أغر؟´«أ½

أغر؟´«أ½ is known for its Gateway Arch. For its baseball, or at least it was. For its blues and its barbecue.

But not for its boats.

Although we are technically landlocked, the region is interwoven with rivers and lakes. And you can take a boat on or across many of them — even if you don’t own a boat.

We found a good 22 places where you can rent a boat, or even take a ferry for free, that will get you out on the water for a few minutes or all day long.

You can paddle a canoe on the Mississippi River or a kayak on the Missouri. You can take a leisurely float down the Meramec or the Big River, or have boating fun on lakes in parks. You can take a cruise ship all the way to Minneapolis or Pittsburgh, or you can even take a boat onto the largest underground lake in the world.

That’s how we do it here in Boatsville, USA.

370 Lakeside Park

• When: Sunrise to 90 minutes before sunset
• Where: 1000 Lakeside Park Dr., St. Peters
• How much: $10-$25 for first hour, half price for each additional hour
• More info:

You can rent several types of boats for the mile-long lake at Lakeside Park: A single kayak is $10 for the first hour. A two-person kayak, canoe and Kay Park paddle boat are all $15 for the first hour, and an Aqua Cycle paddle boat is $25 for the first hour. The charge is cut in half for all additional hours.

American Cruise Lines

• When: Various dates
• Where: أغر؟´«أ½ Riverfront
• How much: $5,635 and up (Upper Mississippi River), $8,075 (Ohio River)
• More info:

These trips sell out quickly. The five-deck cruise ships travel from أغر؟´«أ½ up the Mississippi River nine days to Minneapolis or up the Ohio River 16 days to Pittsburgh, stopping in major towns along the way. The boats have a restaurant on board, fitness centers, meeting rooms, a study and open decks to watch the night skies.

Big Muddy Adventures

• When: Various dates and times
• Where: Meet at a “convenient” (but undisclosed) location in or near downtown أغر؟´«أ½
• How much: Generally $75-$95 (children 10-18 are $10 less); overnight trips cost more
• More info:

The Big Muddy folks look at the two biggest rivers in North America, the Missouri and Mississippi, and think they would be great waterways to explore in canoes. You can canoe to the Riverfront, paddle the Mississippi under a full moon, canoe along the Missouri, mix canoeing with bicycling or camp out on several overnight excursions. Each trip includes a meal; overnight trips include several.

Boathouse at Forest Park

• When: Every day until sunset
• Where: 6101 Government Dr. in Forest Park
• How much: $15-$22 per hour
• More info:

Forest Park has 22 acres of waterways, which is kind of astounding when you think about it. You can rent boats at the boathouse (and also, of course, enjoy a meal) to explore them with: single kayaks, double kayaks, paddle boats, paddle boards and canoes.

Bonne Terre Mine

• When: Reopens in October
• Where: 185 Park Ave., Bonne Terre
• How much: $34, $300 for scuba diving
• More info:

A lead mine was abandoned in 1963 and filled with ground water, creating the largest underground lake in the world. Now you can tour it with a combination walking-boat excursion (the boat part is 10 to 20 minutes). Scuba divers can dive down to explore an underwater ghost town, more or less, and marvel at the facilities and equipment left behind.

Brussels Ferry, Kampsville Ferry

• When: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Where: Brussels Ferry: Route 100, 1 mile west of Grafton to Illinois River Road, Route 1, in Calhoun County. Kampsville Ferry: Route 108, Riverfront Drive, Kampsville, to Route 108, 3 miles west of Eldred on the east side of the Illinois River
• How much: Free
• More info:

The state of Illinois runs two free ferries in the area. Both cross the Illinois River, both run day and night, except when the river is iced over. Both last only a few minutes, but both also offer the chance to be on a boat on a river.

August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area

• When: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Where: 2360 Highway D, St. Charles
• How much: $5
• More info:

You can’t beat the price for the aluminum rowboats that you can take out on 11 of the 32 lakes at the Busch Memorial Conservation Area. Most people who rent them use them for fishing, which is reflected in where you rent them: The All-In Bait and Tackle Shop on the conservation area’s grounds.

Carlyle West Access Marina

• When: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Where: 14222 Lake Rd., Carlyle, Illinois
• How much: $20-$600 depending on boat and length of time spent
• More info:

On Carlyle Lake, you can have your choice of rentals: single kayaks, tandem kayaks, paddle boards, pontoons and tritoons. Everybody who rents must complete a boating safety course online, and must bring two copies of his or her certification.

Cherokee Landing

• When: The last floats must go out by 1 p.m. Saturdays and noon Sundays, and must return by 6 p.m.
• Where: 8344 Berry Rd., Bonne Terre
• How much: $45-$200 — cash, check or money order only
• More info:

Float down (or even canoe up) the Big River in a rental canoe, raft or kayak. Float tubes are available, but only with a raft rental. Float trips are 2 or 6 miles long, and cost the same amount for either length.

Creve Coeur Lake

• When: Opens 9 a.m., closes 5:30-7:30 p.m., depending on the time of year
• Where: Gazebo near Taco Bell Shelter, Lake Front Entrance, 13450 Marine Ave. (Lake Front Entrance), Maryland Heights
• How much: $15-$20 for first hour; second hour is less
• More info:

Creve Coeur Lake offers canoes, stand-up paddle boards and one- and two-person kayaks for rental. It even has a sandy beach. The canoes hold up to two adults and two children. You can bring pets with you in canoes and sit-on-top kayaks. If the wind is more than 15 mph, only kayaks will be available, for safety reasons. Also, it is possible (but fairly unlikely) that Asian carp will leap into your boat. They are harmless.

Eureka Floats at Brookdale Farms

• When: 10:30 a.m. (weekends only), noon and 1:30 p.m. daily
• Where: Brookdale Farms, 8004 Twin Rivers Road, Eureka
• How much: $30 (inner tube with a bottom), $200 (6-person raft), $250 (8-person raft)
• More info:

The emphasis at Eureka Floats is on the floating: none of that stressful, unnecessary paddling to get in your way. Just you, a river and possibly a can or two of beer (a raft for your cooler is available for $20).

Gateway Arch Riverboats

• When: Various times, March-November
• Where: 50 S. Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd.
• How much: $26, $24 seniors (60 and older), $16 children (3-15), under 3 free with adult. Dinner cruises, brunch cruises and specialty cruises cost more
• More info:

The Tom Sawyer is a replica 19th century paddlewheel steamboat (the paddles don’t actually move the boat) that cruises up and down the Mississippi. It affords an unusual view of the city and the skyline — including, naturally, the Gateway Arch. The standard trip is 1 hour; the meal and specialty trips are 2 hours. Because these cruises are part of the Gateway Arch National Park, your tour guide is a park ranger.

Golden Eagle Ferry

• When: 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Golden Eagle Ferry Road, east of Winneberger, Illinois; Golden Eagle Ferry Road, west of Kampville, Missouri
• How much: Pedestrians, $4; bicycles, $5; motorcycles, $6 one way, $11 round trip; vehicles, $9 one way, $17 round trip; dual over 1 ton, $10; tandem, $11; semi, $14
• More info:

They aren’t kidding about the name. If your timing is right, you can see golden eagles, bald eagles and other majestic birds from the deck of the ferry as you make the scenic, relatively brief journey across the Mississippi.

Grafton Ferry

• When: Friday-Sunday, April through November
• Where: St. Charles-Grafton Ferry Drive, St. Charles; St. Charles-Grafton Ferry Drive, Grafton
• How much: Pedestrians $4; bicycles $5; motorcycles $6 one way, $11 round trip; cars and small trucks $9 one way, $17 round trip; dual trucks over 1 ton $10, tandem $11, semi $14; trailers $1 per axle
• More info:

Sometimes, you just want to go from St. Charles to Grafton. Or from Grafton to St. Charles. Or maybe you just want to be out on the open seas — or river — for several minutes, but not much longer than that.

Grafton Harbor Boat Rentals

• When: Available for charter
• Where: 215 W. Water Street, Grafton
• How much: $250 two hours, $350 four hours, $450 six hours. If you are not experienced in river driving, a driver will cost an extra $25 an hour in cash
• More info:

The pontoon seats 10, including the driver, and you can take it out on the Illinois River — but only the Illinois River — for hours at a time. You can’t bring pets or illegal drugs, but you can pack your own cooler with food and beverages. Also, you must take a safety course either online or in their shop before renting a boat.

Hakuna Matata

• When: Various dates and times
• Where: Grafton Harbor, 215 W. Water St., Grafton
• How much: $27-$55 depending on the trip
• More info:

The Hakuna Matata is a cozy 53-foot tour boat seating up to 49 people on themed cruises on the Mississippi River. Cruises are centered around holidays, music (old time rock â€کn’ roll, country, Jimmy Buffett), pirates, wine, brunch, Hawaiian luaus and lots more. Don’t miss the on-board tiki bar.

Meramec Caverns

• When: Departure times 9 a.m.-noon or 9 a.m.-1 p.m., depending on the season
• Where: Meramec Caverns, 1135 Highway W, Sullivan
• How much: $39-$395, depending on type of boat or size of raft and day of the week
• More info:

Meramec Caverns is more than just a hole in the ground; it is also the starting (or ending) point of a 6-mile river trip by kayak, tandem kayak, canoe or raft holding 4-12 people. If you prefer, you can take a half-hour trip by riverboat (June-August only) that describes some of the history you’ll pass ($12 adults, $7 children 5-12).

Meramec State Park

• When: Launch times 9:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. various days through August
• Where: Meramec State Park, 670 Fisher Cave Rd., Sullivan
• How much: $35-$220, depending on type of rental and day
• More info:

The Meramec is a lazy river (at least this part of it is), which makes this experience suitable for floaters of all levels of experience. From cheapest to most expensive, you can rent a kayak (sit-on-top), two-person canoe, six-person raft or eight-person raft. The 5-mile trip takes two to four hours, depending on how much you’re paddling.

Miss Augusta

• When: Various times, various dates
• Where: Klondike Park Boat Ramp, 4600 Highway 94, Augusta
• How much: $45.50-$80 (depending on if a meal is served), $24.75-$44.75 children
• More info:

They market it as Missouri’s newest and largest private yacht. It’s a 105-foot beauty with three decks with climate control, two full-service bars and a chef preparing food on board. Dinner could be prime rib, perhaps, or slow-braised short ribs.

Old Cove Canoe & Kayak

• When: Launch times 9 a.m.-12 p.m., various days
• Where: 1316 Old Cove Rd., St. Clair
• How much: Beginning at $45 (short float trip) or $55 (long float trip)
• More info:

You can leisurely float or paddle your way down the Meramec River in single kayaks, tandem kayaks, canoes or three different sizes of rafts — the largest seats as many as seven people. A short trip takes two or three hours to go 4.5 miles; a long trip (kayaks and canoes only) meanders a relaxing 9.5 miles over four to six hours.

Silver Lake Park

• When: 5 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Where: Silver Lake Park, 3099 Highland Park Rd., Highland 
• How much: $25 for the first two hours, $15 for each additional hour
• More info:

Kayaks are available at a self-serve kiosk. Simply scan yourself in and out on the Rent.Fun app, and enjoy the lake.

Simpson Lake

• When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, summers only (boats must be returned by 8 p.m.)
• Where: Simpson Park Lake, 1234 Marshall Rd., Valley Park
• How much: $15-$20 first hour, with half off second hour
• More info:

The Big Muddy folks run this amenity at Simpson Park Lake in the أغر؟´«أ½ County Parks system. You can rent canoes, stand-up paddleboards and single and double kayaks.

Editor's note: This item was originally published in the Aug. 1 Go Magazine.