First Week of Spring Calls for Park Playtime

When I moved to Ballwin two years ago, among my favorite discoveries were the seemingly countless parks within walking distance of our house. With the first week of spring officially here, the weather reminds me of all the scenic spaces Ballwin and Ellisville have to offer.

As the grass is getting a little greener and buds are popping up, I caught up with Parks & Recreation Directors Lisa Blumer of Ellisville and Linda Bruer of Ballwin to discuss how residents can make the most of their time at the parks this spring.

When asked about her favorites, Bruer said it's difficult to narrow it down, but said she does love to see people of all ages enjoying the outdoors. Bruer did say the "secret gem" of Ballwin's parks, however, would be the new pavilion overlooking the woods in Ferris Park.

Blumer also had a hard time choosing, citing the “unique and different” offerings of each city park. While Castlewood and Lone Elk parks are well known, we decided to spotlight some of the slightly lesser-known spots. County parks in our area include:

Ohlendorf West at 1150 Hanna, which has a small playground, sports fields and green space

Queeny Park at 550 Weidman Rd.  has many of its 596 acres in the boundaries of Ballwin, and boasts walking trails, fishing, and horseback riding among other activities.

Vlasis Park uniquely offers baseball diamonds, while New Ballwin Park and Vlasis Park both offer stocked fishing ponds, sand volleyball courts and walking paths.  Vlasis is the only park to offer horseshoe courts.

Holloway Park and The Pointe at Ballwin Commons both have swimming pools. The Pointe also has indoor facilities such as a gym, indoor volleyball court, and meeting centers. 

Bluebird Park, at 167 acres, has the most amenities of Ellisville's 11 parks and trails, including a disc golf course, amphitheater and aquatic center.  

“Bluebird Park includes the Klamberg Conservation Area. That includes a nature trail and wonderful places to explore,” Blumer said.

Bobwhite Park and Mockingbird Park have picnic spaces with barbeque grills, and Bluebird offers a picnic area.  Bluebird, Bobwhite, Mockingbird, Meadowlark and Owl Hollow parks all have playgrounds. The other parks have multi-use trails or undeveloped natural space, ranging anywhere from roughly 1 to 30 acres.

No matter what your ideal activity when spending time outdoors, Ballwin and Ellisville parks make it easy to enjoy yourself. And don’t forget: Parks close at dusk, so make your plans accordingly.

Ballwin Parks:

• Ferris Park: 12 acres at 500 New Ballwin Rd.

• The Pointe at Ballwin Commons:  12.8 acres at 1 Ballwin Commons Dr.

• New Ballwin Park: 8 acres at 329 New Ballwin Rd.

• Vlasis Park: Ballwin’s largest park, with 31 acres behind the Ballwin Government Center.  

• Holloway Park: 10 acres at 335 Holloway Road.

Ellisville Parks:

• Bluebird Park: 167.36 acres at Kiefer Creek Road

• Bobwhite Park: 3.10 acres  at Dale Circle

• Cardinal Park: 6.41 acres at Marsh Avenue/Arroya Trail

• Hummingbird Park:  2.39 acres at Polaris Dr./ Hummingbird Hill

• Meadowlark Park: 0.89 acres at Clayton Oaks Drive

• Mockingbird Park: 5.13 acres at Bridgeport Drive

• Owl Hollow Park: 3.16 acres  at Palm Bay/Covallis Court

• Quailwoods Trail: 8.07 acres at West Field/Virginia Avenue

• Red Tail Hawk Park: 2 acres at Summer Oaks Drive

• Robin Park:  29 acres at Sunny Glenn Ct./Sunnyridge Subdivision

• Whippoorwill Trail: 5.78 acres at Kiefer Creek/Pretoria Drive

• Woodpecker Trail:  1 acre at Field Avenue/Hilltop

• Wren Trail: 2 acres at Hutchinson/Springer Road

Upcoming events:

Annual Arbor Day Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, April 14.

Easter Egg Scramble for kids ages 1-9 on Saturday, April 16 at 10 a.m.

EDGE Aquatic Center will open for the 3rd season beginning Saturday, May 28.

Muddy Spokes Mountain Bike Race for ages 12 and up is scheduled begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 3 at Castlewood State Park.

Egg Hunt for Adults is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15 at Vlasis Park.