Sports

Hurry Onto Two Wheels Before It's Too Late

Patch rounds up more than 55 miles of bike trails in Metro St. Louis, which of course, includes a trail from Wildwood. Partake before it snows!

The St. Louis area is fast turning into a cycling mecca. Whether it’s mountain biking up a steep, heavily wooded hill or pedaling around lake on a flat, paved trail, dozens of trails have something to offer every cycling interest.

The Katy Trail is always an easy ride that cyclists can hop on and follow to their heart’s content or to the limit of their legs’ endurance. But there are dozens of smaller trails throughout metro-St. Louis that provide a workout or great views of rivers, bluffs, wildlife and fall foliage.

Here are 10 places to check out from your bike seat this fall.

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Surface: Asphalt

Length: 8.25 miles

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Grant’s Trail extends from Kirkwood through Crestwood, Affton and Mehlville, connecting to a BMX park, Grant’s Farm, St. Louis County Clydesdale Park, a butterfly garden, the Crestwood Community Center, Whitecliff Park and Whitehaven National Historic Site. Trailnet, which helps maintain the trail, also has an office along the trail.

“It’s an old railroad right-of-way, so the grade is never more than 3 percent at any point, so people love it for biking or roller blading. It’s great for those with disabilities,” said Trailnet Program Coordinator John Cameron.

“It’s never more than 100 yards away from Gravois Creek, which is a natural wildlife habitat,” Cameron said. “So, although it goes through an urban area, there’s always a chance to see fox, deer, coyotes, rabbits, snakes. I’ve even heard rumors of an albino deer.”

Surface: Asphalt

Length: 6.25 miles

This trail is part of the Missouri River Greenway and partly funded by Great Rivers Greenway. It will become a 17-mile loop that runs out to Howell Island and Centaur Road in Wildwood.

Although the trail runs along the top of the levee that protects Chesterfield Valley from floods, riders glimpse the Missouri River only in a few areas.

Heavily wooded areas screen the river from the levee, but they also provide some scenery, especially when leaves change during the fall.

“You can see part of the river channel near Howell Island,” said Ben Niesen, a civil engineer for Chesterfield’s Department of Planning and Public Works. “You do see the river where the trail goes underneath the Boone Bridge.”

It runs along the Chesterfield Valley and currently reaches from the Hardees Ice rink to the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Club. Another 2 1/2 –mile-long section of trail runs from Long Road to Baxter Road.

Surface: Asphalt

Length: 3.5 miles

The Meramec River Greenway in Fenton connects Fenton City Park and Unger Park, running along the river and Highway 30. Most of the trail is in an urban setting.

Bikers can follow the bike path from Fenton City Park along the river to the Highway 30 overpass.  Fenton City Park provides a playground and restrooms along the Greenway.

It's just one section of the greenway that follows the Meramec River.

Surface: Crushed limestone / asphalt

Length: 2.5 miles, 2.3 miles

The Al Foster Trail follows the Meramec River for 2½ miles - and 2 1/2 miles back. The area is heavily wooded, and the trail passes some beautiful river bluffs along the Meramec. It also intersects with the Rock Hollow Trail.

“Between the two trails, you can get yourself almost a 10-mile ride,” said Joe Vujnich, Director of Planning and Parks for .

“Rock Hollow Trail is more challenging,” said Vujnich. “It’s in a pristine valley that has not been disturbed for a decade. These are the best areas we have.”

The Rock Hollow trailhead is at Ridge Meadow Elementary School; the Al Foster trailhead is at Grand Avenue.

Surface: Asphalt, gravel

Length: 6 to 8 miles

Queeny Park’s forested, rolling terrain makes it ideal for intermediate mountain bikes, said Chris Ludwig, project manager for St. Louis County Parks.

“They’re all pretty wide, from eight to 10 feet in width, so they’re all pretty sizable,” Ludwig said. “Two-thirds of the park is forested, so it’s really great in the fall because of all the foliage.”

He said most people hike the trails instead of cycling on them, but all the Queeny Park trails are multi-use.

Surface: Asphalt

Length: 7.7 miles

The easy, flat trail is a favorite of area residents, as it winds its way around the 320-acre Creve Coeur Lake. Ludwig said it’s the second most visited park in the St. Louis area behind Forest Park.

“The trail has a really, smooth, flat ride,” Ludwig said. “People who like riding street bikes love it.”

Overlapping trails range from 2.6 miles to 3.7 miles and can be combined for up to a 7.7-mile ride.

One big attraction is the 3.6-mile long offshoot that takes bicyclists over the Highway 364 (Page extension) bridge—on a protected bike path—across the Missouri River into St. Charles County.

“You’ve got a beautiful view of the river to the north,” Ludwig said.

From there, bikers can pedal to their heart’s content on the 225-mile-long Katy Trail, visit the St. Charles County Heritage Museum, or take the Katy Trail into St. Charles’ Main Street historic district for lunch.

Creve Coeur also features a narrow dirt, Bootlegger’s Trail in the park, for an easy to intermediate mountain biking

Surface: Natural surface

Length: 2.6 miles

The Bangert Island Wildlife Area sometimes closes due to flooding. But the island, just south of Interstate 70 Blanchette Bridge, normally has no flooding issues in the fall, said Tony Caruso, owner of

There are steep hills, rocks and dense forested areas. The natural surface can be a bit sandy and wet in low areas, especially after a rain.

Surface: Hard-packed dirt, gravel

Length: 8 miles

The trail in the Weldon Spring Conservation Area is an 8-mile loop just across Highway 94 from the Katy Trail. The trail winds through forest, meadows, hills and flat country.

“There’s some steeper hills and rocks for mountain bikers,” said Caruso, who also leads bike tours for the St. Louis Adventure Group. “It’s really good for hiking or biking.”

Surface: Asphalt, rock

Length: Varies

“There’s lots of gravel roads and lakes to explore, lots of wildlife, it’s surrounded by farm land and it’s easy to get around,” Caruso said.  “Plus, it’s not real isolated, so if you get in trouble, there’s almost always someone around to help out.”

There are several trails, roads that wind through the area, and cyclists can put in many miles pedaling through the area, he said.

Surface: Natural surface

Length: 3 miles

This one is for more experienced mountain bikers, as the trail winds over steep hills and rugged terrain,

“It’s a more technical trail, one for more experienced mountain bikers,” Caruso said. “There’s steep terrain, big rock outcroppings. It’s very challenging.”

The trail rises 400 feet with each loop.  The area was too steep to be logged, so the heavily forested canopy can block out the sun, making it appear dark even on sunny days.

Surface: Asphalt, natural

Length: 3 miles, 4 miles

Quail Ridge, the first St. Charles County Park, offers three miles of paved trails and four miles of natural trails through prairie, wooded hills and along lake shores.

Surface: Asphalt

Length: 2 miles

The new trail, completed in 2010, includes a 165-foot-long bridge over Dardenne Creek. It connects Woodlands Sports Park with the newly re-named Jack Gettemeyer (formerly Rabbit Run) Park. The trail runs by a nature observation overlook and a native wildflower restoration area.

“It’s a beautiful trail with lots of trees, and with the fall foliage it’ll be even more beautiful out there,” said Jeff Hutsler, director of St. Peters Parks and Recreation.

“It’s fairly flat, so it’s a nice, easy ride,” said Hutsler, who recommends starting at Woodlands Sports Park.

For more information on biking trails, see the Gateway Offroad Cyclists or stlbiking.com.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eureka-Wildwood