Explore Mallard Lake Loop: Waterfalls and Lakeside Views

On the Mallard Lake Loop hike, you’ll see cliffside drip falls and lake views, then have lunch on the deck at the Lakehouse restaurant in Creve Coeur Park.

I hiked 2.6 miles on the loop, including part of the Creve Coeur Lakeview Trail, and went around Mallard Lake on both paved and gravel paths below the bluffs.

*I parked by the Creve Coeur Lakehouse Bar & Grill*

Parking

I parked near the Creve Coeur Lakehouse Bar & Grill and began my hike on the paved trail. There’s a sign behind the restaurant marking the trail, with Mallard Lake just beyond.

Going Right

To the right, there’s a soccer club, and to the left, you get views of the lake. The trail is paved and flat at this point. It curves southeast and then crosses Creve Coeur Creek.

Starting the Gravel Trail

I reached a spot where the paved trail heads southwest, but a gravel trail continues straight ahead along the power lines. The paved path is just a connector and leaves the loop, so I took the gravel trail instead. Now, there’s a field on one side and forest on the other.

The gravel trail goes past a swamp with woods behind it, then leads to a hillside. I turned left, so now the swamp is on my left and the forest and cliffs are on my right.

Cliffside

This is my favorite part of the hike. I walk past a swamp filled with green algae and tall, narrow trees.

Looking up to my right, I spot the cement foundation of an old building.

The trail then passes close to natural rock walls colored orange and yellow.

Next, I look up at the cliffs and see two large holes—small caves—in the white rock above.

The cliffs recede, and a thicket appears on the right. Here, I spotted two deer looking back at me.

I came to a brown rock cliff and found a hidden rock garden. My son would love to hide there if he were with me.

Drip Falls

Now I pass by rocks whitened by water droplets that have trickled down over the years.

Further along, there’s a small waterfall that ends in a little pool of water.

The last waterfall I see here has two rock layers and splintered wood at the bottom.

Each is different from the others. (These waterfalls flow during or following rainy weather so they might not be flowing when you are there.)

*Connector to the rest of the Mallard Lake Loop*

By Page Avenue Bridge

Finally, I reach the Page Avenue and Highway 364 Bridge towering above. If you want to see the park’s largest waterfall, you can take a paved 0.8-mile out-and-back hike to Dripping Springs waterfall. It’s big and worth seeing for the large, dripping waterfall.

I’ve visited that waterfall before, so this time I turned left onto the Lakeview Trail to reconnect with the Mallard Lake Loop and head back to the trailhead.

On this part of the trail, the bridge is high above on your left. You first pass a swamp on the left and the back side of Creve Coeur Lake on the right.

Along Mallard Lake

I reached the bridge over Creve Coeur Creek and turned left again toward the restaurant. If you want to see more of Creve Coeur Lake, you can go right, but that adds another 3.8 miles to your hike.

The next major intersection is for the Creve Coeur Park Trail, a 2.8-mile linear path to Katy Trail State Park that crosses the Missouri River on the Page Avenue Bridge.

I continued left, with Mallard Lake beside me. It’s a quiet lake in Creve Coeur Park.

Next, I saw people weeding among lots of plantings and small trees behind a metal fence. This area is Forest ReLeaf, a nursery and arboretum that helps maintain urban forests.

Back at the Restaurant

The restaurant was open today, so I finished my hike with lunch. I had a buffalo chicken wrap and homemade potato chips, and I got to sit outside with a view of Mallard Lake. It was a nice way to end a day of hiking.

If you are doing the restaurant, make sure to call first to check whether they are open, since they have varied hours of operation.

Details

To get there, take Interstate 270 to exit 14 for Olive Boulevard and head west. Turn right onto Creve Coeur Mill Road and look for the parking lot on the right for the restaurant and trail access.

Hours: 8 am to 30 minutes past sunset

Address: 2160 Creve Coeur Mill Rd, St. Louis, MO 63146