WELDON SPRING CONSERVATION AREA
NEAREST TOWN
Weldon Spring (southwest St. Charles County)
DIRECTIONS
Take Hwy 94 south past Hwy 40/64 about 5 miles. Just before the one-lane bridge, slow down and turn right into the large gravel parking lot, just before the Little Femme Osage Creek
TRAIL DESCRIPTION
Eight-mile loop. The first three miles are mainly flat double and single track. There's a short climb followed by a downhill and rolling hills. Half of the trail is a flat wide country road closed to auto traffic, the second half winds through forest and meadows and along ridges and many streams.
HIGHLIGHTS
The wildflowers are awesome! Spring rides are highly recommended. Pink and purple phlox, may apples
dot the green landscape. Spring also brings many nesting great blue herons, noted for their slender profiles and wide wingspans
HAZARDS
This area is popular during hunting season. (Call the Conservation Department to find out when.)
AREA INFORMATION
The total contiguous acreage of Weldon Spring, Howell Island and the Busch Conservation Area is 16,918 acres, 7,356 of which comprise Weldon Spring. The area was named for John Weldon, who received a Spanish land grant in 1796 for 425 acres. Nearly 150 years later, during World War 11, the government acquired 17,000 acres here for the construction of a munitions plant. It was then owned by the University of Missouri and in 1978, the Conservation Department acquired this property. Along the road, you'll notice a fine
chart trail that looks like the Katy Trail, except that it has WARNING signs posted on all sides. The government is cleaning up the old munitions plant where atom-bomb research was done during World War I. This area is like the cousin St. Louis doesn't want to talk about.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
This is a great, forested ride for fall and hot summer days when you need shade. Carry a map or a GPS. It's easy to miss turns, especially after the big downhill.
CONTACT INFO
Weldon Spring Conservation Area, (636) 441-4554.
DISTANCE: 8-mile loop.
TERRAIN
This trail gives you a wide variety of terrain from hard packed
dirt to gravel. After you get over the biggest hill, it's all downhill. You can easily hit some speed here.
RIDING TIME
1 - 3 hours.
LAND STATUS
Missouri Department of Conservation.
SERVICES & ACTIVITIES
Water at Busch on Hwy 94, 2 miles away; St. Louis nearby.
RATING
Easy to moderate. Great for beginners and intermediates.
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