Missouri Bluffs Park, the 286-acre property located at 18 Research Park Circle in St. Charles will soon become the latest addition to the St. Charles County Parks Department. Planned amenities include group camping, a low ropes course, trails, disc golf, and picnic shelter. The St. Charles County Parks Dept. purchased the property from the University of Missouri System in October 2019. The property includes 86 acres to be developed for park trails, as well as 200 acres that the County will continue to lease to the Missouri Bluffs Golf Course. A targeted opening date has not yet been set.
Meanwhile, for those local history buffs, St. Charles County Parks has added another historical home to visit...The Hays Home at Matson Hill Park.
The beautiful 1830s stone home was built by Daniel Boone Hays, grandson of famous frontiersman Daniel Boone. Free, self-guided tours are available on weekends. The homestead also features museum-quality displays on the Hays and Boone families.
Future plans for this area of the park include the construction of an 1830s style timber-framed barn-like shelter with historic architecture and double doors that open on three sides. This new venue will accommodate up to 100 guests and will be available for weddings and special events.
Meanwhile, the County Parks Dept. is doing a major revamp of the Youth Activity Park in Dardenne Prairie and changing the name to Kinetic Park. The major transformation will be all about energy in motion through adventures and play. Construction began this spring at the park and is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.
In addition to the park’s already unique features, including the largest pump track in the United States, the largest outdoor skate park in Missouri, and a 30-foot indoor rock-climbing wall, Kinetic Park will offer four new areas: an indoor activity center, a bike playground and skills course, splash play, and an “adventure” playground.
The park has been chosen to host the area’s first Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier on July 31. This premiere athletic biking competition is one of four 2021 qualifying races scheduled in the US, and the only one of its kind in Missouri.
Two-hundred racing competitors, ages 17+, will race against the clock on the large asphalt pump track, with the top four men and women from this qualifier advancing to the Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships in Europe later this year. The top male finisher and top female finisher will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the World event and compete for the championship title.
There is exciting new progress being made on a new park in the City of St. Charles. The St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department and Orchard Farm School District are in the process of coordinating efforts to design a new park in conjunction with the School District’s new high school campus. In 2018, Orchard Farm School District purchased 96.9 acres of land located off Highway 94 and Highway B and in 2019 the City of St. Charles, by and through its Parks and Recreation Board, purchased the adjacent 97 acres of property. This unique opportunity to collaborate will create a space for both the school district and community to enjoy.
At an open house this Spring and through an online survey, four design concepts were presented for feedback. Each concept features seven different core program areas and amenities. Some of the ideas include a lake, trails, disc golf, a field house, a bike park, playground, shelters, plenty of green space, and “the Hub,” an active program area with activities such as pickleball, concessions and food trucks, social spaces, water recreation access, and game areas such as mini golf, batting cages, and yard games.
For more information and regular updates on this park, visit: StCharlesParks.com/information/new-park-development.