Facility Overview
Creve Coeur Lake Parking on Morning Glory Drive provides convenient, open-air surface parking at Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park in Maryland Heights, Missouri. As the crown jewel of the St. Louis County Parks system, this sprawling 2,145-acre recreational area surrounds a scenic 320-acre natural oxbow lake. The parking area offers an open layout without low-clearance overhangs, making it suitable for all standard passenger vehicles, family minivans, full-size SUVs, pickup trucks, and vehicles carrying roof racks, kayaks, canoes, or rear-mounted bicycle carriers. Dedicated spaces for ADA accessibility ensure smooth access to the park\'s primary paved pathways.
Prime Location & Nearby Attractions
This parking facility serves as an entry point for countless outdoor, sports, and family-oriented activities within Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. Notable nearby destinations and venues include:
- Creve Coeur Lake Trail: Direct access to the popular 3.8-mile paved loop encircling the entire lake, favored by runners, road cyclists, and inline skaters.
- Water Sports & Rentals: Minutes from Creve Coeur Lake Rentals, where visitors can rent stand-up paddleboards, canoes, and kayaks to explore the water.
- Go Ape Zipline & Adventure Park: Located within the park grounds, offering treetop rope courses and zipline canopy tours.
- The Lakehouse: A lakeside restaurant offering casual dining, beverages, and outdoor patio views right on the waterfront.
- Disc Golf Course & Archery Range: Close proximity to the championship-level 18-hole disc golf course and local sports amenities.
- Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre & Riverport: Located just a 5 to 7-minute drive west, making the park a pleasant daytime stop before evening concerts and events.
- Centene Community Ice Center: Situated less than 10 minutes away, serving as a hub for regional youth hockey tournaments and ice skating.
Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity
The facility is accessed via Marine Avenue, Dorsett Road, and Creve Coeur Mill Road, branching directly into Morning Glory Drive and park circulating roads. Regional motorists benefit from immediate connections to Missouri State Route 141 (Maryland Heights Expressway), Interstate 270, and Interstate 70, providing straightforward routes across west St. Louis County and St. Charles. While public transit options like MetroBus routes primarily service major commercial corridors along Dorsett Road, rideshare pickups via Uber and Lyft can drop off and pick up passengers directly at the lakefront parking areas.
Facility Amenities & Key Features
- Paved open-air surface parking with clearly marked standard stalls.
- Zero vertical height restrictions, accommodating high-roof conversion vans, truck toppers, and vehicles equipped with roof cargo boxes.
- Designated ADA-accessible parking stalls close to trailheads and paved sidewalks.
- Immediate proximity to public restrooms, picnic pavilions, charcoal grills, and drinking fountains.
- Direct connectivity to the St. Louis County shared-use regional greenway and trail networks.
- Free public parking operated and maintained by the St. Louis County Parks Department.
Ideal For
- Outdoor enthusiasts, endurance runners, inline skaters, and road cyclists completing laps around the lake.
- Paddlers, kayakers, and canoeists loading and unloading watercraft for a day on the lake.
- Families and large social groups gathering for weekend picnics, birthday barbecues, and pavilion rentals.
- Adventure seekers visiting Go Ape Treetop Adventure or the local disc golf courses.
- Concertgoers seeking a scenic waterfront park relaxation spot prior to shows at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre.
Visitor & Driver Tips
Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park operates from 8:00 AM until 30 minutes after sunset daily. On sunny weekends, holidays, and warm summer afternoons, parking spaces fill quickly; arriving before 10:00 AM or after 4:00 PM is recommended to secure a spot without circling. Park gates are locked promptly at closing time, so ensure your vehicle exits the grounds before dusk. Always secure personal belongings out of sight within your vehicle trunk before setting out onto the trails or water.