Explore the best rated trails in Jefferson City, MO. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Stinson Creek Trail and Hinkson Creek Trail. With more than 13 trails covering 286 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.
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Bear Creek Trail winds across the northern half of Columbia, following Bear Creek for much of its nearly 5-mile route. Many portions of the trail traverse wooded areas, though the trail is never far...
Stinson Creek Trails sits on the wooded banks of the watercourse that gave it its name. The popular Fulton, Missouri recreation path follows every bend and curve of the creek for nearly 5 miles. Aside...
County House Trail is a 2-mile paved pathway in southwestern Columbia. The southern end of the trail connects to the scenic 8.9-mile MKT Nature and Fitness Trail, which in turn reaches the Katy Trail...
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The Katy Trail Spur, although short, provides a vital connection between the 238-mile Katy Trail State Park and the North Jefferson Recreation Area on the north bank of the Missouri River. The new...
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...
Hominy Creek Trail is just over a mile between Green Valley Drive and Lansing Avenue in eastern Columbia. Along the way, the paved pathway follows its namesake tree-lined creek and passes under East...
The Jefferson City Greenway Trail spans the capital of Missouri, east to west. The trail primarily follows Wears Creek, although one segment parallels W. Edgewood Drive, offering striking views of the...
The MKT Nature and Fitness Trail spans just over 9 miles between the famed Katy Trail State Park, which stretches across Missouri, and Columbia. It gets its name from the former spur line of the...
Hinkson Creek Trail offers a beautiful, natural escape as it curves around southern and eastern Columbia. The crushed limestone trail stretches just over 4 miles, partly along the southern end of the...
South Providence Trail offers a straight north-south route paralleling its namesake roadway on the southern end of Columbia. As it’s adjacent to both Rock Bridge Elementary School and Rock Bridge High...
The beauty of the ACORN Trail is it can be used for both leisure and transportation; cyclists, walkers, dog-walkers and other users can take advantage of the paved pathway to get outside, have fun and...
Although Scott's Branch Trail is short (just over a mile), it’s a beautiful gem in western Columbia, traversing both the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary and Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary. (Note that...
Columbia’s Wabash Walkway travels a short distance northwest from the campus of Columbia College. While currently less than 0.5 mile long, plans are in the works to extend it farther northeast to...
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...
The beauty of the ACORN Trail is it can be used for both leisure and transportation; cyclists, walkers, dog-walkers and other users can take advantage of the paved pathway to get outside, have fun and...
Stinson Creek Trails sits on the wooded banks of the watercourse that gave it its name. The popular Fulton, Missouri recreation path follows every bend and curve of the creek for nearly 5 miles. Aside...
Hinkson Creek Trail offers a beautiful, natural escape as it curves around southern and eastern Columbia. The crushed limestone trail stretches just over 4 miles, partly along the southern end of the...
The Jefferson City Greenway Trail spans the capital of Missouri, east to west. The trail primarily follows Wears Creek, although one segment parallels W. Edgewood Drive, offering striking views of the...
Although Scott's Branch Trail is short (just over a mile), it’s a beautiful gem in western Columbia, traversing both the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary and Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary. (Note that...
County House Trail is a 2-mile paved pathway in southwestern Columbia. The southern end of the trail connects to the scenic 8.9-mile MKT Nature and Fitness Trail, which in turn reaches the Katy Trail...
Columbia’s Wabash Walkway travels a short distance northwest from the campus of Columbia College. While currently less than 0.5 mile long, plans are in the works to extend it farther northeast to...
Hominy Creek Trail is just over a mile between Green Valley Drive and Lansing Avenue in eastern Columbia. Along the way, the paved pathway follows its namesake tree-lined creek and passes under East...
South Providence Trail offers a straight north-south route paralleling its namesake roadway on the southern end of Columbia. As it’s adjacent to both Rock Bridge Elementary School and Rock Bridge High...
The Katy Trail Spur, although short, provides a vital connection between the 238-mile Katy Trail State Park and the North Jefferson Recreation Area on the north bank of the Missouri River. The new...
The MKT Nature and Fitness Trail spans just over 9 miles between the famed Katy Trail State Park, which stretches across Missouri, and Columbia. It gets its name from the former spur line of the...
Bear Creek Trail winds across the northern half of Columbia, following Bear Creek for much of its nearly 5-mile route. Many portions of the trail traverse wooded areas, though the trail is never far...
The Katy Trail Spur, although short, provides a vital connection between the 238-mile Katy Trail State Park and the North Jefferson Recreation Area on the north bank of the Missouri River. The new...
Hominy Creek Trail is just over a mile between Green Valley Drive and Lansing Avenue in eastern Columbia. Along the way, the paved pathway follows its namesake tree-lined creek and passes under East...
South Providence Trail offers a straight north-south route paralleling its namesake roadway on the southern end of Columbia. As it’s adjacent to both Rock Bridge Elementary School and Rock Bridge High...
Although Scott's Branch Trail is short (just over a mile), it’s a beautiful gem in western Columbia, traversing both the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary and Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary. (Note that...
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...
Hinkson Creek Trail offers a beautiful, natural escape as it curves around southern and eastern Columbia. The crushed limestone trail stretches just over 4 miles, partly along the southern end of the...
The beauty of the ACORN Trail is it can be used for both leisure and transportation; cyclists, walkers, dog-walkers and other users can take advantage of the paved pathway to get outside, have fun and...
Bear Creek Trail winds across the northern half of Columbia, following Bear Creek for much of its nearly 5-mile route. Many portions of the trail traverse wooded areas, though the trail is never far...
County House Trail is a 2-mile paved pathway in southwestern Columbia. The southern end of the trail connects to the scenic 8.9-mile MKT Nature and Fitness Trail, which in turn reaches the Katy Trail...
The MKT Nature and Fitness Trail spans just over 9 miles between the famed Katy Trail State Park, which stretches across Missouri, and Columbia. It gets its name from the former spur line of the...
Stinson Creek Trails sits on the wooded banks of the watercourse that gave it its name. The popular Fulton, Missouri recreation path follows every bend and curve of the creek for nearly 5 miles. Aside...
Columbia’s Wabash Walkway travels a short distance northwest from the campus of Columbia College. While currently less than 0.5 mile long, plans are in the works to extend it farther northeast to...
The Jefferson City Greenway Trail spans the capital of Missouri, east to west. The trail primarily follows Wears Creek, although one segment parallels W. Edgewood Drive, offering striking views of the...
Missouri's Katy trail is a well maintained fine gravel trail, well compacted in most places, so you could use a road bike, but slightly wider tires would be better. We're in our 60's and like to ride up to 25 miles/day, with a lunch break before returning to the car. We've found three such rides in mid MO with simple dining options within a few blocks of the trail. Before taking these trips, call ahead to verify that restaurants are open when you plan to bike. 1) park the car at Boonville trailhead, (where there is a nice museum) and ride to Pilot Grove, one way distance about 11.5 miles, where there is a small cafe (Katarina's) a few blocks Sw of trailhead, open typically until about 2PM. The ride is mostly a gentle grade uphill from Boonville, where you leave the MO River valley and enter the great plains; this is the steepest section of the Katy trail. It is a mostly shaded route, with nice forest canopy. 2) For a weekend trip, park the car in downtown Jefferson City near the river bridge. Bike across the river on the safe bike lane, down the spiral ramp and bike across the river valley to the North Jefferson trailhead, then head west to Claysville Store, a block off the trail, where you can get a nice family style meal or sandwiches. Open typically weekends only with limited hours, best to call ahead for reservation. One way distance about 12.5 miles. This section of trail has lots of open farmland with some canopy cover. 3) Park car at McBaine trailhead just off Highway K, about 14 miles SW of Columbia, head west. This segment passes through some of the best scenery the Katy has to offer in Missouri. After about 1.5 miles, at a highway crossing look west into the farmland, see the largest bur oak tree in MO. Go visit it, its a monster! Within a few miles you will be under some deep forest canopy, then pass under high bluffs right next to the trail, then enjoy a good stretch along the Missouri river with benches where you can stop and watch the river. Lunch at Meriwethers cafe in Rocheport right on the trail. Before returning to the car, ride around Rocheport, a cute town with B&B's, go an additional half mile west on the trail thru the only tunnel on the Katy Trail. Total distance is about 19 miles round trip. If you're a long distance rider, in 2020 there are a few problems on Missouri's Katy Trail- there's a bridge washed out a few miles west of Rocheport with a somewhat-marked detour on a highway, and east of Jefferson City there is a big rockslide blocking the trail- the trail is officially closed there but you can walk a bike through a path around it. Recumbants or trailers may be more difficult to get through. Check with the Missouri State Park website or bike stores in Jefferson City or Washington MO for more details.
I rode this all the time during college at Mizzou. It’s beautiful, well kept, and never gets old. Worked great for my hybrid bike, never had any trouble. The parts further from town are far less crowded with people and have the prettiest views in my opinion. Love how it connects with the Katy Trail at the end.
A friend told us about this trail and it did not disappoint. Lots of little side adventures all around the nature areas. Highly recommend.
So well maintained. The concrete two mile trail provides easy neighborhood access to the MKT Trail and Twin Lakes Park. Lots of nice people around.
I did some research bout trails in Missouri and came across Katy trail I wanted to see where it starts so today I rode from st Charles to Machens bout 20 miles if you count mileage back to my car it was a nice ride I'm interested in completing the trail one day soon
St.Charles West. Just a few detours, trail excellent. If you tent camp at Missouri Fairgrounds Sedalia, be careful of your belongings. Choose any electric site and honestly with the factory across street southeast corner away from vagrants living in tents and away from showerhouse better. Always lock your bikes too.
Do to flooding the beginning of the trail is not in good shape. If you pick up the trail in St. Charles it is great from there.
An absolute must for any biker hiker or wanderer to take in. The canopy of trees and trail way tunnel near roachport Missouri is awesome.
I ride this trail oft when I work in Jefferson City. It’s accessible and fun!
I had the pleasure to ride this beautiful trail starting in Rocheport, MO riding West one day to Booneville and East another day to McBaine while staying in Columbia for the solar ecilpse last year. Also rode about 8 miles from Mokane heading east...this trail is very scenic and user friendly. I can't speak for the other 200 miles but what I saw was worth the time and minimal effort...even in 90 degree weather!
Had a break in the heat and rode over 70 miles on the Katy this week on different days. Hermann to Washington, Hartsburg to Boonville and Boonville to Pilot Grove. Hartsburg to Boonville may be some of the best scenery along the trail- high limestone cliffs, deep & dark forest canopies, some stretches right next to the Missouri river, and some open spaces. As always, this trail is well maintained, mowed, and the trailheads have great information and facilities. Note that you can connect with Amtrak at Washington (Dutzow trailhead on the Katy), Hermann, Jefferson City, and Sedalia, but they have a limit on bikes per train. The new bridge at Washington will be completed soon with a safe bike lane to get from the Dutzow trailhead to the train station. In the near future, Missouri could become a real "cyclist destination" by completion of the Rock Island trail from Windsor to Union. Union is only 7 highway miles from Washington. That would create a loop of over 450 miles and add some great scenic opportunities as the Rock Island route skirts the north edge of the Ozarks. Check out bikerockisland dot com for more information.
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