370 Lakeside Park: An Open, Quiet Space in St. Peters
There is something special about taking a stroll around a body of water. The problem is that many of the options in the St. Louis area can get quite busy. Creve Coeur Lake Park in St. Louis County features a lovely walkway around the park’s namesake lake, but on many days — weekends, especially — the path is busy with walkers, hikers, runners, bikers, and the occasional surrey bike. Castlewood State Park has some great waterside walks, but on weekends parking spots can be hard to come by.
That’s part of what makes 370 Lakeside Park such a local gem. It’s easy to get to and rarely busy, so a walker or biker can spend a quality morning there without having to dodge a lot of other people.
Getting There
370 Lakeside Park is located just a stone’s throw off of highway 370 in St. Charles County (Google Maps link). You simply take 370 to the Truman Blvd. / Lakeside Park Drive, head north, and you’ll find yourself driving right into the park. It’s a straightforward drive from many parts of St. Louis County and St. Charles County.
Parking
Parking is free across the park. There is ample parking around the park, some of it paved and some of it gravel. As the park isn’t typically very busy, even on weekends, parking is easy to come by.
Costs and Considerations
Use of the paths trails is free to the public. The same goes for the Sprayground, a splash pad.
There are some activities that require payment. Use of the lake is one of them: boating and fishing cost $2 for anyone who doesn’t have a St. Peters Resident Privilege Card. You’ll need to talk to someone at the park office beforehand.
Another paid area is the dog park, which requires a membership. You can learn more on the park website. Costs vary depending on residency, number of dogs, and the time of year the membership is applied for.
I’ll talk about other, more obvious, activities with costs in the next section.
Things to Do
Lakeside offers plenty of outdoor activities. They include:
- Biking and walking (free). The park offers several miles of mostly paved trails. The most important one is the Lake Loop Trail, a 3 1/2 mile paved trail that circles the lake. The Lake Loop Trail is mostly level, with grassland, a few trees, and, of course, the lake in view.
- Sprayground (free). The Sprayground is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and can be found near the marina and boat dock on the south side of the park.
- Fishing and boating (paid except for St. Peters Resident Privilege Card holders). Pay at the park office on the south side of the park. Note that gas-powered boats are prohibited.
- Archery (paid). The archery range sports ground archer positions and elevated platforms, and also has 3D targets. It can be found on the eastern side of the park and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
- Equipment rental (paid). The park offers a variety of land- and water-based rentals, including bikes and kayaks.
- Camping (paid). Lakeside has RV camping as well as primitive group camping. The RV sites feature full hookups.
- Pavilion rental (paid). There are multiple pavilions on the south and east sides of the park.
- The St. Peters Rotary Club Dog Park (paid, membership-only). The dog park has two sections — one for small dogs, one for large dogs — and includes agility equipment and a lake access.
Our Thoughts
370 Lakeside is an underrated park in the St. Louis area. While a lot of other parks can get crowded, particularly on weekends, Lakeside is relatively quiet. That makes the paved trails more enjoyable. You can do a lot there for free, but there are also paid amenities, including an RV campground that is not far from many local attractions. Add in the easy access from the highway, and you have what is a personal favorite.
