By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – A patch of land just south of the Blanchette Bridge in St. Charles could soon be opened for hikers and bikers.
Bangert Island isn't really an island, except when the river's way up. It's about 160 acres and draws any number of critters and plant life. However, it's mostly cut off to the public because the land next to it is private, until now.
St. Charles County has long owned a small plot to connect the island to the rest of the riverfront, and by next spring the entire island could be open with a three-mile dirt trail.
"It will be probably a pretty unique spot to go somewhere very close to downtown St. Charles where folks can go out there and enjoy a nature trail and do a lot of birdwatching," noted John Vogel, with the Department of Conservation. The department owns the land - it was donated in 1976 by Edwin and Anna Kurtz.
The department will continue to own the land and the county will maintain the dirt trails that are slated to be added, according to Bettie Yahn-Kramer, St. Charles County's parks director.
The plan still needs final approval from the St. Charles County Council but that's expected to happen later this month.