Simpson Park Lake is my favorite local spot to kayak. Unloading: There is a circular dirt drive off of the parking lot where you can load and unload kayaks/paddleboards/canoes right at the boat launch area. The Lake: This is one of the best spots to kayak on the West side of St Louis. You can get about 3,000 meters from one loop around the lake, and there are usually very few people on the water. It is much quieter than Creve Coeur Lake. The water is calm and without motorized boats, other than trolling motors. There are often great blue heron and egrets in the water. read more

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I went here to go fishing, and while I caught no fish, I had a great experience. The lake was beautiful and fairly well-maintained. Everyone I talked to was very friendly. Super pretty place! read more

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My wife and I like to take our family (4 and 2 year olds) out for a run every weekend. This was our first time to Simpson Park. We were impressed. We really enjoyed being able to run along the river. The paths were well paved and easy to run on with our running stroller. We don't tend to be near the Meramec, but it was a very enjoyable run. It was partially in shade, and we saw some eagles. We ran west of the park until the trail hits a parking lot near 141. The best part according to my kids though was the THREE STORY PLAYGROUND. It was the highlight of their week. We didn't do anything on the Lake proper, but noticed you could rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. I may give that a try some time without the kids in tow. read more

I almost didn't want to add this to Yelp because Simpson Lake is such a wonderful little known gem that I kind of want it to stay all mine! I came here to do some stand up paddleboard yoga with a friend of mine, and we were amazed at how such a beautiful lake could be so well hidden just down the road from a bunch of commercial businesses in valley park. The water was still and expansive, and we were the only ones on the lake. Apparently it used to be a quarry, so the lake is quite deep -- some parts are 200 feet. Be careful of debris in the water; I've seen tree branches jutting out in some of the shallower parts. If i lived closer, I'd be here all the time. Definitely going to be a regular fixture in my life next summer. read more

Simpson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

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It's a lovely backwater lake. Bring your canoe, kayak, tackle, bikes and picnic gear. It's so close to home too!!