Hike Along Riparian Trail by Lakes in Chesterfield

Walking the Riparian Trail in Chesterfield takes you through woods, past lakes, and along streams and by a playground.

Map of the trail system, including the Riparian Trail, Lake One Trail, and the Central Park Lake Trail in Chesterfield. I did not take the extension to Old Chesterfield Road or walk the Stream Walk, which I did on a previous hike.

This walk includes the Riparian Trail, a paved path around a lake, and part of the Central Park Trail. It mostly involves paved trails, with a section of the Riparian Trail unpaved. The paved sections are stroller-friendly.

The hike covers 1.8 miles and gains 92 feet of elevation.

Start of the Walk

I parked in the Chesterfield Central Park lot.

Next, I walked towards the east side of the lot to Veterans Place Drive and made a right to follow this road on the sidewalk. Then I crossed Lydia Hill Drive.

First Section of Riparian Trail

I reached a sidewalk along Lydia Hill Drive. Behind it, there’s an asphalt walkway with a Rules of the Trail sign. This marks the start of the Riparian Trail.

I headed south and soon saw the Lotus Flower and Lily Pad sculpture. From here, you can go west to stay on the Riparian Trail or east to walk along Lake One Trail. I chose to walk around the lake.

Lake One Trail

The trail has conditions for use and allows for walking but not bicycling or skating. I guess this is because it is a narrow trail.

I stopped at a dock along the trail to look out over the lake. Small fish swam below.

Next, I passed a small playground with a swing set and climbing structure.

Then I came to a clubhouse and went to the right of it. The trail crosses over a narrow finger of the lake.

Now, on the other side of the lake, I walked past some condos and came to a small fishing pier. In front of it is a sign with the letter E, which is an emergency locator if you get into trouble along the trail.

Then I crossed the spillway. On the other side, I turned left to rejoin the Riparian Trail.

*Bridge leads to crushed limestone section of the Riparian Trail*

Riparian Trail Section Two

I crossed a wooden bridge, which led to the crushed limestone section of the Riparian Trail.

This part of the trail has several boardwalk sections.

A small brook runs along the left side of the trail.

The trail goes through woods, making it feel more remote than it actually is.

*Check for traffic before crossing roads along the hike.*

The trail winds up to August Hill Drive.

You can turn around here, or keep going, as I did, to make a loop using the Central Park Trail.

The trail continues through the woods and ends at the Central Park Trail.

Central Park Trail

You can go left or right here, depending on how long you want to stay on the Central Park Trail, which loops around the lake. If you go left, you can also extend your walk by following the Riparian Trail north along Burkhardt Place to Old Chesterfield Road as an out-and-back.

I chose to go right this time, since I’ve walked the full trail before and wrote a previous blog post about it.

Cement boardwalk across the lake — *Cement walkway across the lake*

Next, I reached a cement walkway that crosses the lake. I decided to go across it, since I usually do the full loop around the lake. From here, you get views of the lake in every direction.

*Crossing a bridge above a stream that flows into the lake.*

Once across, I turned right to keep walking around the lake. The path crosses a bridge where a stream flows into the lake.

After the bridge, I continue to follow the trail up the hill towards a playground.

Going to the back of the playground, I went past a picnic pavilion and then came back to the parking lot.

Final Thoughts

Starting the hike with a walk around the lake was a nice addition. It’s an interesting route because you can do two loops and walk through lots of woods, even though you’re in the middle of a suburb. You can also easily extend the hike by going all the way around Central Park lake or taking the north extension of the Riparian Trail.

DETAILS:

Restrooms are located by the parking lot.

Drive: Take Interstate 64 to Exit 19A for Chesterfield Parkway West and go south. Then make a right onto Lydia Hill Drive and another right onto Veterans Place Drive, and look for the entrance to the parking lot on the left.

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Address: 16365 Lydia Hill Dr, Chesterfield, MO 63017

MORE NEARBY HIKES

Chesterfield Central Park: See a Giant and Waterfalls

Find a giant sculpture half-buried in the ground and waterfalls around a lake at Chesterfield’s Central Park.

River’s Edge Park Hike Near Shopping Centers in Chesterfield

Walking around a 40-acre lake and checking out the fast-moving Missouri River was my hike at River’s Edge Park in Chesterfield, MO. At the start of the hike, parking for River’s Edge Park is on the far west corner of what was known as Chesterfield Outlets and is now The District at Chesterfield.