Best Riverfront Attraction

Two Pecan Tree Pond is a 15-acre wildlife area that is part of the Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area in St. Charles County along the Mississippi River. Created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when it constructed the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, the pond hosts a raptor hacking station where peregrine falcons and bald eagles are raised and then released. It is surrounded by other wildlife areas, including Heron Pond, a marsh complex; and Ellis Island, where loons, grebes and other water birds can be watched during migration. If nothing else, Two Pecan Tree Pond is a pretty cool name. To get there, take I-270 to Highway 367 and cross the Missouri River. Turn right on the blacktop road just past the Highway 94 junction and continue to the Riverlands area.