Broemmelsiek Dog Park

About forty miles outside of St. Louis, Missouri is the small town of Defiance. The town of Defiance is best known as the final homestead of Daniel Boone and also as the gateway to Missouri's developing wine industry. It is also a great way to get to the Katy Trail State Park, which is 240 miles of decommissioned rail line that has been paved over and turned into a trail for pedestrians and bicyclists. Another park near Defiance is Broemmelsiek Park.

Broemmelsiek Park is a nearly 500-acre park that was deeded to St. Charles County for a nature reserve by Jack and Betty Broemmelsiek. The park has been preserved in a largely natural state. The Broemmelsiek home has been turned into an interpretive center/conference center that can seat up to fifty people. There are a number of small lakes that have been stocked with fish as well as an astronomy viewing area where you can check out the stars.

There are picnic facilities and seven miles of paved walking trails suitable for walkers, bikers, and horses. Leashed dogs are allowed throughout the park, except for a dedicated off-leash dog park within the main park. Broemmelsiek Dog Park is a five-acre fenced enclosure for unleashed dogs. The dog park has a large pond with a dock. People are welcome to bring rafts and canoes to the dog park but motorboats are strictly prohibited, as well as fishing. The dog park pond is not stocked with fish.

The Broemmelsiek Dog Park has a covered picnic area with benches and lots of shade trees. There are plenty of dog bags throughout the off-leash area, as well as trash cans, however, the dog park does not have any human restrooms or water so be sure to bring your own. Because of the size of the Broemmelsiek Dog Park, there are occasionally festivals and barbeque pits for dog people in the area. However, because Broemmelsiek Park’s primary responsibility is to preserve the natural area, the park will close for inclement weather.