Paddling near St. Louis, MO

Set at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers — a combined 3,710-mile system — St. Louis pairs serious big-water paddling with calmer options nearby. The Meramec River, a 218-mile Ozark stream entering the Mississippi about 20 miles south of the city, is the region's most popular paddling corridor, while Creve Coeur Lake (Missouri's largest natural lake, a 4-mile-circumference oxbow) and Forest Park offer flatwater close to downtown.