Bangert Island
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Louis H. Bangert Memorial Wildlife Area Opened: May 2008 Total acreage: 160 acres Located: 1704 S. River Rd, St. Charles, MO 63303 (Missouri River south of the Blanchette Bridge) Park Hours are 7 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset.
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| An island in the Missouri River just south of the Blanchette Bridge, the Louis H. Bangert Memorial Wildlife Area (Bangert Island) is a joint partnership between the Missouri Department of Conservation and the St. Charles County Parks Department. Under the agreement, the MDC owns the property - following a 1976 donation by Anna Louise Kurtz and Edwin Kurtz to honor Anna's father Louis H. Bangert - and the Parks Department will manage the park through a 30-year, renewable lease. Guests may enter the 160-acre park from the Katy Trail entrance along Old South River Road in St. Charles and then cross a slough that connects Bangert Island to the mainland. While using the park's 2.6 miles of natural surface trail for hiking or mountain biking, guests may encounter white-tailed deer, turkey, raccoons, opossums, and a variety of songbirds. A typical wooded Missouri River island, the land features cottonwood, sycamore, box elder, silver maple, and black willow trees. In addition to bird-watching, hiking, bicycling, and photography, park guests may also fish along the banks of the Missouri River that flows below the park - although state fishing regulations apply and hunting is prohibited. Trails were built by MDC and Parks Department staff, along with the assistance of volunteer groups such as the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC) and the Missouri Master Naturalists. The park is open from sunrise to sunset throughout the year. However, the park may be closed during high river levels if the trail access is blocked by high water. For information on the status of Bangert Island, guests may call 636.949.7475. |
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