Phantom Forest Conservation Area is a park located in the city of Des Peres in St. Louis County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Positioned deep in suburban St. Louis, Phantom Forest offers outdoor recreational opportunities to nearby communities. The park is located on Barrett Station Road between Manchester Road and Dougherty Ferry Road.''Phantom Forest Conservation Area''. Jefferson City: Missouri Department of Education, 2008. Print.Jackson, H. (September 23, 2012).
Trail of the Week: Bittersweet Woods and Phantom Forest
. ''Saint Louis Post Dispatch''. Retrieved September 16, 2015.

History

The land was formerly owned by Ray Moore and his wife, Claire. Ray Moore was the original illustrator for ''

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The charact ...

'' comic strip. After he died, his wife donated the land to the

Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution ...

in 1994. The park was named Phantom Forest in his honor. Phantom Forest is leased by and maintained by the city of Des Peres, Missouri. The park was leased beginning in 2006 and opened to the public in 2008.

Activities and amenities

A small paved parking lot sits on Barrett Station Road and provides auto access to the park. A dirt trail leads into the park. The one half mile trail connects to the

Bittersweet Woods Conservation Area Bittersweet Woods Conservation Area is a 10-acre (4 ha) park located in the city of Des Peres in St. Louis County, Missouri. Positioned deep in suburban St. Louis, Bittersweet Woods offers outdoor recreational opportunities to nearby communities ...

. Phantom Forest consists of

deciduous forest In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

. Hiking is permitted, but not biking or horseback riding. The trail difficulty level is described as easy. The remains of an old house, barely visible from the trail, sits within the conservation area. Past the old house is a very small clearing with a bench and plaque commemorating Claire's donation. Bird watching and nature viewing are additional amenities in the park.Phantom Forest Conservation Area
" ''Conservation Atlas''. Missouri Department of Conservation Online. Accessed September 16, 2015
Archived
June 8, 2012.

References

{{reflist

External links

Art of Ray Moore - ''The Phantom'' comic strip
2006 establishments in Missouri Parks in Missouri