Looking for the best trails around Swansea?

Explore the best rated trails in Swansea, IL, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Benld-Gillespie Bike Trail and MCT Schoolhouse Trail . With more than 55 trails covering 599 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.

Recent Trail Reviews

Arnold City Park Trail

First planned Ride

October, 2024 by cmac09.d

Tomorrow will be May 1st ride through Arnold Park for a bike ride. I was disappointed that the reviews are so old. Hopefully we can get these updated. I will definitely give my review afterwards for this year of 2024. I’m excited to check it out. ( I only rated the ride so I could post my review) hopefully my next review will be a 5 star.

Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail

Good trail!

October, 2024 by july300ng

Good trail!

Katy Trail State Park

Good job Missouri!

October, 2024 by nk2zvxqyvd

Rode the trail the first week in October! Perfect weather, beautiful tree tunneled trails most of the way. Don’t have any more to add than has already been said. Only improvement would be more guaranteed water at the depot stops. Good job Missouri and Thank you!!

Accordion

Saint Clair County Orchard Loop Trail

Beautiful!

October, 2024 by rvjordan

This is a very nice, scenic - absolutely beautiful trail and you can either start out or end up at Eckerts!

Katy Trail State Park

A milestone ride

September, 2024 by robert.richter89

I've been looking at riding the entirety of the KATY for a few years as a milestone ride for myself. I was able to check this off of my bucket list over the Labor Day week of 2024. Given the length of the KATY Missouri does an outstanding job keeping it in such good condition despite the Missouri River posing a flood risk. There were two very small closures along the entire trail that were well marked and required a very short on road detour to bypass. I completed the trail in five days of riding.

I utilized a shuttle service at Bike Stop Café in St. Charles to take me to the Western Terminus at Clinton. I highly recommend Bike Stop Café as you can leave your car there during your ride and the owners are great people! Riding from Clinton to Booneville is definitely the hardest part as there are long sections of rolling hills that are barely perceptible to the eye but you will feel them as you have to pedal harder. Sedalia provides a good option to stay the night with many places to eat and sleep. I also stayed in Rocheport, Hermann and St. Charles all of which provided many dining options and were beautiful places to stay.

I completed the trail on a gravel bike and only had one flat during the entire ride. Most people along the trail were very friendly and the sense of community you have in riding such a trail is really felt over the course of many days. During the few times the trail is in an urban area it is extremely well marked and almost impossible to loose. Any time there were even slight washouts or rough trail the areas were well marked.

The KATY is not the most breathtakingly scenic trail I have ever ridden but its combination of length, multiple towns along the way and its great overall condition earns its place in the Rail Trail Hall of Fame

St. Louis Riverfront Trail (Mississippi Greenway)

cleaned up

August, 2024 by pgough400

Reading past reviews, I was apprehensive about this trail, but it seems to have been cleaned up nicely. I rode about 8 miles south from the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and back in the evening. There’s a climb in the woods near the north end, the rest is level. No trash, no glass, no people at all except at the parks.

Metro-East Levee Trail

I personally loved this bike trail. It is close to home and takes me straight to Belleville. It actually starts in Dupo. It definitely needs resurfaced and it would be a lot better

July, 2024 by brownlcindy44

I personally loved this bike trail. It is close to home and takes me straight to Belleville. It actually starts in Dupo. It definitely needs resurfaced and it would be a lot better

Illini Trail

New trail signs are up. It is renamed the Illini Trail. It a short ride from the trail head down Illini Drive to the Goshen Trail.

July, 2024 by dale.brandl

New trail signs are up. It is renamed the Illini Trail. It a short ride from the trail head down Illini Drive to the Goshen Trail.

Katy Trail State Park

dgjacobs55

July, 2024 by dgjacobs55

Rode from Sedalia to Hermann. Nice trail, mostly shaded. Most scenic section is around Rocheport. Sedalia to Boonville section has a slight elevation and goes on for a few miles. Most towns along the trail are small and there aren't many services (water, restrooms, etc.). Enjoyed riding the trail (marked it off my bucket list), but at times it became a little boring seeing nothing but trees and rocks. Like I said, it is very scenic, but 130 miles of the same scenery......

Katy Trail State Park

Nice Ride

June, 2024 by teresakwilliams

I rode the Katy trail from Clinton to St Charles in 5 days . I started before Mother’s Day and completed the ride after. What a lovely gift to myself. The trail is well maintained, easy to follow, and I always felt safe riding alone. The towns on the trail are very accepting of bicyclist . Make sure to refill your water bottles every chance you have, especially towards the end when closer to St Charles there are fewer fountains. I look forward to riding this again !

Grant's Trail

Great Urban Trail

June, 2024 by n2shoebiz

We rode this trail for the first time in June 2024. It is level, well marked and passes along many suburban municipalities in the St. Louis area, the athletic complex in Affton, Grant’s Farm and Historical Site, Thomas Sappington House and The Barn (great place to stop for brunch). It can be crowded, especially around Grant’s Farm.

Meramec Greenway Trail

Not what we expected.

May, 2024 by psalm3321_tl

Started in Glencoe at the miniature railroad depot. Trail started out promising but seemed to get more and more narrow and is poorly marked. We attempted to follow the Al Foster trail. This really isn’t a 10 plus mile trail as it’s broken up. We originally started in Eureka and quickly realized the trail stops after roughly 1.7 miles. Luckily for us that after a few miles of an ever shrinking trail, we decided it wasn’t for us. Got back to our vehicle and put everything away just before a storm came through.

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Accordion

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