I visited Forest Park in June 2023 for an afternoon break during a long conference. If you're visiting Washington University on a nice day, the large park is just a short walk away. Known for being the host site of the 1904 World's Fair, this free park is a massive green space that is open to the public and includes walking trails, fountains, the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, and the St. Louis Art Museum. You'll see visitors from out of town and locals as well. If you have a half-day to explore the city, it's well worth including this park on your sightseeing itinerary! read more

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Forest Park is renowned for its vast size, cultural attractions & recreational opportunities. It's one of the largest urban parks in the US, larger than New York's Central Park. The park is famous for its free museums, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Missouri History Museum, and the Saint Louis Zoo. Additionally, it hosts the Muny, the nation's oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre. There was some free parking around the loop & garages charging $20 for the day. read more

Forest Park - Map - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Very scenic outdoors view. Grew up rollerblading here before it became popular. Yoga outdoors is trending here. Walking trails are amazing! Also, good place for cookouts too. read more

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Home to one of my favorite places in STL. The city has done a great job cleaning up after the Tornadoes last year and it looks great! The Evolution festival here this year is so much fun! read more

Forest Park - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

An incredible location. Expansive, beautiful park with well-done landscaping. I enjoy Kennedy Forest the most. Sam has outdone himself with this park. Last time I was here, I was having trouble with a proof. I wished to prove a lower bound on the number of primes before an integer n. But while I sat in Forest Park at a bench, I realized it was trivial! The proof for \pi(n) \ge \frac{\log n}{2 \log 2} \quad \text{for } n = 1, 2, \ldots that I wrote that day was straight from the Book. I will note that I wished to play in the sprinklers after celebrating my proof, but some man controlled the sprinklers with his machine in his hand and turned it off when I walked up. Could the PGOM not have some fun!? read more

Forest Park - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Upon visiting Forest Park, one is transported to a grander age--an expanse of green and gentle waters so splendid it could be mistaken for the very Eden itself. Here, noble trees stand like sentinels, shading winding lanes where families stroll in leisure, and swans glide upon mirrored lakes as though in a painter's dream. The air is crisp and invigorating, carrying the faint perfume of blossoms, and each vista reveals some new delight: a stately pavilion, a verdant meadow, or the proud facades of the museums that grace the park's borders. It is easy to imagine the fine ladies and gentlemen of our fair city arriving in carriages, parasols unfurled, to partake in an afternoon's promenade. Yet, such beauty and refinement do not endure by chance. Forest Park remains, as it surely was at the dawn of the century, a crown jewel of Saint Louis--because it is lovingly tended and preserved. I entreat all who cherish this treasure to lend their support, that future generations may delight in it as we do today. To contribute, visit www.forestparkforever.org and help ensure this living masterpiece endures for centuries more. read more

A gem of the city, don't overlook this one! We took the morning to walk the Forest Park walking path...started by the St Louis Zoo / Tamm Avenue overpass and circled the park. Highlights along the way: the Zoo (absolute STL treasure), Skinker Blvd / the Forest Park golf course, Lindell Blvd, historic mansions, the history museum, the handball courts, the lakes, Steinberg Rink, the Science Center, and Aviation Field. And that was just along the path! There's the Art Museum, the Muny, the Jewel Box and probably several other attractions. Plus all the picnic areas. Wow, forgot what a beautiful park Forest Park was and all the treasures it contained. If you haven't visited in a while, give Forest Park a try. It's a wonderful day out. read more

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Everytime I come to Forest Park, I find a new place to admire. So many lakes, ponds and grass area to have a picnic, take pictures or just be one with nature. There's so much beauty in this park that you will always have a fun time exploring. I'll be spending a lot of time here this summer and testing out my camera and walking my dog! read more

Forest Park - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Forest Park is a neighborhood in St. Louis. Most notably, it was the site of the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. There is (was) a great exhibit at the museum that showed an overlay of how the World's Fair was built relative to where this neighborhood exists today. read more

As a child, a trip to the zoo was one of the most exciting things our family did in my world. Seeing the various animals and enjoying the Sea Lion shows was such a treat. My Mom always packed a picnic basket filled with goodies for afterwards. Nowadays, I love walking the 6 mile path that runs through Forest Park. The gorgeous gardens and beautiful ponds give me such a sense of peace. The exercise I get is an added bonus! More recently I have added the steps at the World's Fair Pavilion to my exercise routine. When I can get there early in the morning is when I cherish this experience the most. read more

Site of the World's Fair long ago, Forest Park is the gem of Saint Louis. The park is also home to the city's zoo and history museum. Speaking of history, hopefully vast efforts are made to improve Saint Louis, especially after the May tornado carved a path through the heart of town. Forest Park gets five stars for its remarkable beauty and various free attractions. read more

This park is something to behold. It's of the state park level in its size and boasts the art museum, beautiful waterscapes, kids playgrounds, trails, tennis courts, and expansive golf grounds. We've visited several times over the years for the art museum and the children's playscape this last round. The park is well-maintained and has a regal European vibe about it where you'll see picnics and folks just lounging in the sun. Definitely a STL treasure! read more

Forest Park - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Forest Park is what every park should be. First: It's free! All of the museums and attractions -- including the Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and The Muny Opera -- are free. Just walk on in and enjoy. Second: It's a beautiful park that is clean and well-kept. One of my favorite places in the park was Art Hill, this expansive swath of grass on a hill. I was at the top, just looking at all of the people enjoying the space, lying down on blankets and relaxing. Another cool space in the park is the Nature Playscape, which has things like tree stumps, boulders, sand and hand water pumps to play with. Children in general (and my children in particular) gravitate toward these kinds of spaces with open-ended playthings, so I was glad to see such a place in Forest Park. I'm sure you can walk around the park if you want, but Forest Park is 1,300 acres, which is very big. It's one of the U.S.'s largest urban parks -- right up there with New York's Central Park. I drove around it, stopping at interesting-looking spots. I saw lots of other people riding bikes all around. This park seems very bike- and walking-friendly, as there are lots of paths all around. read more

Beautiful park. Very impressed with this place. Reminiscent of the giant parks of Europe with statues, follies, water, bridges, museums, venues, etc. I visited this park twice during my stay in St. Louis with my husband who was born and raised here. After walking and running around 5.5 miles around, we still only saw a portion. I need to come back to see the museums as well as the zoo. This park is immaculately maintained and also has two golf courses, a boat house, and tons of other things I haven't even mentioned. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. If I lived here, I'd come every week as often as I could. read more

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I always enjoyed walking around forest park. They remodeled an earlier of the park to make a walking path trail with a great nature playing area for kids which is so nice. Forest park has lots of things to do beside walking. On this particular day, I took my dog Chloe for a walk and we spent a good two hours here and we only explored a small part of the park. read more

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The picnic tables behind the World's Fair Pavilion are a little piece of paradise. You have a 360 degree view of beautiful. Whether it's a meadow garden or the Spanish style pavilion with scarlet flowers to the view of the aviary of the zoo. Everything is beautiful peaceful quiet. read more

What a party!!!! This is the kick off to fall for me! Grab your lawn chair and come listen to the fabulous ST. Louis Symphony as they begin their amazing season. The music pops but the post concert fire works are really a great way to end a great evening's entertainment. And it's free! Get here early or prepare to take a walk to Art Hill. Food trucks available and a great selection! Or bring your cooler and picnic. Just don't miss this fun free fabulous fete!!!! read more

Forest Park - Art Hill photo of band shell. - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Forest park is an amazing place to do some bird watching or take a walk. Huge area with ponds, trails, etc. Lots of places to park. I've always felt safe here and enjoyed some race and quiet away from downtown. read more

Forest Park is the ultimate park in all of MO and dare I say most other states as well! This park houses the Zoo, the Muny, the Boathouse, Museums, a golf course, walking trails, etc. This is a great place for a family day, date day or exploring by yourself. I've enjoyed the walking paths and taking in the view on Art Hill. Many festivals/events are held here as well such as the Annual Balloon Glow. Most areas of the park are free to explore and enjoy. You can do a picnic or just walk through nature or ride your bike. If you want to kick it up a notch and take in an attraction there could be a cost (such as the Muny or renting a paddleboat at the Boathouse). Make a day of it and head down to Forest Park! read more

Amazing scenery! Great place to take a nice walk with the family to sight see and just relax and enjoy. I forgot to take pictures because I was living in the moment but a great park overall. read more

Great cities need great parks and Saint Louis is well served by Forest Park. The park opened in 1876 and has hosted the World's Fair of 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics (another entry in the list of cities I've visited that have hosted Olympics https://www.yelp.com/collection/9uddA6d8e4Ug3I0vK1dKxQ/Olympics). Taking up more than 1300 acres (New York's Central Park is only 843), it is much more than just trees and gardens. The park also includes the Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the Saint Louis Science Center. There are lots of things to do or just wander as I did. Scenic spots, walking paths and the museums. When there are special events, parking will be tough. I was here during an off time and had no problem finding a parallel parking space on one of the main roads. Enjoy your time here. It's beautiful. [Review 17248 overall - 153 in Missouri - 765 of 2022.] read more

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St. Louis doesn't have an ocean or mountains.... but does have one of the largest urban parks in the country filled with exciting first class activities. This weekend we just went walking and loved watching the ice skaters at the Park. Rockefeller Center has a ver small rink, this outdoor rink is 2 to 3 times the size of an NHL rink....it's HUGE! Oh cool! read more

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Fantastic scenery with lots of nature, huge place too. It's great for picnics, walks, or just sitting there by yourself, it feels like the park itself accompanies you. There's plenty to do around the area, and it is also clean. Another one of my favorite spots. read more

What a beautiful park! And such a gem filled with so much to do! Loads of trails and walking areas, a free zoo and museums, golf course and so much more! I could easily spend and entire day in this park alone! So beautiful and a must visit location in St. Louis read more

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Free public park with multiple attractions inside such as a zoo and golf course. Forest Park is your typical city park comparable to places like Central Park of NYC and Golden Gate Park of SF. Forest Park is beautifully manicured and very clean. You won't see too much litter on the ground. Plenty of free street parking though you might have to park further away on certain days and attractions. There's a lot of paved pedestrian paths here so it's great for those on wheels as well. Overall a great place to be for people of all ages, tourists and locals. read more

Great park, plenty to see. The grounds is beautiful and there is plenty of room to roam around. The locals rave about it and I can see why. This is the home to many major cultural STL institutions: -Missouri History Museum -The Muny -Saint Louis Art Museum -Saint Louis Science Center -Saint Louis Zoo .|\---/| | o_o | .\_^_/..2021 read more

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Forest Park is an amazing place to visit. The park has a great zoo and art museum, both are free. There are countless trails and places to do outdoor sports and activities. Many concerts and events are hosted in the park, also the park has a golf course. This park is a must see, if you are in Saint Louis. read more

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Holy large park batman! I was told this place was large, but I was not expecting NYC central park large. You will not be bored here, no matter what time of the year to be honest. With the ample museums for all ages, ample space for picnics and serene views, expect to spend a whole day here! I believe I go through about three or so hours of walking before I caved and signed up for one of the electric scooter services (Saved my bacon). From what I understand there are events that happen here quite often and even COVID friendly, which makes sense due to the size and open spaces. I honestly wish I had a park like this to visit in California as I would spend a lot of time roaming it on a consistent basis. While this is a short review, it is needed for this gorgeous site! read more

The desert parks around back and the cities have all the front spaces, so where will the Forest Park when it comes to visit? Good question. This is one of the most beautiful parks in the whole country. It's massive and mystical and amazing and definitely part of the heartbeat St Louis. It's far from downtown St Louis, but it adds a lot to the city as a whole, and it's definitely one of my favourite parks that I've been to. read more

Forest Park - Parking up the wrong tree - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

I am an avid park-goer, and let me tell you, this park is HUGE!!! Many parts of the park have different things to see, such as museums, castles, the zoo, restaurants, boat rides, and so much more. I have been to the park three times, and each time, I check different parts to see new things. Moving to STL, this has become one of my favorite parts of my day off. I come here to enjoy the scenery and take my pup out for his daily exercise. I highly recommend checking out this park! read more

Forest Park - Parks Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Visited St Louis on our drive to west coast. We decided explore the city, get some smoothies and look for a dog park. Well...did we ever find a massive park!!! I'm still surprised St Louis has such an amazing outdoor green space! The park has golf courses, tennis courts, art museum, history museum, lake for paddle boarding and other water sports, zoo, science center, etc. And here's the best thing...everything is FREE!!! Having lives in DC, I can appreciate free museums so I love it when other cities bless their locals (and tourists) with free things to do. It's just a beautiful area with tons of things to do. If you're ever visiting (or you live here and haven't gone...not sure why?!?) this is a MUST! The area is pristine with no litter. read more

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So many activities to do in this huge park - daily, seasonally and special events! Our daily (if I could) favorites are the free stl zoo, science center, which connects to the planetarium. The art hill and picnic on the picnic island is wonderful, or take a stroll or run/bike miles until your body tells you to stop! In the summer, kayaks are available for rent at the Boat House or you could try fishing at permissible spots. The most recent event was the celebration of the 50th hot air Balloon Race - food trucks, vendors, children arts and inflatable games, and free cake! There is always something to enjoy for everyone, very stroller accessible and unlimited refills on vitamin D. Parking are abundant on the streets or parking lots throughout. This park has been one of our favorites since moving here and we'd visit more often if it's not 30 minutes drive away. So even if your just passing by for a day - check it out! read more

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Gorgeous park with a zoo, art museum, lakes, zen gardens, pavillions etc. Great place for a walk anytime of the day. And this park is bigger than the Central Park in NYC There is great events happening in summer -like movie showings-! read more

Wow! What an incredible park! It is HUGE! I generally only go to the lake next to the Boathouse to watch the sunset, but I REALLY need to drive around and check the entire park out. Over the summer it was really busy with so many people enjoying the weather, as well as events in the park. The grounds are meticulously kept up, absolutely beautiful! I could stroll around here for hours. People relax, picnic, stroll, row boats, on and on. I am looking forward to seeing this place during the winter... read more

I could go on and on about how amazing Forest Park is, but I'm going to be focusing on the recently opened Anne O'C. Albrecht Nature Playscape. This playscape area in Forest Park is a nature lover's dream. 17 acres of various play spaces all revolving around nature, you won't find any sort of playground equipment here. The nature playscape really focuses on connecting you with nature, from the barriers made of stumps to the boulders and rocks to climb on. Everything about this place screams, "BE ONE WITH NATURE!" You could easily spend an entire day here just slowly exploring the space. Here are some tips that may be helpful: - Get here early. As early as you can when there is sunlight, as this place gets quite busy around 10am-11am. - Make sure you know where there are bathrooms. There's one near the World's Fair Pavilion and another in the meadow area. (This is the one thing I wish there was more of, bathrooms.) - If you have kids, bring a change of clothes. They will probably get soaked or even muddy. There are plenty of opportunities what will warrant a change of clothes. - Bring a water bottle. There are only a few water stations, and with this summer heat make sure to stay hydrated. - There's tons of parking on Carr Lane Dr. I wouldn't park near the World's Fair Pavilion, as that area fills up pretty quickly. Have a great time! The playscape is such a cool place for kids and adults! read more

This is a beautiful place. St. Louis has a lot of world-class architecture and enviable outdoor spaces, and Forest Park is the true epitome of that. It is both peaceful and public. It's good for a nice morning run, evening jog, or to sit and read or have a picnic. Highlights for me were the Grand Basin, the park's Crown Jewel, and the 1904 World's Fair Pavilion. Do visit. You will not disappointed. read more

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If Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth then Forest Park is the Happiest Place in St. Louis. It is a 1,300 acre natural magic kingdom of palaces serving as a History Museum and Art Museum. It is a natural magic kingdom where meadows, restored prarie, streams, and open spaces come to life. In this natural magic kingdom real life animals instead of animals star in its world renowned St. Louis Zoo. It is a natural magic kingdom that goes all the way back to 1874. Here is an amazing fact about happy places. People prefer to spend their time there. According to Wikipedia, there were more annual visits to Forest Park than Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium combined (1). The Forest Park website states that over 13 million people visit the park a year making it the sixth most visited urban park in America (2). And according to their website, in 2016 "USA Today" readers voted it the #1 city park in America. Forest Park is in the westernmost part of the city of St. Louis at the border of St. Louis County. This means that if you are staying in downtown that you will need to use motorized transportation or the Metro to get to Forest Park. We used Lyft. From my experience, I would avoid the Hampton Road exit off Interstate 64. Regardless of what time of day, this approach into the park is congested with vehicles. It doesn't help that there is a traffic circle immediately north of the exit. There is nothing like sitting in traffic that could put a damper in the Happiest Place in St. Louis. The two times that we visited Forest Park, it was in the west quadrant of the park. This is where the St. Louis Zoo (free), Boat House, Post-Dispatch Lake, Grand Basin, St. Louis Museum of Art (free), and Norman. K Probstein Golf Course are. Now if we had more time and wanted to venture east, we would have seen the Missouri History Museum (free), Jewel Box, St. Louis Science Center, the Muny, and other lands of the Happiest Place in St. Louis. We spent time in the Zoo Land, Art Land, and Forested Lake Land. The first time we went here was solely for the Zoo. This free zoo is so unbelievably fantastic that I rate it five stars. This will be a separate review. The second time we went here we explored the west portion of the park. The Lyft driver dropped us off by the Boathouse. From there we walked around a circle that led us along meadows, the Grand Basin shoreline, vistas overlooking the golf course, into the Art Museum, and under mature trees. I am a hiker. Being an enthusiastic hiker, I appreciate the solitude of being in nature. The walking trails weaving through the forested landscape beside the meadows of Post-Dispatch Lake, brought out the Louis & Clark in me. If time was unlimited, I would of made another day of hiking. During the finite time on the nature trails connecting the Boat House to the Grand Basin, I enjoyed the forested scenery that included the suspension bridge to Picnic Island. I am happy to hear that areas of the park are reverting back to natural landscapes. Being a hiker, I also appreciate the urban walking trails that pass by statues, grand buildings, monuments, and golf course green grass interspersed with trees. This described my walk from the Grand Basin to the St. Louis Zoo. The view of the Grand Basin reaching towards a Saint Louis Museum of Art capped Art Hill view made me stop in my footsteps. Likewise for the view from Art Hill of the Grand Basin reaching to the Norman K. Probstein Golf Course. Forest Park is an especially clean natural magic kingdom. There is nothing more threatening to a natural magic Kingdom than the park villains. These are the vandals. The St. Louis Police, Park Rangers, Forest Park Forever, and vigilant visitors have done a commendable job of keeping the park vandals out of the kingdom. I am happy to report that I came across zero instances of graffiti and vandalism. The Happiest Place in St. Louis is worthy of the praise that it gets from the public. It provides a wealth of experiences rich in happiness that costs nothing. Throughout this review, I used a Natural Magic Kingdom metaphor to emphasize the joy and happiness this urban park brings. Before concluding this review here are my final thoughts on Forest Park. I rate the park proper 4 Stars. However, I strongly emphasize that the five free cultural institutions in the park that are exceptionally great and free increase my rating from 4 to 5 Stars. This includes a zoo that in my opinion is on the same level of San Diego Zoo. Forest Park is the only park that I have yet to visit that offers five cultural institutions of this magnitude. Forest Park FTW! References : (1) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Park_(St._Louis) (2) https://www.forestparkforever.org/visit Picture Tour: read more

I've heard this park is actually bigger Central Park in NYC. It's also never as crowded so you could easily find a secluded spot (and this is year round!) Coming from California, it was cool to see/experience real seasons...but I'm spoiled and I would much rather enjoy the one climate we have in the Bay vs midwest winters. I still can't believe I lived in STL for 3 years (I detest feeling cold!). I didn't get to enjoy the park as much as I should have due to grad school (translates to studying 24/7). BUT when I decided to get out for some fresh air, I would make the trek to Forest Park. It's also not just a park. There's a ton of other attractions/amenities within it (golf courses, STL ZOO - which is 100% completely free!!!!!, MUNY, museums - also FREE!!!, various events throughout the year like the hot air balloons in the fall, etc). The park is also super clean. It was my parents' highlight when they visited me in MO. You just can't say the same about the parks where I'm from. read more

A massive, beautiful park that makes excellent use of city space right there for all to access. Truly impressive. If you're going to the Zoo, the Missouri History Museum, the Planetarium, or the Jewel Box you're going to go to this park to get there...you have to. By encompassing all of those sites, Forest Park is a mandatory stop but even if you just want a great place to walk, take photos, relax, or take in some cool views without setting foot in any of the above Forest Park still earns its five stars. Definitely the coolest park I've been to other than Balboa in SF. read more

No matter the season. No matter your recreational interests. Forest Park has you covered. This park is not only a St. Louis gem, it's a national treasure. Today Forest Park is one of the most popular attractions in St. Louis -- more than 12 million people visit each year. For History buffs: The park was established in 1874 when the Missouri Legislature passed ordinances to establish three parks in St. Louis County: Carondelet Park in the south; Forest Park in the center and O'Fallon Park on the north.Forest Park was designed by Maximillian G. Kern, the park superintendent and landscape gardener. The park workers built all of the roads except the boulevard near Kingshighway. When Forest Park officially opened to the public on Saturday afternoon, June 24, 1876 The Globe-Democrat reported that the opening day ceremony attracted 50,000 people -- at a time when the population of the city was only 350,000. The Twentieth Century was born in Forest Park with the grandeur and spectacle of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition -- The World's Fair of 1904. From April 30 through December 1, 1904, more than 20 million people went to the fair that transformed the western half of the park into a fairyland of white palaces surrounded by lagoons and artistic landscaping. Its sparkling centerpiece was Festival Hall and the Cascades which crowned Art Hill above the Grand Lagoon. Eight major exhibition palaces were built in a fan-shaped plan in the park's northwestern corner. Also in 1904, Forest Park played host to the Summer Olympics. Interestingly, not only was this the first Olympic games held in North America, but also the current three-medal format--gold, silver, and bronze for first, second, and third places--was introduced during the 1904 Olympics. I could go on and on about the illustrious history of Forest Park! It has as many amazing stories as it has trees! What's incredible about Forest Park is no just the amount of recreational amenities it offers (hello... THREE golf courses?!), but also the venues within the park. The St. Louis Zoo is always ranked as one of the top zoo's in America. Then there's the St. Louis Art Museum. Their collection is so vast that it can take more than a day to fully take in. Down Art Hill, you come upon the Missouri History Museum that offers so many incredible exhibitions and serves as an archive for the history of our city. And then there's the Muny. The world renowned Muny. The caliber of performances they put on in the outdoor theater is astonishing. And just across from the Muny sits the Science Center's planetarium. It's just incredible how much this park has to offer besides trails to run and pavillions to host picnics and parties. The trails of Forest park offer runners a challenging and hilly course. I personally like to park near the ice skating rink and follow the trail north. That puts the most hilly of your run in the middle of your workout. Then you can coast downhill past the T-Rex statue to finish up your run! read more

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