Get to know Bridgeton through its varied recreational offerings: extensive parkland, nature trails, a historic cottage, and facilities for water activities and golf. When planning, it helps to distinguish destinations by scale and activity. The Riverwoods Trail is a longer multipurpose trail in a river corridor, while Hickory Woods offers a shorter hiking trail in a smaller natural area. The Payne-Gentry House adds a historic site to these highlights. You can tailor your stay according to whether nature, water, golf or architecture is your main interest.
Parks, Trails and Landscapes
Bridgeton’s park system includes ten sites covering more than 256 acres. Recreational activities include picnicking, sports, swimming and walking on trails. Riverwoods Park & Trail covers 136 acres. It is bordered by the Earth City levee to the east, the Missouri River to the west, Interstate 70 to the south and St. Charles Rock Road to the north.
Along the river, the Riverwoods Trail runs through a well-shaded, relatively undisturbed wet forest rich in wildlife. The trail is 3.15 miles long and is a multipurpose route for cyclists, hikers and inline skaters; it is an out-and-back trail. You must turn back at permanently closed points. Plan your return trip and take the turnaround points into account when following this route.
Hickory Woods Natural Area is next to Gentry Park, covers 10.5 acres and has a 1-mile hiking trail. This makes the natural area smaller than the 136-acre Riverwoods Park; the trails also differ clearly in comparison: Hickory Woods offers a shorter hiking trail, while the 3.15-mile Riverwoods Trail is also intended for cyclists and inline skaters. You can choose based on the type and scale of trail you want. Another 37-acre park is located at the intersection of Fee Fee Road and Ann Mar Drive in Bridgeton.
Culture and Recreational Activities
The Payne-Gentry House adds a historic touch: it is a one-story Victorian cottage built as a summer home in 1870. Its original use as a summer home adds a specific detail about the building’s purpose at the time it was built. If you want to include architecture and history in your stay alongside nature and sports facilities, you’ll find a different focus here.
Tee times are required at Berry Hill Golf Course. Residents and non-residents can book them up to ten days in advance. Since the booking policy may change, confirm it before making specific plans.
Bridgeton Crossing Family Aquatic Park offers a dedicated water-focused experience. The facility includes a 21-foot-tall body slide and a 2.5-story serpentine waterslide. It also has a 25-yard, six-lane competition pool with two one-meter diving boards. The slides’ heights and shapes make them easy to compare; for the pool, its length, number of lanes and diving boards are the key features. This lets you choose between the slides and pool offerings within the same facility.
Discover more destinations: Valley Park, Sunset Hills, Green Park, Hazelwood, St Ann, Ellisville, Kinloch, Wildwood.
For the broader travel overview: St Louis.
