Sight · Gateway Arch National Park
A small reflection pond whose curves repeat the Arch.
Overview
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Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Gateway Arch Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Gateway Arch National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Gateway Arch and Visitor Center“You're approaching the Gateway Arch and its Visitor Center. For the tram, book ahead and allow about an hour. You'll ride in a small five-person capsule, but the round trip still involves at least ninety-six steps.”
Plays as you drive up to North Pond in the Parkwolf Gateway Arch Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
North Pond is a curved, man-made reflection pond on the north side of the Gateway Arch grounds. The Arch rises beyond it, and paved walks pass close to the water. It’s a calm break within a longer walk around the grounds; I’d skip a detour just for the pond if your time is tight.
An accessible paved walk runs close to the pond, with benches along the paths. The grassy banks can be damp and steep, so stick to the pavement for the easiest access. Ducks and geese nest here; give them room, especially around their young. The ponds are accessible year-round, with no reservation or activity fee for the pond walk.
The pond’s lines echo the Gateway Arch. It sits in Dan Kiley’s geometric mid-century landscape, whose design repeats the monument’s sweeping form. CityArchRiver renovations later brought an accessible walk close to the north pond.
The pond paths give you views of the Arch. For a photo, put the water’s curved edge in the foreground with the monument above it; the two shapes make the grounds’ design easy to see.
Wildlife
17 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
14 sightingsGroundhogMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
11 sightingsOpossumMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
16 sightingsCottontailMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
113 sightingsCanada GooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
70 sightingsMallardMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Gateway Arch. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyNorth Pond Loop1 mi · 30 min · 0.2 mi awayThe Arch gets a second frame in the pond.
EasyGateway Arch Loop1.6 mi · 45 min · 0.2 mi awayA short city loop for Arch reflections and riverfront views.
ChallengingSt. Louis Riverfront Trail23 mi · 11.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayFlat riverfront miles lead to a mile-long Route 66 bridge.
Store · 0.1 mi awayThe Arch StoreArch gifts, park-history books and homemade fudge.
Restaurant · 0.1 mi awayArch CaféA convenient place to try St. Louis toasted ravioli.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayCatenary Curve WaysideA tactile way to understand the Arch’s famous curve.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayMuseum at the Gateway ArchSix galleries span colonial St. Louis through Arch construction.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayTucker TheaterSee how Saarinen’s design became the Arch in 35 minutes.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayVirtual Reality TheaterTen minutes of headsets puts you on the 1850s riverfront.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayLuther Ely Smith SquareA leafy garden link between downtown and the Arch.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayGateway ArchRide up the 630-foot arch for a city and river view.Parkwolf’s Gateway Arch ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
