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    ST. LOUIS AREA BIKE TRAILS

  1. Queeny Park

  2. August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area

  3. Castlewood State Park

  4. West Tyson County Park - Chubb Trail

  5. Cliff Cave County Park

  6. Greensfelder County Park

  7. Katy Trail State Park - St. Charles

  8. Katy Trail State Park - Central Region Stops

  9. Katy Trail State Park - Sedalia

  10. Weldon Spring Conservasion Area

  11. Rockwoods Range Conservation Area

  12. Graham Cave State Park

  13. Daniel Boone Conservation Area

  14. Grant's Trail

  15. Forest Park

  16. St. Louis Riverfront Trail

  17. Route 66 Bikeway

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St. Louis Area Bike Trails

WELDON SPRING CONSERVATION AREA

LOST VALLEY TRAIL

NEAREST TOWN: Weldon Spring (southwest St. Charles County).
DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 94 south past Hwy 40/64 about 5 miles. Just before the one-lane bridge, slow down and turn right into the large gravel parking lot, just before the Little Femme Osage Creek.
TRAIL DESCRIPTION: Eight-mile loop. The first three miles are mainly flat double and single track. There's a short climb followed by a downhill and rolling hills. Half of the trail is a flat wide country road closed to auto traffic, the second half winds through forest and meadows and along ridges and many streams.
HIGHLIGHTS: The wildflowers are awesome! Spring rides are highly recommended. Pink and purple phlox, may apples and bluets dot the green landscape. Spring also brings many nesting great blue herons, noted for their slender profiles and wide wingspans.
HAZARDS: This area is popular during hunting season. (Call the Conservation Department to find out when.)
AREA INFORMATION: The total contiguous acreage of Weldon Spring, Howell Island and the Busch Conservation Area is 16,918 acres, 7,356 of which comprise Weldon Spring. The area was named for John Weldon, who received a Spanish land grant in 1796 for 425 acres. Nearly 150 years later, during World War 11, the government acquired 17,000 acres here for the construction of a munitions plant. It was then owned by the University of Missouri and in 1978, the Conservation Department acquired this property. Along the road, you'll notice a fine chert trail that looks like the Katy Trail, except that it has WARNING signs posted on all sides. The government is cleaning up the old munitions plant where atom-bomb research was done during World War 11. This area is like the cousin St. Louis doesn't want to talk about.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: This is a great, forested ride for fall and hot summer days when you need shade. Carry a map or a GPS. It's easy to miss turns, especially after the big downhill.
CONTACT INFO: Weldon Spring Conservation Area, (636) 441-4554.
DISTANCE: 8-mile loop.
TERRAIN: This trail gives you a wide variety of terrain from hardpacked dirt to gravel. After you get over the biggest hill, it's all downhill. You can easily hit some speed here.
RIDING TIME: 1 - 3 hours.
LAND STATUS: Missouri Department of Conservation.
SERVICES & ACTIVITIES: Water at Busch on Hwy 94, 2 miles away; St. Louis nearby.
RATING: Easy to moderate. Great for beginners and intermediates.



Trail description provided by Show Mountain Biking, The Complete Mountain Biker's Guide to Missouri and Pebble Publishing.