St. Louis Area Running and Walking Trails

FOREST PARK

TRAIL DESCRIPTION : St. Louis ' Forest Park , first dedicated at a large public ceremony in 1876, consists of 1,371.75 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in the country. In 1904, the western end of Forest Park hosted the World's Fair. The only permanent building remaining from that event is the Saint Louis Art Museum . Today, Forest Park plays hosts to over 10 million visitors a year. Besides running and walking, the park offers various activities, including softball, cricket, rugby, tennis, golf, archery, fishing, horseback riding, lacrosse, soccer, ice skating, biking and roller skating. The Forest Park Pedestrian Paths run throughout the park, and hilly sections of the path provide runners and walkers with a good workout. On many sections of the path there is a separate gravel path for runners and walkers, be sure to take advantage of them. The perimeter of the trail is about 6 miles and can be altered by using the inner trail system. Runners and walkers can find numerous places within the park to escape the pounding of the pavement. Aviation field and central field offer two great places to train on soft surfaces.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Forest Park is a great place to get away from the daily grind. The running and walking paths are great for getting in a quick workout without worrying about traffic and numerous street crossings. Mile repeat workouts around central fields are a great way to get ready for that next race. Forest Park is also a hotspot for local road races, high school and college cross country races and many other activities. Big River's Sunday Long Run Circuit meets here once a month to get in the weekly long run, see you there!

TRAIL MAP

DISTANCE: 6 mile perimeter with an endless number of variations using the inner trail system
SURFACE: Asphalt, gravel and grass
RATING: Easy to Moderate for minor hills

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark/