The top of the Gateway Arch offers visitors a great view of the surrounding area. But at 630 feet in the air, you may miss something. Explore the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on a free bike tour led by a National Park Service Ranger. You’ll take an easy 6-mile roundtrip ramble along the Riverfront Trail. Along the way, you’ll learn about the history and events of the area, including a visit to one of Missouri’s two sites on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Bring your own bike or you can rent one for $15 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under. This event is free, but reservations are required. Bike tours take place Saturdays until August 28. The group will meet below the Arch on Lenor K. Sullivan Boulevard at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. Click here for more information or call 877-982-1410 for free bike tour reservations or to reserve a bike rental.

Another free program being offered by the National Park Service this summer will transform your child into a Junior Ranger. Park staff leads families on three different interactive programs at the Museum of Westward Expansion, the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch Grounds. Participants will learn about the life of explorers, pioneers, cowboys and native Indians in the 1800s through games, activities and interactive exploration. Upon course completion, kids will receive a Junior Ranger Badge and activity book.

Each Junior Ranger program runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Please click here for a schedule of classes. To register for a session or for more information, please call 314-655-1635. Space is limited.

 By Andrea Wilson, Events Blogger for SmartParenting