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Writer's pictureBrianna Jo Buchholz

5 Hidden Gem locations in Forest Park, St. Louis Missouri to photograph at!

5 Hidden Gem spots in Forest Park. These spots will most likely NOT be crowded but look amazing!

Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri is one of THE best outdoor parks that I have ever been to, and most likely yourself! Forest Park to me is an icon of the natural beauty of St. Louis, Missouri, and I always LOVE when my clients/couples want their pictures done here. However, I like to find the hidden spots of the park that still showcase its beauty!


Next time you visit the park, try to find these locations and you will fall in love with them!


#1 Hidden Gravel Walking Trail


When you look at a map of Forest Park, the best way to get to this location is to park on Grand Drive, with the Round Lake to your right, before you cross the bridge over the metro tracks. This gravel trail has some of the BEST spots during the summertime, especially when the grass fields grow tall and the trees fill in.


#2 Stone Bridge



This stone bridge is BEAUTIFUL during all seasons! However, many people are very unfamiliar with where exactly this bridge is. The best way to get to this bridge is to park on Clayton Drive in Forest Park and drive by the science museum on your right-hand side. Once you keep driving down that road keep looking to your right and you will see this bridge off on its one in this patch of grass!


#3 Corner of Forest Park/West Pine Corner


One of my favorite spots in Forest Park during the Fall is this one. This spot is NEVER crowded, and has so much photo potential. You can find this spot right at the corner of Kingshighway and West Pine. These trees will turn bright orange and yellow shortly after all the red trees have peaked, creating a beautiful fall landscape!


#4 "Picnic Island"


One of the newest hidden gem spots I have found in Forest Park is Picnic Island. These trees bloom beautifully during the spring and helped us avoid the crowds around Art Hill during Prom season. You can get to this exact location by parking at the boathouse, if you want a guaranteed parking spot and following the gravel trail around, and cross over the white bridge. Or an alternative route is to park by the lower basin of Art hill and follow the gravel path over another bridge (you can see in the back). Either way, you will end up walking about 5- 10 mins to get to this location, but it is definitely worth it!


#5 The VERY edge of Forest Park



When looking at a map of Forest Park, you will see in the top right-hand corner of the map there is a green section that West Pine drives around. This section of Forest Park is only traveled by locals going on a walk to the park, but it is one of my new recent hidden gem spots! This corner has the perfect mix of greenery and structural features to make your images really pop!


These hidden gems are my favorite go to Forest Park locations


These locations are the best on days when Forest Park is crowded, or if you just want to explore a new area of the park that isn't Art Hill or the Pavilion. What parts of Forest Park are your favorite hidden locations? Leave a comment below!

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