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Encouraging families to explore outside together,

Explore St. Louis Parks

one park at a time!

parks   /   trails   /   adventure

You don’t have to
go far to explore

and the best part... your kids can come too.

St. Louis is full of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered! 

 

Come along with my family as we explore more of Missouri, the Midwest and beyond! My hope is to show you what beauty there is just right outside your doors. 

Let me show you all of the family-friendly trails, parks, playgrounds, attractions, lodging, etc, because exploring doesn’t end when you have kids…it is just the beginning. 

Who’s ready to go on an adventure?

Explore St. Louis Parks

St. Louis Parks

Hey there,

I'm steph,

  • I’m an elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom, but I’m rarely home. I'd rather be outside exploring!
  • I’m a Wisconsin native and have lived in Missouri for over a decade now.
  • My husband and I have hiked with our 4 daughters on over 250 Midwest trails since the onset of the pandemic.
  • I hope to encourage families to see all of the beauty that St. Louis and Missouri have to offer!
  • I believe it is a childhood rite of passage to learn how to sleep through the sound of a tent zipper.
More about me

Explore St. Louis Parks

Are you ready for an adventure?

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Playgrounds
Attractions
Hiking
Destinations
Biking
Camping

A Weekend in Sainte Genevieve

We explored Sainte Genevieve for the weekend and it was unbelievable! It is just one hour from St. Louis and this city is full of so much history and charm.
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Low Effort Snow Activities

It is our second snow day this week in St. Louis, so I thought it would be fun to share some low-effort snow activities! These were relatively easy to set
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A Weekend in Green Bay

We visited Green Bay and it was just the best experience! Not only was it within driving ditance, but it was so family-friendly! Below is our 3 day itinerary. I
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A to Z Playgrounds Bucket List 2025

A to Z Playgrounds: Download this freebie for an A to Z Bucket List of playgrounds around St. Louis! There is also an empty copy in this download so you
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A to Z Trails Bucket List 2025

A to Z Trails: Download this freebie for an A to Z Bucket List of trails around St. Louis! There is also an empty copy in this download so you
Read More

Top 12 Paved Trails!

There are so many great paved trails in and around St. Louis! The Great River Greenways trail system has over 135 miles (and counting). All of the paved trails in
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  • I’m an elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom, but I’m rarely home. I'd rather be outside exploring!
  • I’m a Wisconsin native and have lived in Missouri for over a decade now.
  • My husband and I have hiked with our 4 daughters on over 250 Midwest trails since the onset of the pandemic.
  • I hope to encourage families to see all of the beauty that St. Louis and Missouri have to offer!
  • I believe it is a childhood rite of passage to learn how to sleep through a tent zipper.

Stephanie - Explore STL Parks

Who's Talking About Explore STL Parks

Explore STL Parks on Meet St. Louis Podcast

When Steph Hampton started hiking with her kids, she never imagined she’d create an entire community of people who just want to get outside and explore. But that’s exactly what has happened. Her friends called her the park lady, now she inspires thousands to explore St. Louis and beyond. Her Instagram is Explore STL Parks, and she vividly remembers hitting 100 followers. Now she’s at almost 100K. We sat down with Steph, a mom of four, to talk about getting outdoors, the vast number of parks to explore in Missouri and Illinois and how to get over the fear or apprehension of taking your kids on a hike.You can learn more about the parks we discuss in this episode and how to join the family hiking group by heading to Steph’s Instagram page, @explorestlparks

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Explore St. Louis Parks