Westside Park, Fenton

Location: 1220 Woodridge Trails, Fenton, MO  63026
(Located off Bowles Avenue at the end of the Woodridge Trails subdivision)

Amenities: playground, restrooms, basketball court, lake, picnic shelter, walking path

Website: http://www.fentonmo.org/index.aspx?nid=906

Playground ground cover: Poured rubber

This park is a quiet retreat into nature. The playground was replaced in 2017 and is really nice. Located at the back of a subdivision, it is not crowded and has a small playground suitable for all ages. The playground is mostly shaded, too! It also has a bathroom and a cute little pavilion. This playground is a great little space and would be perfect for a birthday party!

This area has a saucer swing, a spinning disk, and a basketball court. 

The main playground has one play structure. It has a large rock wall, a couple of slides, a tunnel, a steering wheel, and lots of bars and poles. 

This park has lovely shaded trails through the woods

There is a lake stocked with fish as well

Lone Elk Park, Valley Park

Location: 1 Lone Elk Park Rd, St. Louis, MO 63088
(I-44 North Outer Road west of Highway 141, adjacent to the World Bird Sanctuary)

Amenities: picnic shelters, trails, lake with fishing, animal viewing

Website: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/parks/places/lone-elk-park/

Lone Elk Park is a wildlife management area, with bison, wild turkey, waterfowl, elk, and deer. The first half of the park contains a lake for fishing, some picnic shelters, and picnic areas. The second half of the park is drive-through only (Motorcycles are prohibited), as the larger animals freely roam this part of the park. The photos below are taken from the car with no zoom, to give you an idea of how close to the road they are, and what a good view you get! There is no playground, and you cannot pet or interact with the animals, but this park does give kids a close-up view of animals they would not ordinarily get to see. Note: Domestic animals are not allowed, even if confined in a vehicle.

It's a gorgeous place to drive around, and there are places to pull over and look at the scenery, or animals if they happen to be nearby. 

The visitor's center with restrooms

People have been seriously injured here by trying to interact with the animals, so I just wanted to mention again, DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR under any circumstances. Also, the ticks are really bad here, so picnic at your own risk. 

Entrance and exits added late 2020