Photography by Melissa Meinzer
There’s a new option for summer paddling adventures in St. Charles County.
Phase 1 of Dardenne Creek Blueway opened last weekend. The 3.5-mile water trail is just the beginning of a proposed 19-mile stretch. When complete, the blueway will stretch all the way to O’Fallon Sports Park.
“When we purchased Riverside Landing in 2018, we began planning for this water trail,” St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said in a press release, “but debris and litter impeded the connection and flow between the creek and the river. Our Parks Department has been working diligently to clear tree and log jams, brush, trash, and other debris to provide an improved recreational opportunity for residents and visitors.”
Today, Dardenne Creek Blueway begins at Riverside Landing Park (101 Riverport Lane, St. Peters), which is now open as a boating, camping, and scenic amenity. Situated where Dardenne Creek joins the Mississippi River, the park offers campsites for large and small RVs and tents, a dump station, boat and kayak ramps, and plenty of parking.
The park also has an iPaddlePort station, so anyone can enjoy the water, regardless of boat ownership. Reserve online, get a code, and help yourself to a single or tandem kayak from the locker by the entry ramp. It’s $20 for a single and $30 for a tandem, and you have the boat from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (Be sure to book early: The supply for this Saturday is already sold out.)
Photography by Melissa Meinzer
By 9 a.m. on a hot Saturday morning over Memorial Day weekend, the park was already starting to get lively, with a couple of the campsites occupied by RVs and visitors hauling kayaks, towing boats, and jet skis. My paddle pal and I set off in our tandem kayak with a cooler of sandwiches and Cherry Coke Zero. I had sunscreen (crucial) and bug spray (not really needed) in the pocket of my lifejacket.
We’re both in decent shape but new kayakers. Fortunately, the route is beginner-friendly. We took off up-creek against a gentle current. The blueway has mile markers, so progress along the 3.5-mile water path is easy to measure.
We saw lots of birds and jumping fish (including one so close, I thought it might join us in the boat). One of the bridges that we paddled under had a colony of cliff swallows, which took off en masse from their clutch of distinctive nests as we passed. For many long stretches, we were the only humans around.
The finished route ends at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters. Plenty of other paddlers were putting in there. It’s possible to continue beyond the finished portion, but the blueway has been meticulously cleaned and maintained.
The whole excursion took several hours, including a lazy floating lunch, a lovely way to get in some time on the water without driving far.
