Reply to Machens to St. Louis via Madison County Confluence and St. Louis Riverfront Trails

I'm going to be doing a solo ride from the KC Amtrak down the Rock Island Trail to Windsor, then Katy to Machens. I've seen a couple routes on Ride with GPS that cross over the Mississippi on 67 then follow the MCT Trail and St. Louis Riverfront Trail, crossing at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Has anyone done this recently? I'm concerned about possible homeless encampments, illegal immmigrants, gangs of thugs, random drug addicts, etc. Especially as you get close to downtown and the Arch. What's worrisome is that there aren't any recent YouTube videos on such a ride. I would really like to ride along the Mississippi and approach downtown St. Louis from the waterfront, but safety is a real concern. Fallback is the route from the Page/364 bridge that this site recommends. Appreciate any help! Thanks, Mark

The St. Louis Riverfront Trail runs along the levee and floodwall in a very industrial area. There are not many people who can access the trail or the levee easily so there are not many vagrants around. Of course, you always need to be aware of your surroundings, but overall the paved Riverfront Trail is great and you seem to be flying on it after days of being on the Katy Trail crushed rock. The Chain of Rocks bridge over the Mississippi is well worth the trip and the park grounds have just been fully renovated on the St. Louis side of the bridge.

I did a similar ride, however I opted to ride across the entire state of Missouri, starting at State Line Road in Westwood, KS. You could easily do similar if you wanted. After Machens I rode towards St Charles airport then north to the Mississippi, crossing the river using the Grafton Ferry. It’s a seasonal route, google them for season and hours, bring cash. Once in Grafton, Illinois I rode to Alton on the Great River Trail then down to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge to cross back to Missouri. Check out MCT trails dot org to learn about the Illinois side trails. Also since you'll be in Alton regardless I suggest eating at Brown Bag Bistro. On the St Louis Riverfront Trail I observed a few sketchy people but they did not obstruct or bother me in any way…..it probably helps that a bicycle is moving and harder to panhandle from. When you are in the last mile to the Arch you may have to modify your route (or not) if the floodgate is closed across the trail…I had to backtrack one block then move one block uphill to continue south towards the Arch…it’s fairly simple to figure that out since you’re following the river on the left and traveling south to the Arch. I will include my entire route via a Strava link. I use the free Strava and it works for most of what I’m interested in it for.
https://strava.app.link/ASffEnri5Lb

Appreciate everyone who has responded, thank you! It's good to get current feedback and I'm feeling a bit better about the ride. I do have one question on the route across Clark Bridge on 67. I've got it figured out how to use Dwiggins, Felte and Saale to minimize time on 94. But my question is how to approach the bridge after getting into West Alton, without just taking 67. One guy took the West Alton Trail to St. Charles St. but that was coming from the Illinois side. I guess I could walk my bike along the shoulder for 1/2 mile. Another guy crossed 67 and took Richard Drive, Brunstein Lane and cut across what looked to be a dirt road (could be private property?) to get to Red School Rd, Wise Rd to Riverland Way and the bike ramp to get onto the bridge. Has anyone gone over Clark Bridge in this direction and what's the best/safest way. Thanks again! Mark

last october i rode from machens to stl useing the mo route thru north saint louis a lot of traffic and that north part of saint louis is a bad area i ride in traffic a lot so not that big of a deal for me. once i got on that greenway trail by the river i saw one lady walking by herself so that part made it worth the ride next time ill will do the alden ill route less stressfull.

Mark ... you are correct that there isn't a great way to go from St. Charles Street north to the West Alton Trail. Most people ride their bike on the shoulder the wrong way along this short section of southbound 67 Highway. I have seen some people walk their bikes along this stretch too. I am pretty sure that the West Alton Trail doesn't quite reach Machens Club Drive (if you look at Google Maps this can be confusing), so I think that you need to get to the gravel parking lot which is just under a mile north of St. Charles Street...from there to the bridge the West Alton Trail is in great condition.

Mark from Lee's Summit, thanks for the great info! It's nice to know people are actually doing what I was thinking of doing - walking my bike up the wrong side of 67, or even ride on the shoulder a bit if no cars. I did check out the terminus of West Alton Trail a bit more and yes, I may need to go a bit further than Machens Club Drive, but people have done it, so there is a way - as opposed to carrying my bike through thick underbrush! I've also got some feedback on Ride with GPS that taking 67 to the bridge isn't bad, the shoulder is reasonably wide. I will be riding on a Sunday morning so if the traffic is light that would probably be my first option, fallback would then be to walk my bike the wrong way to the trail. And yes, once I get to the river on the trail I would have to cross underneath 67 on Riverlands Way to go back to the bike on ramp. Thanks again, this is extremely helpful! Mark