City: St. Louis, MO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (314) 289-5300

Description: Walkers and runners will find plenty of scenic walkways throughout beautiful Forest Park. Opened in 1876, the park has a 7.5-mile paved pathway that’s used by bikers, walkers, joggers, in-line skaters, and the occasional equestrian. There’s also a skating rink, handball and tennis courts, stocked lakes for fishing, and a boathouse that rents paddleboats and gondolas for a relaxing way to see Forest Park’s tranquil waterways. Four racquetball courts and four handball courts are located north of the Lindell Pavilion and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and athletic fields for rugby, soccer, volleyball, football, baseball, and softball are open to the public as well. (To purchase permits for groups, call 314-289-5389.) The 1,300-acre park has innumerable picnic spots. Some insist that Art Hill is the best place to pitch a picnic—and get a bird’s-eye view of the Grand Basin—while others swear by the shady areas around the World’s Fair Pavilion. Forest Park has more than a dozen picnic locations available for rent, including some sites that have shelters.