Explore the best rated trails in Bethalto, IL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Arches Rail Trail and Benld-Gillespie Bike Trail. With more than 50 trails covering 590 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Honoring former President Ulysses S. Grant, this flat and relaxed 10-mile trail is easily accessible from downtown St. Louis. Grant’s Trail is well maintained with plentiful restrooms and drinking...
The River Des Peres Greenway Trail provides a flat, paved route along the River Des Peres Drainage Channel in southwestern St. Louis. Although this urban trail is seldom crowded, one of its drawbacks...
The Rock Hollow Trail offers a beautiful, wooded excursion in the City of Wildwood, just west of St. Louis. The paved 2.3-mile trail is built on what was once Lawler-Ford Road. A trailhead with...
This mile long concrete trail connects two favorite recreation spots in southeast St. Louis. At one end sits Carondelet Park is the city's third largest park, and is 180-acres of beautifully...
The Greater St. Louis area is dominated by the “Great Rivers.” While the Mississippi River gets most of the attention, the Missouri River is not one to be taken for granted. An emerging trail system...
Closure Notice: Please be advised that the Riverfront Trail will be subject to intermittent closures and disruptions at least through the end of 2021 in the area north of the McKinley Bridge due to...
The Ted Jones Trail runs for 2.2 miles between the town of Ferguson and the University of MissouriSt. Louis (UMSL), where it joins with the St. Vincent Greenway on the west side of campus. From...
The MCT Bluff Trail is the shortest trail in the Madison County network, but it highlights a feature of regional topography which can be evidenced on several other trails. The American Bottom is a...
Advisory: May 2020 - In June 2019, parts of the Katy Trail were flooded. While much has been repaired, please check trail conditions on the Missouri State Parks website before going out to ride as...
This short, but beautiful trail, takes travelers from Truman Park's lake north to Aubuchon Creek through a lush wooded area. The park offers places to fish, play sports and picnic. Future plans...
The Meramec Greenway Trail is planned to one day encompass 50 miles throughout the St. Louis metro region, expanding as far west as Pacific, Missouri. The scenic route connects residents to the...
The McKinley Bridge has a long and storied past. In 1910, it opened to both railroad and vehicular traffic. Railroad tracks ran through the strong center portion of the bridge under the trusses, and...
The Carlyle Lake Bike Trail is located in one of Southwest Illinois's most popular recreational areas, just 50 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri—not far from that area's abundance of great trails, as...
Maline Greenway is an east-west shared use trail in St. Louis, Missouri. The planned length of the trail in 7 miles and will join Mississippi Greenway to the St. Vincent Greenway. In the summer of...
The Mississippi Greenway is a growing multi-use trail in the St. Louis area that will eventually span 32 miles. Sometimes it’s referred to as the Mississippi River Trail or the Mississippi River...
The Dardenne Greenway Trail follows Dardenne Creek as it makes its way through St. Charles County on its way to the mighty Mississippi. The trail, which currently passes through several suburban St....
Wildwood Greenway is an eight-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian trail in Wildwood, a western suburb of St. Louis. It is part of a trail system offering twelve miles of asphalt trail throughout the...
Spanning nearly five miles, the Busch Greenway provides an important connector between Missouri’s famed Katy Trail, the August A. Busch Conservation Area, and Missouri Research Park in western St....
You can make connections all over the countryside from the Madison County Transit (MCT) Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail. The paved path travels 12.2 miles between the villages of Glen Carbon and...
Earth City Levee Trail, which opened in June 2015, is part of a growing trail network called the Missouri River Greenway. It connects directly with the Riverwoods Trail in Bridgeton, forming a paved...
The Rock Hollow Trail offers a beautiful, wooded excursion in the City of Wildwood, just west of St. Louis. The paved 2.3-mile trail is built on what was once Lawler-Ford Road. A trailhead with...
The Mississippi Greenway is a growing multi-use trail in the St. Louis area that will eventually span 32 miles. Sometimes it’s referred to as the Mississippi River Trail or the Mississippi River...
The Delyte W. Morris Trail lies entirely on the campus of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (SIUE). It is named for the university's president at the Carbondale campus in the 1960s who helped...
The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was part of the renowned Route 66 and crosses a scenic stretch of the Mississippi River. It links two states—Illinois and Missouri—north of St. Louis. The bridge is short...
The Carlyle Lake Bike Trail is located in one of Southwest Illinois's most popular recreational areas, just 50 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri—not far from that area's abundance of great trails, as...
Hesse Trail connects two neighborhoods and a park in the city of O'Fallon with plans to extend and connect it to other trails in the large Metro-East area. It is a short, completely tree-covered...
While exploring the seven mile Lakeside Park Trail you are treated to views of the 140 acre lake at Lakeside Park. Lakeside Park Trail's asphalt and concrete surfaces are ideal for biking, walking,...
The GM&O Heritage Trail maintains the legacy of the railroad that once ran through the municipality of Columbia. The right-of-way was first built by the Cairo & St. Louis Railroad, which by another...
The Dardenne Greenway Trail follows Dardenne Creek as it makes its way through St. Charles County on its way to the mighty Mississippi. The trail, which currently passes through several suburban St....
Sandwiched between towering limestone bluffs and the confluence of two mighty rivers, the Sam Vadalabene Great River Road Bike Trail offers scenery once enjoyed by riverboat captains. Today, you can...
The Madison Count Transit (MCT) Watershed Trail is all about trains, bridges and waterways. It follows an abandoned rail corridor built in 1868, the first to serve the city of Edwardsville, itself the...
This trail along Richland Creek is in two discontiguous sections that must be accessed separately. The northern section goes by the thick and quiet woods of Centennial Park, where there are also very...
The Sunset Greenway Trail begins near Sunset Park, on the banks of the Missouri River, and travels along a roadway through open space to beyond St. Ferdinand Park in Old Town Florissant. The village...
Caution: While construction continues on the new I-270 bridge over the Mississippi River, be alert for trail restrictions or closings north of the parking lot access. The trail will remain open from...
Opened in the Fall of 2012, Arches Rail Trail continues to be improved by an active local support group. It lies between Butler and Hillsboro, Illinois, along a section of an old 1850s route that...
The Ted Jones Trail runs for 2.2 miles between the town of Ferguson and the University of MissouriSt. Louis (UMSL), where it joins with the St. Vincent Greenway on the west side of campus. From...
The MCT Quercus Grove Trail begins in Edwardsville at its junction with the MCT Nickel Plate Trail. It begins on city sidewalks and alleys near Edwardsville's historic downtown area and very quickly...
The Arnold City Park Trail follows former residential streets through a wooded area along the Meramec River in a southwestern suburb of St. Louis. It forms a loop that begins and ends at the gravel...
Advisory: May 2020 - In June 2019, parts of the Katy Trail were flooded. While much has been repaired, please check trail conditions on the Missouri State Parks website before going out to ride as...
Honoring former President Ulysses S. Grant, this flat and relaxed 10-mile trail is easily accessible from downtown St. Louis. Grant’s Trail is well maintained with plentiful restrooms and drinking...
This trail along Richland Creek is in two discontiguous sections that must be accessed separately. The northern section goes by the thick and quiet woods of Centennial Park, where there are also very...
The Boschert Greenway is a paved hike-and-bike trail located in St. Charles, Missouri. The greenway provides an eight-mile journey out-and-back, while connecting to other recreation destinations. The...
The Madison County Transit (MCT) Schoolhouse Trail offers a 15.5-mile flat, paved route through the eastern suburbs of greater St. Louis, Missouri, between Madison and Maryville, Illinois. Along the...
Opened in the Fall of 2012, Arches Rail Trail continues to be improved by an active local support group. It lies between Butler and Hillsboro, Illinois, along a section of an old 1850s route that...
The Carlyle Lake Bike Trail is located in one of Southwest Illinois's most popular recreational areas, just 50 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri—not far from that area's abundance of great trails, as...
You can make connections all over the countryside from the Madison County Transit (MCT) Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail. The paved path travels 12.2 miles between the villages of Glen Carbon and...
While exploring the seven mile Lakeside Park Trail you are treated to views of the 140 acre lake at Lakeside Park. Lakeside Park Trail's asphalt and concrete surfaces are ideal for biking, walking,...
Advisory: May 2020 - In June 2019, parts of the Katy Trail were flooded. While much has been repaired, please check trail conditions on the Missouri State Parks website before going out to ride as...
For nearly 5 miles, the Columbia Bottom Trail meanders through the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, which features forests, wetlands, and open fields. The trail is part of the Missouri River...
The Madison Count Transit (MCT) Watershed Trail is all about trains, bridges and waterways. It follows an abandoned rail corridor built in 1868, the first to serve the city of Edwardsville, itself the...
The Madison County Transit (MCT) Nickel Plate Trail is the longest of the county’s trails and perhaps the most diverse in its offerings. On the west, it begins at a junction with the MCT Nature Trail,...
The McKinley Bridge has a long and storied past. In 1910, it opened to both railroad and vehicular traffic. Railroad tracks ran through the strong center portion of the bridge under the trusses, and...
The Mississippi Greenway is a growing multi-use trail in the St. Louis area that will eventually span 32 miles. Sometimes it’s referred to as the Mississippi River Trail or the Mississippi River...
The Greater St. Louis area is dominated by the “Great Rivers.” While the Mississippi River gets most of the attention, the Missouri River is not one to be taken for granted. An emerging trail system...
Honoring former President Ulysses S. Grant, this flat and relaxed 10-mile trail is easily accessible from downtown St. Louis. Grant’s Trail is well maintained with plentiful restrooms and drinking...
Although a relatively short route, the Riverwoods Trail offers plentiful scenic views of the Missouri River and historic St. Charles. The trail closely follows the river's shoreline through wetland...
This mile long concrete trail connects two favorite recreation spots in southeast St. Louis. At one end sits Carondelet Park is the city's third largest park, and is 180-acres of beautifully...
The Sunset Greenway Trail begins near Sunset Park, on the banks of the Missouri River, and travels along a roadway through open space to beyond St. Ferdinand Park in Old Town Florissant. The village...
The Meramec Greenway Trail is planned to one day encompass 50 miles throughout the St. Louis metro region, expanding as far west as Pacific, Missouri. The scenic route connects residents to the...
The Ted Jones Trail runs for 2.2 miles between the town of Ferguson and the University of MissouriSt. Louis (UMSL), where it joins with the St. Vincent Greenway on the west side of campus. From...
It was my first time riding this trail. I was a bit skeptical at first because I’ve never ridden it. Started from Kirkwood all the way down to Shrewsbury and then back. Definitely scenic. Especially around Grant’s Farm. I would definitely recommend it to any explorer.
Trail itself is in good shape, but there are stretches with basically zero signage that made it a frustrating ride for our first time using this trail
We stated in Alton to Marquette and spent the night in Grafton. The trail takes you along the river but not very well maintained , especially between Grafton and Marquette. A lot of big bumps and lose planks over bridges but this was the most scenic part of the trail for me. You are in the trees, making it much cooler on a 103 degree day. The rout back to Alton takes you on the freeway for the first quarter of the ride. P.s we had breakfast in Godfrey at the Clifton Country inn and Bake Shop, yum!
If you’re looking for variety, it’s not a terrible route. There are some pretty areas and some not so pretty areas, a few small hills, and it isn’t overly crowded before 8 am. You can get in a good distance for an easy or recovery run.
Great ride from Columbia. Loose chat and gravel, so best for fat tires, gravel bikes, cross bikes, or hybrids with larger tires. Great fall trail. Stop off in Rocheport for lunch!
In the fall of 2011 I rode this trail on loaded bike from St Louis to Clinton on my cross country trip from SC to Phoenix, AZ. Yesterday on auto trip east from Phoenix I stopped in Boonville, got a room at Hotel Frederick, right on the trail in Boonville. I rode my E-trike, a Hase Kettwiesel, 25 miles out and back toward Sedalia mid afternoon. The next morning before checking out I rode another 20 miles out and back toward St.Louis.Later in the day I Stopp again to ride from Augusta to Dutzow. The Katy trail is in great shape.miles out and back
In the fall of 2011 I rode this trail on loaded bike from St Louis to Clinton on my cross country trip from SC to Phoenix, AZ. Yesterday on auto trip east from Phoenix I stopped in Boonville, got a room at Hotel Frederick, right on the trail in Boonville. I rode my E-trike, a Hase Kettwiesel, 25 miles out and back toward Sedalia mid afternoon. The next morning before checking out I rode another 20 miles out and back toward St.Louis.Later in the day I Stopp again to ride from Augusta to Dutzow. The Katy trail is in great shape.miles out and back
It was an overcast, mid-forties day. Nice to hike if dressed right and bug free is a bonus on colder days. Met a few people using path but think maybe they were mainly locals using it as a means to get from one place to another. Definitely plan to do the whole length, by foot and bike.
Right now the urban section is kinda loud as it runs along 170. Nice to have a walking trail in the area though.
Paved trail with great available services. Mostly flat with terrific views of lake, river and small airport. Can be crowded in places during normal rush periods.
MCT trails = 130+ miles of mostly paved rail trails.
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