FunKidsActivities
Bee Tree County Park

Bee Tree County Park

2701 Finestown Ave, St. Louis, MO 63129, USA

Overview

Category:Hiking with Kids
Location:St. Louis, MO

Expert Summary

Detailed Insights

Bee Tree County Park is a versatile destination offering an impressive 3-story playground with multiple slides, rock walls, and a variety of swings (including baby and special needs options), making it ideal for active children. Additionally, it features a beautiful lake with walking trails and dedicated picnic spots, catering to both energetic play and relaxed family outings in a well-maintained, accessible environment.

Key Highlights

  • Large, well-maintained 3-story playground featuring 3 slides, 2 rock walls, 2 regular swings, 1 baby swing, and 1 special needs swing.
  • Beautiful lake with a dedicated walking trail, suitable for walking, sitting by, or fishing.
  • Numerous picnic areas available.
  • Easily accessible location.
  • Identified as a great venue for events.

Standout Features

  • Three-story playground structure with multiple slides and rock walls.
  • Variety of swings: 2 regular, 1 baby, and 1 special needs.
  • Extensive trails and wooded areas for exploration.
  • Lake suitable for walking, sitting by, or fishing.
  • Dedicated picnic spots.
  • Crow's Nest Trail with an overlook, conveniently a short walk from the parking lot.

Perfect For

Infants/Toddlers (0-3 years): Features a baby swing and 'swings for smaller children'.
Young Children (3-8 years): Well-suited with a 3-story playground, multiple slides, and regular swings.
School-Aged Kids (8-12 years): Rock walls and the multi-story playground provide engaging active play.
Children with Special Needs: Includes a dedicated special needs swing on the playground.

Ideal For

Spontaneous playdates or family outings with kids of varying ages.
Families seeking active outdoor play, utilizing the playground and hiking trails.
Relaxed family walks around a lake.
Picnics and casual family events.
Anglers prepared with appropriate tackle for snaggy conditions.

💡Pro Tips from Reviews

  • For anglers, use a bobber or topwater lure in the lake to avoid snags from submerged trees.
  • Explore beyond just the lake; there is a large playground and more trails to discover in the park.
  • Be diligent about parking rules; avoid parking on the grass as it is strictly enforced by rangers, despite others sometimes ignoring the rules.

Things to Consider

  • The park's website misleads by mentioning 'extensive gardens' when only a few flowers around a small fountain are present.
  • The Crow's Nest Trail overlook offers an obstructed view, with too many trees and visible power poles/lines.
  • Strict and seemingly inconsistent parking enforcement by park rangers; visitors have been ticketed or verbally admonished for parking on grass, even though others frequently do so.
  • The lake has submerged cut trees for habitat, creating 'snag city' for anglers, making fishing challenging without specific gear.

Price & Value

No specific pricing information mentioned in the reviews.

Accessibility & Special Needs

  • The park is described as 'easily accessible'.
  • The playground features a dedicated special needs swing.
  • The Crow's Nest Trail overlook is a short walk from the parking lot.

🍎Food & Drink Policy

  • Picnic areas are available, suggesting outside food is allowed, but no explicit policy is stated.

🚗Parking Info

  • Ample parking available.
  • Strict enforcement against parking on grass by park rangers.
  • The Crow's Nest Trail overlook is a short walk from the parking lot.

👥Crowd Levels

  • Reviews do not provide specific details on crowd levels or busy times. One review notes 'many cars in the grass,' which could imply busy periods or common disregard for rules.

🛡️Safety Features

  • Park rangers/security actively patrol and enforce rules, including parking. No other specific safety features (e.g., first aid station, monitored play areas) are mentioned.

When to Avoid

  • If your primary expectation is to find 'extensive gardens' as implied by the website.
  • If you are seeking an unobstructed, highly scenic overlook without power lines or tree interference.
  • If you prefer parks with relaxed parking rules and minimal ranger presence.
  • If you are an angler not prepared for snaggy conditions in the lake.

Pricing/Package/Events

Photos

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What People Say

What's Great

  • Spacious play areas (mentioned in 3 reviews)

Areas for Improvement

  • Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 7 reviews)

Recent Reviews

K O

K O

6 months ago

The park has a nice lake and some trails. The Crow's Nest Trail has a sort of scenic overlook which is a short walk from the parking lot. Then the trail continues until it meets up with the lake trail. The overlook is alright, but not exciting because too many trees in the view, and what you do see has a lot of power poles and lines. The website mentions "extensive gardens" but there are just a few flowers around the little fountain. The trail around the lake is nice for walking and enjoying the scenery.

Ky breh

Ky breh

3 months ago

Update: *park ranger has literally been driving around the place ticketing people and harassing people. Other parks aren't like this. Park is for peace, walking, family, fishing. Not Nazi park police.* They cut and put trees in this lake, helps with the habitat. But it’s snag city for anglers. Use a bobber or top water lure. Also, got yelled at about parking in the grass once, but almost everyday there are people parking everywhere. Pic included to show the many cars in the grass. Security patrols out of boredom.

Natalia S.D.

Natalia S.D.

a year ago

This park is definitely one of my favorites. It’s big, beautifully maintained, easily accessible, and located in a lovely area. There's a great little lake to walk around, sit by, or fish in. The picnic areas are nice, there are ideal spots with swings for smaller children, ample parking, and it's a great venue for events. I just love it!

Rio Clemens (abusylifewithrio)

Rio Clemens (abusylifewithrio)

a year ago

Had to find a place for the kids to play at one day on a pinch & found this gem!! Absolutely so cool! It’s 3 stories tall with 3 slides, 2 rock walls, 2 regular swings, 1 baby swing, & 1 special needs swing! Definitely a cool spot! Has a ton of trails, wooded areas, & picnic spots!!

Tim Charly

Tim Charly

5 months ago

We love this park! Go here all the time. We used to just go all the way to the bottom and walk around the lake, but then we discovered there is so much more to the park! The kids playground is really nice too!

Contact Information

2701 Finestown Ave, St. Louis, MO 63129, USA

View on Google Maps

Opening Hours

Monday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Quick Stats

Overall Rating
4.7
Total Reviews1123
Recent Reviews5