Parks and Recreation
If you’re looking for some of St. Charles’s most beautiful parks, Frenchtown is the perfect jumping-off point! Our neighborhood is the gateway to woodland trails, sports fields, brand-new playgrounds, greenways, gardens, and breathtaking views of the Missouri River.
St. Charles’s smallest park, located on Second Street between Montgomery and Lawrence Streets, is a nice place to sit and relax in the shade of the cypress trees on a lunch break.
• Jean-Baptiste Point Dusable Park
This is a large park encompassing several areas:
Eco Park— Prominent on the northernmost end of Second Street, this park includes a cultivated garden with a gazebo and picnic tables, as well as a wetland and wildflower area. Eat a sandwich at one of the picnic tables while watching red-winged blackbirds flit through the cattails, frogs chirp in the shallows, goldfinches flutter from thistle to thistle, and the occasional woodchuck forage through the clover.
August Regot area— Tucked behind the Eco Park, this delightful section has a basketball court, a picnic pavilion, a brand-new playground, and a trail that loops through the forest along the river. Watch trains rumble over the bridge, look north toward the river bottomlands, and watch for robins, cardinals, and pileated woodpeckers making their homes among the cottonwoods. During the summer, this is a wonderful place to watch thousands of fireflies lighting up the woods.
Ed Bales area— If you love sports, this is the place to go! Just follow the North River Road under the 370 bridge to find this hidden gem. Featuring a baseball diamond, cricket fields, basketball court, multi-use fields, a top-notch new playground, multiple picnic pavilions, walking trails, a wetlands informational area, and a dog park, this is a wonderful destination no matter the time of year!
Blanchette Landing— A must-visit for fishermen and those who loves water recreation, this landing has easy access to the Missouri River for all your favorite water sports. A trail that connects to the August Regot loop meets up here with informational signs.
If you’re a cyclist, you need to check out St. Charles’s longest greenway! Head west on Olive Street from Blanchette Landing, and you’ll soon reach the entrance of Boschert Greenway, which takes you on a car-free path leading to the edge of Blanchette Park, through Fox Hill Park, and on to New Town.
Don’t forget Missouri’s iconic trail! It’s accessible from Blanchette Landing and runs through Jean-Baptiste Point DuSable Park to the north and Frontier Park to the south.