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The Spirit Trail provides opportunities for recreation and alternative transportation in Johnson County, Missouri. The trail is envisioned to stretch from the City of Warrensburg to the Whiteman Air Force Base for a distance of 12 miles. At present, the trail starts gets as far as the edge of the Knob Noster State Park, paralleling State Route DD as it goes. The trail is 10 feet wide and open to users of all ages and abilities. Trail surfaces are asphalt and aggregate.
The Spirit Trail is an initiative of the Johnson County Trail Coalition.
The paved section of this trail that is on the south side of Warrensburg is very poorly maintained. For cycling, the pavement is in terrible condition. Once you get out of the city limits the pavement does improve, however, a portion of the trail actually just becomes a wide section of DD hwy. There is loose gravel and debris all over this section from the road. As you get closer to Knob Noster State Park, the trail improves but is definitely not for casual cyclists. The hills into the park are very steep.
This path does not have trash cans or resting areas. You have to cross many busy roads. The route is next to DD hwy. Its not scenic. I do like that it is paved. I also like that there is parking at the start of the trail.
Just rode this trail from end to end. The trail is mostly well maintained, with just a few rough spots (some cracks and tree roots in places). There are a few simple road crossings, with little to no car traffic at the crossings. When you get to the eastern end, use caution, because there is a nice downgrade just before the last 200 feet or so, which is uphill. Problem is, near the bottom of the downgrade, the trail is covered in very loose sand mixed with gravel. Recipe for disaster if you hit it too fast. Probably best to just turn around and skip the last quarter mile or so. There is some nice rolling hills and one steep but short climb heading eastward. Nothing difficult at all. While this is by no means a destination trail, it is a decent way to kill an hour if you’re anywhere nearby. The trail was mostly deserted for the entire length today, but that may be different when college is in session. The trail is easy to get to from anywhere in Warrensburg.
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