spring Conservation Area, you will enjoy lake overlooks, abundant wildflowers, and the occasional deer or wild turkey. Be sure to stop and read the interpretive signage that explains the history of the area. Just past the Highway 94 underpass you will come to a rain garden in a “roundabout.” You can continue to Highway D where the paved trail ends.

13 Mile

The mileage breakdown for the 13 mile trip is as follows:

.75 mile (paved) on Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee across bridge from St. Louis Premium Outlets to KATY Trail
1 mile on KATY Trail (unpaved) to connect with Busch Greenway
.75 mile (paved, gentle incline) to Duckett Creek Parking Lot in Missouri Research Park (drinking fountain)
4 miles (paved) from Duckett Creek Parking Lot to Highway D

19 MILE ROUTE

You can add an additional six miles (three miles out and back) to the 13 mile route for a total of 19 miles. Stay on the paved Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee and continue west, past the Premium Outlet Parking lot for three miles to where it currently ends at Centaur Road.

19 Mile

23 MILE ROUTE

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Shady .75 mile trip up the bluff from the KATY Trail towards Duckett Creek Trailhead in Busch Greenway.

Feeling ambitious? You can add another 10 miles (five miles out and back) to the 13 mile route for a total of 23 miles. Once you cross back over the Boone Bridge, take a right and go down the hill and under Highway 40 on the Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee. Follow it for five miles to where it currently ends just past The District at Chesterfield (formerly Taubman Prestige Outlets). This is a flat, easy and sunny route.

23 Mile

OFF ROAD HALF-MARATHON ROUTE (13.1 MILES)

The Busch Greenway completes a 13.1 mile loop between the KATY and Hamburg Trails. This route is best for running or walking. You can do it on a bike, but you must have mountain bike tires as the route that follows the Hamburg trail is unpaved with a fairly rocky base. (The gravel is larger as compared to the KATY Trail.) Park at the Duckett Creek Trailhead parking lot. Run up the hill through Missouri Research Park and follow the greenway under highway 94 (4 miles). Just beyond the underpass, you will see a “roundabout” with a rain garden.  Look for the sign that points to the Hamburg Trail and keep going (approx 3.75 miles) until it connects with the  Katy Trail at mile marker 56.7. Go left (east) on the KATY for 4.6 miles to mile marker 52.1 and follow the paved Busch Greenway .75 miles back up the bluff to the Duckett Creek Trailhead where you began!

Half Marathon

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Wildflowers in Weldon Spring Conservation Area in Busch Greenway

About the Busch Greenway
The Busch Greenway connects to the KATY Trail at mile marker 52.1. From there, it meanders 4.75 miles through Missouri Research Park and Weldon Spring Conservation to Busch Conservation Area at Highway D. Click here to learn more about the Busch Greenway and other sights along the way!

About the Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail
This greenway offers three segments which will eventually connect for a 17-mile loop. A 5.5 mile segment is now complete from Top Golf to Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex and across the Boone Bridge. You can also follow the greenway in the other direction three miles to Centaur Road. A two mile segment has also been completed on the Monarch Levee from Long Road to Baxter Road. Click here to learn more about the Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail .

 

Greenway Alert: Temporary Closures

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There are some temporary greenway closures that will reduce or limit your access to a few of the greenways in the coming months. Here is what you need to know before you go:

The Mississippi Greenway south of the Merchant’s Bridge-between Bremen Ave and Ferry Street
One of the barge conveyors that crosses over the Mississippi Greenway south of the Merchant’s Bridge will be replaced in June. The greenway will be completely closed on Tuesday June 6th to accommodate the removal of the old structure and Wednesday June 14th for the placement of the new one. Once the new conveyor has been put in place, there will still be some ongoing overhead work.  When the work is taking place directly over the greenway, the construction firm will place barriers at Bremen Avenue to the south and Ferry Street to the north to shut down the greenway.   The construction firm will have people in yellow and orange safety vests stationed on the greenway to intermittently stop bicycle and pedestrian traffic as needed for safety reasons. They can communicate and/or escort people through, but only if it is safe to do so. If not, people will have to turn around and will be unable to use the greenway in this area. We will post any relevant updates or alerts about this work on our Facebook Page and Twitter. Please note this work is weather dependent and the dates may change accordingly.

Missouri Greenway Monarch Chesterfield Levee
The Missouri Greenway Monarch Chesterfield Levee is closed at Long Road through March 2018 to accommodate levee pump station work by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. You can still use the greenway on either side of this closure, but there is no temporary re-route around the construction. Click here for more details and a map.

 Centennial Greenway on Washington University Campus and Forest Park Parkway Bridge

The segment of the Centennial Greenway that travels through the Washington University campus is closed through August 2017 to accommodate construction on the Danforth campus. Washington University has established a detour that will take you around the campus via the sidewalk on Forsyth, a new dedicated bike and pedestrian walkway on Big Bend Blvd., and through the Ames Place neighborhood to connect with the existing greenway along Melville Ave. Click here for a detailed map of the detour.

In addition, the bicycle and pedestrian bridge crossing over Forest Park Parkway is under construction making the bridge temporarily inaccessible. Pedestrians and cyclists should follow the temporary detour outlined above (Click here for a detailed map of the detour) or use Skinker Blvd. to connect to Forest Park, the Delmar Loop or the Washington University campus. These detours will add extra time to your walk or bike ride. Please be sure to plan your trip accordingly!

Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee Connection to Boone Bridge, KATY Trail and Busch Greenway is now open!

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Ribbon cutting to celebrate new connection Saturday June 18th at 9am

monarch chesterfield leveeJoin the City of Chesterfield and Missouri Department of Transportation as we celebrate the new Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee connection to St. Charles County and the KATY Trail! The ribbon cutting is Saturday, June 18 at 9:00 am at the northwest end of the Simon Premium Outlet Center, adjacent to the greenway. All are welcome to join the fun. There will be brief remarks by number of community and elected officials, including Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation and Weldon Spring Mayor Don Licklider.

Be sure to bring your bike or walking shoes so you can explore and enjoy this new connection after the ribbon cutting.

This Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee offers three segments which will eventually connect for a 17-mile loop. Now that the bridge is open, there are 10.5 miles of trail built in this greenway for walking, running and riding a bike!

A 5.5-mile segment is now complete from the Hardee’s Ice Rink to the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Club and over the Missouri River to connect with the Katy Trail and the Busch Greenway. You can also follow the greenway in the other direction 3 miles to Centaur Road. A 2-mile segment is also complete atop the Monarch Levee from Long Road to Baxter Road. Click here to learn more about the Missouri Greenway.