1010 S. St. Louis Avenue + 705 S. Madison Avenue 

MAP and REGULATIONS

Regular hours are 6:00A - 10:30P daily.  

Old St. Louis Natural Area is located along the Big Thompson River on South St. Louis Ave.  The 37-acre site was purchased in 2009 to conserve wetlands and provide public access to a neighborhood natural area. The property includes a 0.7-mile section of paved trail and a 0.5-mile soft-surface loop trail through the wetlands. The paved trail runs from St. Louis to Boise Ave, with future plans to continue the Big Thompson Trail to the east. The existing trail ends at Boise Ave, with no access to or from the street. Paved walk-in/bike-in access is also available from the Mirasol and Winona neighborhoods, at the intersection of South Madison Ave and Finch St.  

Vehicle parking (including ADA) is available in a small trailhead lot at 1010 S. St. Louis Ave.  Across the river, Boise Bend Natural Area and trails can be accessed at 1225 S. Boise Ave. 

Leashed dogs are welcome, owners must pick up and remove pet waste; doggie bags and trash cans are provided. The small parking area includes a trailhead kiosk with map and information.

Five new physical activity features made of natural materials including logs and boulders were installed at Old St Louis in 2020, with funding provided by an Intergenerational Physical Activity Grant from Colorado Health Foundation. These natural features provide opportunities for all ages to engage in physical challenges, imaginative play, and interpretation. 

The wetlands at Old St Louis are the result of gravel mining by a prior owner and now provide excellent habitat for birds, amphibians and other wildlife, including red-winged blackbirds, kingfishers, wild turkeys, Woodhouse toads, white-tailed deer, raccoons and even an occasional mink. This stretch of the river includes several large “point bars” and a nesting colony of herons and cormorants in a large cottonwood tree on the opposite side of the river during spring and summer. A permanent spotting scope was installed in 2022, for viewing the heron rookery and other natural features, wildlife, and the Rocky Mountains in the distance. 

The wetlands also serve as a natural filter for stormwater runoff, as part of the Madison Avenue Stormwater Outfall Project completed by the Public Works Department in 2021.  The improvement project re-designed the stormwater facility to direct base flows into the wetland to filter sediment and pollutants and improve water quality runoff to the river.  During larger storm events, the stormwater facility sends flows to the river via the new concrete outfall structure designed to reduce bank erosion and mitigate flood impacts.  

A public naming process in 2015 resulted in more than 130 name suggestions for 4 new natural areas.  The Open Lands Advisory Commission selected the name Old St. Louis Natural Area based on the site's location at an original settlement of Loveland known as "St. Louis."

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