Cape Girardeau recreation: Fun for all ages, interests

There are 23 pleasant parks spread over 503 attractive acres within Cape Girardeau city limits.

Susan McClanahan of Cape Girardeau said that she and her family especially enjoy the activities the city park department offers residents.

"We love the trails," she said. "And our kids are both involved in the youth activities leagues -- softball and basketball. We love the parks."

Park-goers will find picnic shelters, playground equipment, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, soccer and baseball fields, even a large fishing pond with ducks and geese.

There are restroom facilities and drinking water fountains located in all major parks. To reserve a picnic shelter, stop by the Parks and Recreation Department office at the A.C. Brase Arena in Arena Park or call 335-5421. The director is Dan Muser. Shelters are reserved on a first-come first-serve basis and must be made in person.

What follows is a list of the larger, most frequently used parks. For a more complete list of parks, contact the Park Department 335-5421.

Capaha Park

One of the city's oldest parks, it is located along Broadway and West End Boulevard.

The park has playground equipment, a band pavilion, a swimming pool, a large pond with a walking path around it and the city's largest baseball field, which is home of the semi-pro Capahas baseball team and the Southeast Missouri State University baseball team.

From June through August the Parks and Recreation Department sponsors weekly concerts in the park by the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band.

Arena Park

Arena Park is located west of Kingshighway near Broadway. It has eight picnic shelters, two playground facilities, 15 youth baseball and softball fields of which 10 are lighted. It is the home of the Kohlfeld Scorpions Rugby Club and the annual SEMO District Fair. The A.C. Brase Arena Building hosts special events.

Cape Rock Park

The lofty, scenic overlook at Cape Rock Park provides a beguiling view of the mighty Mississippi River during the day and night. Visitors often spot barges, paddlewheelers and other rivercraft moving up and down the river. There are periods of tranquility when the only movement is the water itself.

Riverfront Park

Don't just peek at the Mississippi River from your vehicle as you drive along Water Street. Get out and stroll the 1.56-acre Riverfront Park -- it offers direct views of the Mississippi River. The park is located at the foot of Broadway Street and stretches along the river just east of the floodwall. You can't miss it -- just look for the dozens of huge, colorful murals painted on the floodwall and walk along the floodwall and read about the murals at the recently-added reader boards along the walkway.

There are benches, and concrete walkways slope to the river's edge. The park is open year-round and provides a close-up view of the paddlewheelers, tow boats, barges, fishing boats and other watercraft that regularly cruise the river.

There is concrete amphitheater seating in the park that uses the original granite cobblestones used to pave the old levee. It all makes for a pleasant view of the river.

Riverfront Park was recently expanded -- a concrete trail runs north from the Broadway gate entrance and south from the Themis gate entrance. The trail is more than a quarter-mile long. Several outlooks and bench seating have been added. Decorative lighting has been installed on the floodwall. The lighting enhances the enjoyment and safety of park visitors.

Cape La Croix Recreation Trail

For joggers, walkers, bicyclists, rollerbladers and skateboarders, the 4.4-mile asphalt Cape La Croix Recreation Trail connects the Osage Community Centre on the north and Shawnee Park Sports Complex on the south, while avoiding the need to cross city streets. It provides users with a safe recreational experience as it skirts the banks of the Cape La Croix Creek.

Cape Girardeau County Park

Located on the far northwest edge of the city, just east of the I-55 and Kingshighway interchange, is a spacious 200-acre park that is divided by Kingshighway.

The park features several lakes stocked with several species of fish, and there are picnic and playground facilities, tennis and basketball courts, and plenty of rolling, well-tended lawns.

There is an asphalt hiking trail that wanders through the north portion of the park. Shelters can be reserved there.

Also at the park is a Missouri Department of Conservation visitors' center and a nature center.

Trail of Tears State Park

Area residents in the 1950s purchased a prime piece of property and deeded it to the state. This parcel of land is now known as the Trail of Tears State Park, located 14 miles north of Cape Girardeau.

There are 3,400 acres that offer stirring beauty throughout the year. As visitors wind their way through the park, they eventually reach a high bluff that presents a panoramic view of the Mississippi River.

The park was actually part of the original Trail of Tears, along which Cherokee Indians were forced to travel during the Indian Removal of 1838-39. At that time, Cherokees in the southeastern part of the country were relocated to the Indian Territory of what is now Oklahoma.

Trail of Tears State Park has facilities for picnics, hiking and trailer and tent camping. Also there is Lake Boutin, a 20-acre lake stocked with catfish, bass and bluegill. Boating, canoeing and a sand beach for swimming are there.

A visitors' center in the park features historical displays and presentations.

Cape has unbelievable parks," said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of commerce. "All have hiking and biking. We also have unbelievable access to sports either city sponsored, service club sponsored, boys, girls, adults, intramural. We have swimming pools, indoor swimming pools.

"What I like is that regardless of the month, there are recreational activities you can participate in. There's always something you can do."

The Parks and Recreation Department sponsors numerous recreational activities throughout the year including adult and youth basketball and volleyball leagues.

Youth softball, baseball and soccer leagues are independently organized but use city facilities.

The department also provides diverse programs and classes such as theater, cheerleading, arts and crafts, aerobic classes as well as many special events including the Haunted Hall of Horror, Coors Light Trail of Tears Triathlon, Easter Egg Hunt, Calls from Santa, Youth Catch and Release Fishing Day, Friends of the Park Day and Corporate Games Day where corporations compete in various activities for points against each other in the fall. For more information call 335-5421.

Osage Community Centre

More than $2.1 million was spent in 1997 to build the 34,000-square-foot Osage Community Centre on North Kingshighway. Activities there include special events, basketball, volleyball and a fitness room. The main floor area can accommodate two basketball courts or four volleyball courts.

The facility's meeting rooms and main floor area are available to rent for meetings, banquets, parties and various other commercial and not-for-profit activities. The Osage Centre is surrounded by the 52-acre Osage Park and adjoins the 37-acre Cape Woods Conservation Area and the Cape LaCroix Recreational Trail.

A.C. Brase Arena

The A.C. Brase Arena is a versatile multi-purpose community center that has more than 10,000 square feet of main floor space. The facility offers a full-service kitchen and a prep area for caterers. The A.C. Brase Arena is regularly rented for concerts, expositions, trade shows, craft shows, wedding receptions, business parties, banquets, conferences, dances and athletic events.

The main floor can accommodate one full-size basketball court or two full-size volleyball courts. It is located in one of Cape Girardeau's largest parks, Arena Park, which could be used in conjunction with any event.

Shawnee Park Sports Complex

The Shawnee Park Sports Complex on South West End Boulevard near Highway 74 was completed in 1997 at a cost of $2 million. The five softball fields are used by more than 100 teams in the recreational leagues and annually host several state and regional tournaments.

The 12 soccer fields, also part of the complex, provides fields for more than 1,000 recreational players and hosts two large regional soccer tournaments. Three of the soccer fields are lighted, and there is a concession stand with restrooms.

The softball field area consists of five lighted softball fields, 300-foot fence, electric scoreboards, covered dugouts, a water fountain at each dugout, parking for more than 500 vehicles, air-conditioned restrooms and changing rooms, and concession facilities to serve everyone.

Capaha and Central Municipal Pools

The seasonal Capaha Municipal Pool in Capaha Park and the year-round Central Municipal Pool near Central Junior High School provide aquatic recreation and swimming classes for all ages.

Capaha Municipal Pool is a seasonal facility, open primarily in the summer. The facility features a 360,000-gallon "L" shaped pool with two one-meter diving boards and a tube pool slide that spills into the 5-foot area of the pool. The facility is used primarily for recreational and instructional use with some limited competitive swimming. The facility was constructed in 1957.

Central Municipal Pool is an Olympic-size aquatic facility converted to an indoor facility during the winter months and serves as an outdoor facility during summer months. The facility is 50 meters long and 25 yards wide. It features two one-meter diving boards, and one three-meter board. The facility is home to the Central High School swim team and the Gator swim team. It is also used by several regional public and private swim teams.

Jaycee Municipal Golf Course

The 18-hole golf course is located on Perryville Road and is the city's only public golf course. The 5,616-yard, par 70 course lies amid rolling forested hills. The Bermuda grass fairways and greens along with numerous water hazards provide a challenge for the serious golfer while allowing the novice player an enjoyable experience.

The Cape Girardeau area has many fine 18-hole golf courses -- Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson, 243-6060 (public/private); Cape Girardeau Country Club, 335-8251 (private); Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson, 243-3923 (private); and Jaycee Municipal Golf Course in Cape Girardeau, 334-2031 (public).

A 27-hole golf course -- Dalhousie Golf Club -- opened in Cape Girardeau in June 2002. Designed by Gary Nicklaus, it is a private club with limited public access. The phone number is 332-0818.

Also in Cape, there is one golf driving range with miniature golf.

Other recreation

Cape is home to a bowling alley, two indoor theaters with a total of 19 screens, many tennis courts, softball, baseball and soccer fields, and health clubs that offer activities from weightlifting to racquetball.

Many activities are held at the 7,800-seat Show Me Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

Some of the performers at the center have been Toby Keith, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Bill Cosby, JoDee Messina, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Leann Rimes, Tina Turner, The Moody Blues, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Judds, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Kenny Rogers, Bob Hope, Barry Manilow and Reba McIntire.

The Show Me Center is home of the Southeast Missouri State University basketball teams. Professional concerts, car shows, circuses, rodeos, monster truck shows, stage shows, wrestling extravaganzas, crafts fairs and conventions are held there.

The physical activity and recreation center building attached to the Show Me Center has a rubberized sports floor with three full-size basketball courts that can be converted into five volleyball courts.

There is a four-lane, 170-meter track that circles the playing floor, which includes a long jump and pole vault area. Weightlifting facilities and six racquetball courts are included. Memberships are available.

The phone number to the ticket counter at the Show Me Center is 651-5000.