The Rock Island Trail

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Mike from Bloomington, IL on 7/16/2018 8:26:22 PM:

Hello, I was going to come down this weekend to ride the trail and was looking suggestions on where to start. I was going to ride about 25 miles out, take a break and then ride back. Should I start in St Charles or would it be better to start in say Weldon Springs. Thank you for your suggestions.

OCtandem from OC, CA on 7/16/2018 9:40:00 PM:

Definitely start in Weldon Springs and head east. There's really nothing between Weldon Springs and St. Charles (not even water), but more than you can see and do in one trip in Augusta, Dutzow, Defiance, and Marthasville areas.

Anonymous on 7/17/2018 7:12:10 AM:

Not much between St Chuck and Weldon Springs.

I'd start in Weldon Springs and ride west for how ever far you'd like and then return to Weldon Springs.

Dave from Kirkwood on 7/17/2018 7:39:14 AM:

I would start at the MO Research Park, which is easy access off I-64. Head west from there, and you have views of bluffs and the river at times. Marthasville would be a nice turnaround point about 25 miles away.

Jerry Whittle from Belleville on 7/17/2018 9:44:31 PM:

I have to agree about starting somewhere like Weldon Springs and heading west. Defiance and Augusta both have nice places to stop for lunch. Not much after Augusta though.

Klondike Park is a nice side trip if you don't mind some steep hills. There's a couple of ways to get to it between Defiance and Augusta especially near the boat ramp.

Will on 7/19/2018 10:08:42 AM:

Definitely start in Weldon Springs and go West. The small towns you will pass through have significantly more to offer, both in terms of scenic value and facilities, than the stretch of trail from St Charles. Starting in Weldon springs will also give you more view of the river. Have a great ride!

Mike from Bloomington, IL on 7/19/2018 6:50:51 PM:

Thank you all so much for the suggestions!

Hank on 7/20/2018 7:51:28 PM:

I might suggest that you park at Chesterfield Valley Athletic complex, where you will access the Monarch Levee trail. Ride this a short distance west and cross the Missouri River on the protected bike lane. The bike path will take you to the Katy Trail at approximate mile 51. Then take the Katy west to Dutzow or Marthasville.

For the return trip, take the Katy Trail back to approximate mile 57, where you can pick up the Hamburg Trail. This amounts to a bit of a scenic detour from the Katy. Take the Hamburg to the Busch Greenway trail, Missouri Research Park trail, and then back to the Katy, where you will be very close to the Missouri River crossing at Chesterfield.

Happy trails!

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