Des Peres Park — Attraction in Des Peres

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) Local Guide · Level 7

Des Peres Park is one of those hidden gems that makes you feel like you accidentally wandered into a lifestyle commercial. 🌳✨

Whether you’re walking your dogs (hi, Wooten & Esme 🐾), catching up with a friend, or just need to get your steps in while pretending you’re the main character — this park delivers.

🌿 Why I love it: • Gorgeous walking trails with tons of shade • A beautiful pond with fountains (serene and selfie-worthy) • Well-maintained playgrounds for the kiddos and actual benches for adults to exist in peace • Clean bathrooms. Yes, CLEAN. It matters.

The vibe is calm but active — you’ll see families, dog walkers, stroller crews, and solo strutters all doing their thing. It’s the kind of place where people smile at you and say “good morning” like we live in a rom-com.

Whether I’m out for a mental reset or just trying to tire out my Great Pyrenees before she re-decorates the house with her fur, Des Peres Park is always a win.

👉🏼 Follow me for more STL recs, sass, and honest reviews of where to eat, play, and live your best life. #TheSassySaint #STLparks #DesPeresPark #DogMomLife #STLOutdoors #WalkItOut #LocalGuide...

If you are looking for the playgrounds, parking towards the Ballas road entrance is your best bet! They've added a nice parking lot right by the tennis and pickleball courts (closer to the Manchester entrance), all of which have been well maintained. There are also nice, clean bathrooms by that lot. The bathrooms by the playgrounds are older and in need of some updates. The park still has some of my favorite features: the exercise equipment spaced sporadically along the paths! I seem to remember there was even more available when I was younger, so they've only kept the ones that hold up best! There are paths crisscrossing throughout the pond, ball field, open fields, courts area, so you don't just have to walk in circles, unless you want to! The playgrounds for different age kids are close, but not so close that you could keep eyes on kids if they're playing on both. So it might be more difficult for parents of different aged children. Some of the playground is naturally shaded by trees, but a lot of it is full sun. There are picnic benches in a few different spots, including pavilion spaces you can rent out for parties, or just eat in the shade, when they haven't...

Des Peres Park recently completed some big improvements including new tennis courts, pickle ball courts, and 3 new shuffleboard courts. They've created a new parking lot, and built new restrooms. There are fees involved in making reservations for the tennis courts and the pickle ball courts. You can either purchase an annual pass or reserve an hour for $2. There are no charges to play shuffleboard, but you must bring your own sticks and discs. The St. Louis Shuffleboard Club plays at Des Peres Park when weather permits, usually on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 10 AM. They are a friendly group and welcome people of all skill levels to join them, including beginners. Their current members range in age from 56 to 80 years old but anyone is welcome. Besides the sports courts, there is a walking path that is used by people and...