Category: Biking

Explore the Best Biking Trails in St. Louis

St. Louis is a cyclist’s dream, with a variety of biking trails in St. Louis that offer scenic views, diverse terrain, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Whether you’re a casual rider or an experienced cyclist, the city’s extensive network of biking paths provides something for everyone.

One of the most popular biking destinations in the area is the Katy Trail State Park, which stretches for over 200 miles, providing a flat, scenic route perfect for cyclists of all skill levels. The trail runs through picturesque towns and rural landscapes, offering an incredible way to experience Missouri’s natural beauty. Closer to the city, the Mississippi River Trail offers stunning views of the river, ideal for those looking to enjoy a ride along the water’s edge.

For those seeking a more challenging ride, the Grant’s Trail offers a mix of paved and gravel paths, winding through parks and urban landscapes. This trail is perfect for cyclists who want to experience both nature and the city. Additionally, Forest Park provides a variety of paths that cater to different skill levels, with the added bonus of being located near some of St. Louis’ top attractions.

St. Louis also offers several bike rental stations throughout the city, making it easy to explore on two wheels, whether you’re a local or visiting. With its wide variety of trails, bike-friendly parks, and easy access to bike rentals, St. Louis is the perfect city for cycling enthusiasts.

Ready to explore the best biking trails in St. Louis? Plan your next cycling adventure by visiting Explore STL Parks for more information on local trails and biking resources.

Top 12 Paved Trails!

There are so many great paved trails in and around St. Louis! The Great River Greenways trail system has over 135 miles (and counting). All of the paved trails in this article are one of these greenways! They run in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County.

Here are our favorite paved trails & where I park:

1.) Mississippi Greenway (Cliff Cave)

Address: 806 Cliff Cave Rd, St. Louis, MO 63129

I park in the lower parking lot by the pavilion. The trail goes along the Mississippi River for a little bit and then goes up the hill to Cliff Cave! There is also a bridge further on the trail that leads to a beautiful overlook.

2.) Mississippi Greenway (Jefferson Barracks)

Address: 490 Bagby Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125

I park by the Missouri Military Memorial and walk on the trail just behind it.

The trail crosses a bridge and parallels the Mississippi River until you walk behind the casino. We love to watch the barges here. This is also the closest I have ever been to an eagle!! It was on a tree branch right next to the greenway.

3.) Mississippi Greenway (Gateway Arch)

I like to park at the Stadium East Parking Garage at 200 S Broadway, St. Louis. It is a discounted rate of $10 for the first five hours.

There are 5 miles of paved trails on the Arch grounds. My favorite area is the Explorer’s Garden, which is North of the Arch! It is so peaceful here.

4.) Mississippi Greenway (Old Chain of Rocks Bridge)

I park on the Missouri side at the new Chain of Rocks Park.

Address: 10820 Riverview Dr, St. Louis, MO 63137

There are restrooms, a parking lot and more security added here with the renovation. I love walking this trail in the winter because of watching the bald eagles! The rocks below the bridge (where the term “Chain of Rocks” comes from) stun the fish as they swim by. This makes for a quick and easy meal for eagles!

5.) Meramec Greenway (Across from Simpson Lake)

Address: 1235 Marshall Rd, Valley Park, MO 63088

I park here across from Simpson Lake. The paved trail has river views along the way! It is worth it to cross the street and walk along Simpson Lake too! Simpson Lake has a flat, paved trail and a playground.

6.) Fee Fee Greenway (Creve Coeur Lake Park)

My favorite spot to park is at the Taco Bell shelter so I can walk by the Dripping Springs waterfall before walking around the lake.

Address: 13450 Marine Ave, St. Louis, MO 63146

7.) Meramec Greenway (Rock Hollow Trail)

I park in the parking lot at Ridge Meadows Elementary School. The trailhead is just south of the school! This paved trail also connects to Al Foster trail, another one of my favorites.

Address: 777 Ridge Rd, Ellisville, MO 63021

8.) Boschert Greenway (Near Fox Hill Park)

I park at Fox Hill Park (3400 Kister Dr, St Charles, MO 63301), we play at the renovated playground and then walk along the storybook walk on the greenway!

9.) Centennial Greenway (Shaw Park)

I usually park at the Treetop playground in the School District of Clayton’s parking lot.

Address: 2 Topton Way, Clayton, MO 63105

10.) Meramec Greenway (Lower Meramec Park)

I park at the trailhead at Lower Meramec Park (Holzers Pk Rd, St. Louis, MO 63128) and walk from there!

11.) Monarch Chesterfield Levee (Near River's Edge Park)

I park by The Factory’s parking lot and walk from there. The trail down the hill leads to River’s Edge park!

Address: 17125 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005

12.) Deer Creek Greenway (Brentwood Park)

Address: 2924 Brazeau Ave, Brentwood, MO 63144

This new park and playground is awesome! We park at the playground’s parking lot and head on the trail.

Enjoy these great trails around St. Louis! Happy exploring!!

Best Family Bike Trails in St. Louis

We have always enjoyed biking as a family! St. Louis is a good spot to do just that. From the greenway system to many trails, there is a lot to explore and enjoy.

Best Family Bike Trails in St. Louis

Great River Greenways

Have you heard of the Great River Greenway system here in St. Louis? It is an incredible system of trails that connects St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. There are 135 miles of trails built so far, with another 200 miles in planning. The greenways are a wonderful way to get outside in nature, without being on a busy street with traffic. I’ve always felt safer riding on a greenway because I don’t have to worry about my kids biking along cars. They are mostly flat trails too, which makes it very kid-friendly.

Here are three greenway trails that I recommend biking as a family:

Meramec River Greenway

We love parking at Simpson Lake (1234 Marshall Rd, Valley Park, MO 63088). Simpson Lake Park is a 72-acre lake in St. Louis County. There is a trail that goes halfway around the lake. We love the playground along the trail too! After exploring this part, we bike across the street to ride along the Meramec River Greenway.

The Meramec River Greenway is 5.1 miles long, paved and flat. It connects two parks: Unger Park and George Winter Park. The trail is shaded and offers great views of the Meramec River!

Fee Fee Greenway

This nearly 3 mile greenway connects to Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park in Maryland Heights. You can park at the Aquaport at Maryland Heights Community Center and ride to the most Northern part of the lake (off of Marine Avenue)! Creve Coeur Lake is 320 acres and is one of the largest natural lakes in Missouri. There is an almost 4 mile flat & paved loop around the lake, which is just gorgeous. This area is great to walk or bike around. If you can time to bike around just before sunset, it is so peaceful with the colors reflecting on the lake.

We also love renting the Quadicycle or kayaks at the Creve Coeur Canoe Rental shop. There are three playgrounds, a ropes course and the unpaved Bootlegger’s trail in the upper part of the park. In addition, Dripping Springs waterfall is a sight to see after a good rain or in the winter with lots of icicles (see picture below of the frozen waterfall)! Basically, I’m obsessed with this area and it is a huge bonus to be a good spot for family-friendly biking too!

Marshall Pump Track (Deer Creek Greenway)

The Deer Creek Greenway in Webster Groves begins at Deer Creek “Rocketship” park and goes for about 2 miles. My favorite feature along this route is the Marshall Pump Track! It is a small pump track that is paved and perfect for kids. It is not too overwhelming, as it is a small track with not too much of an incline. My 2yo, 4yo and 6yo all loved this and were able to ride their balance bikes. This is a 2 acre park with a parking lot, pavilion, water fountain and bike fix-it station. A lot of times, we will just park at the pump track to bike and then pack up for home. But, it is fun having the option to continue on the greenway if we would like to!

In addition to the greenway system, some of our parks have great paved trails that make it family-friendly for biking.

370 Lakeside Park

One of my favorites is 370 Lakeside Park! This is St. Peter’s largest park (at 300 acres). It has a 4.4 mile paved trail around the park. It is such a good biking trail and not too hilly. The trail is wide and has great views of the lake and wildlife. There is a marsh area and lots of trees too, which just makes it so peaceful! In addition to the trail, there is a small playground and splash area, RV park, dog park and pavilions. You can also fish and rent kayaks & canoes! So much to explore here!

Kinetic Park

This is a new-to-us park that we discovered a couple of months ago!! Located in Dardenne Prairie, this area has a 33,000-square foot skate course (largest in Missouri!!), an asphalt pump track, a rock climbing wall and a bike skills course. Admission to the park is free and it is open year round. They have different sections depending on your ability level and it seems to be targeted to older kids. My kids prefer to bring their scooters here on the skate course (skateboards, bikes and scooters are allowed here) because the bike seems to be a little more tricky with the steep inclines (in comparison to the Marshall pump track which is more gradual and targeted for younger kids).

Overall, our family has really enjoyed all of these free areas around St. Louis to explore and bike together. There are many more that come to my mind as I’m typing this too!! How cool is it that we live in a city that values a great greenway and trail system?! Thank you, St. Louis! Happy exploring, everyone! Do you enjoy hiking? Here is another blog post about Hiking in St. Louis