River des Peres Greenway
Francis R. Slay Park to Shrewsbury MetroLink, Carondelet and Lemay Parks
3/22/23 – Missouri Department of Transportation has closed off the greenway under I-55 at Germania to protect greenway visitors from flaking/falling debris from their decking project overhead. The closure could be up to two weeks.
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.
Read MoreAmenities
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.
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
You can explore history at the Lyle House in Carondelet Park.
fish
You can fish at the lakes in Carondelet Park and Willmore Park. You can access Willmore Park by crossing River Des Peres at Gravois Avenue and heading West on Hampton Avenue. Hampton Avenue is has a dedicated bike lane.
swim
You can swim at the YMCA Rec Plex in Carondelet Park.
grill
You can grill out on the grills located in Carondelet Park and Willmore Park. You can access Willmore Park by crossing River Des Peres at Gravois Avenue and heading West on Hampton Avenue. Hampton Avenue is has a dedicated bike lane.
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
9.36 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.
1-mile Carondelet Connector will take you to Loughborough Commons and Carondelet Park.
Greenways are open all year round!
The River des Peres Greenway has a direct connection to the Shrewsbury Metrolink Station.
You can connect to the Gravois Greenway via a bridge over River des Peres, just east of Highway 55
Raingarden in bloom along the River des Peres Greenway
