Gravois Creek Greenway - Clydesdale Park

Gravois Creek Greenway - Clydesdale Park. . , Clydesdale Park and Area History, . The 117 acre St. Louis County Park opened to the public in the spring of 1976 and was originally named Gravois Creek Park. It was renamed in 1983 to recognize the longtime interest in Clydesdale horses of August Busch Junior, a nearby property owner and president of Anheuser-Busch Brewery., . In the 1700's the Kaskaskia and Tamaron Tribes lived along the Gravois Creek. Later there was a French Trading Post located in the area. Coming towards Union from Tesson Ferry, just past the Clydesdale Park on the east side, is the remains of a quarry where Italians "mined" clay in the late 1800's. The clay was used to make bricks for the Continental Brick Company. , . Among the famous named that spent time in this area was Ulysses S. Grant who was said to have ridden the trail along Gravois Creek to woo his future bride Julia Dent whose family home is next to today's Grant's Farm. , . The park is comprised of 74 acres of upland forest and 43 acres of the Gravois creek floodplain basin. There are seven trails less than a mile in length including the Fox Run Fitness Trail with numerous exercise stations. The north portion of the park below the bluff contains the floodplain basin of Gravois Creek. The creek flows through the park having several tributaries which drain the surrounding area to the Mississippi river. The upland trail system provides great connections to the surrounding neighborhoods across Green Park Road., Floodplain, . Walk along the Bottomland Trail (0.6 mi) you will see plants living in wetland natural communities adapted to deal with flooded conditions. Portions of this flood plain disturbed by frequent scouring and deposits were invaded by colonizing willows, cottonwoods, sycamore, elm, mulberry and other wetland shrub and herbaceous species. Decomposition renews the habitat putting nutrients back into the soil increasing its fertility., . This floodplain habitat contains a rich bird and animal community. You may catch a glimpse of a duck floating in the creek or a turtle sunning itself on a rock. Amphibians and insects need wetlands for maturing their young., Upland, As you hike up the Twin Bridge Trail you will pass a rock bluff and the side of hills filled with a kaleidoscope of colorful wildflowers. Coneflowers, Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susan and many others spread up the hillside to the forest area dominated by oaks, hickories and other tree species surrounding the ball fields on the hill top.