Gravel Trails/Routes

I hadn't really thought about all of the routes that a gravel bike will open up. There are tons of relatively flat gravel roads in Illinois and Northern Missouri, and there are hillier gravel roads throughout the Mark Twain National Forest. Though vehicles are allowed, traffic is relatively low, which makes them much safer.

Arnold doesn't have many roads like this (but I should try to find them all).

Katy Trail

This is the trail that inspired me to get a gravel bike.

American Bottoms: Levee Roads in Monroe County, Illinois

Monroe County is on other side of the Mississippi River from Jefferson County. It covers river front from north of the I-255 JB Bridge to south of Harlow Island. Importantly, there is a levee, and it is topped by a gravel road. Update: Almost all of this is surfaced with chip and tar now; not a gravel route.

There is a place I can park at the intersection of Ramsey Rd. and Levee Rd. (right by I-255). Levee Rd. appears to be paved here, but further south it looks like it may fade into gravel. It's not clear where the road becomes gravel, and the pictures from Google Street View don't clearly show whether it is loosely paved or nicely graveled. I should probably explore southward until I have an idea where the "gravel" begins. By the southern end of Monroe County, Levee Rd. is clearly double track gravel.

Maybe I should start at the southern end, parking at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, which is an interesting place to check out on its own.

Chouteau Island

This is the island at the Chain of Rocks, accessed by bike most easily from the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Aside from maybe two paved roads on the island, almost everything else seems to be gravel. I definitely need to explore all of these roads.

Busch Wildlife

There are a bunch of gravel roads here.

MCT Nickel Plate Trail

The surface is a mix of asphalt and gravel. The full length of the trail is 28.5 miles, but from Edwardsville to New Douglas is probably around 20 miles.

MCT Quercus Grove Trail

The surface is a mix of asphalt and gravel. The full length of the trail is 18.9 miles, with some kind of connection on or along Jerusalem Rd. and another on Spangle Rd. Runs from Edwardsville to Staunton.

MCT Confluence Trail

The surface is a mix of asphalt and gravel, with a full length of 20.5 miles. Starting in Alton, it is paved for about 10 miles, and then there is a mix of gravel and some pavement. I still haven't ridden the gravel bit from south of the confluence monument to the old Chain of Rocks canal bridge. Ends at McKinley Bridge.

Starts in Alton and heads east and south. It is paved for about 10 miles, then it's gravel for a while before connecting to other paved trails. It's kind of difficult to follow.

Meramec Greenway / Al Foster Trail

It's not clear how long this is or where it really ends. It might be five miles, or it could be 8.6 miles. I connects to the west side of Castlewood, and also to the Western Greenway Trail. I should also check out Rock Hollow Trail.

SEMO Plain

For lack of a better name, this is what I am calling the flat part of Missouri that includes and surrounds the bootheel. Sikeston, New Madrid, and Dexter are in this plain. Poplar Bluff is just outside, and the Mingo Wilderness is just inside. I-55 crosses into the plain about halfway between Cape Girardeau and Sikeston. This plain is interesting to me because it is criss-crossed with a network of flat, mostly straight gravel roads, about every mile. The quickest way there is probably to take I-55 south; exit 80 is the first in the plain:x I could perhaps park at Sand Prairie Conservation Area. One place to park would be the Dan River Access. There is also Harviell Access. While I'm down there, I should check out Hargrove Pivot Bridge (presumably on my bike).

Mark Twain National Forest

The MTNF has quite a few gravel roads, most of which are well maintained. I should probably create a separate page just about the MTNF. So far, I have ridden in the Poplar Bluff RD near the OT Victory and Wappapello sections.

Big Sugar Gravel Route

In Arkansas and Missouri, starting in Bentonville. 109.37 miles, 8397 ft of climb. That seems like a lot of climb (for me).

Tunnel Hill State Trail (Illinois)

Officially 45 miles from Harrisburg to Karnak, but Google Maps shows it in Eldorado. I have a Garmon course from White Hill to Eldorado that is 55.4 miles long. I haven't found a statement about the road surface, but glimpses from Google Street View are all gravel. Could I park at one end, camp at the other end, and ride back? There's a private campground in Karnak. Google Street View seems to show a campground in Karnak as part of Tunnel Hill State Trail; not sure if it's the same place. There is Shawnee Forest Campground near Vienna, and Cedar Lake Campground near Tunnel Hill.

Great American Rail-Trail

A planned trail 3,700 miles long, passing through 12 states from Washington DC to the Pacific coast.

gravelmap.com

GORC website? MTB project. Bikepacking.com. The Radavist.

Castleman Park
Hamburg Trail
Darst
Calloway Fork Road
Matson Hill Rd.
Femme Osage Ridge Rd.
Nahm Rd.
Lost Valley doubletrack
"Off the Meramec Greenway (where they hold the Dirt Crits)
lower trails at Castlewood
Down Rockhollow Trail in Wildwood to the Al Foster Trail
Bangert (dirt)
Dirt Crit (dirt)
Stinging Nettle (dirt)
Bootlegger (dirt)
"stg gravel classic routes down in ste. Gen" website, 18, 25, 70 mile
"death by gravel"

Distant Trails

George S. Mickelson

109 mile rail trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Some beautiful landscape.

Kansas

Flint Hills Trail—118 miles (90 miles open)
Prairie Spirit Rail Trail—52 miles
Landon Trail—38 miles (21 miles open)
Indian Creek Trail—26 miles
Redbud Trail--21 miles (14 miles open)
Lawrence Loop—21 miles (18 miles open)
Iron Horse Trail—18 miles (0.5 mi. open)
Prairie Sunset Trail—15 miles
Gary Haller (Mill Creek) Trail—14 miles
Rock Island Rail Trail (KCMO)--14 miles
Blue River Rail Trail—13 miles
Meadowlark Trail—13 miles (11 miles open)