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Lost Valley Trail

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.3 (73)
  1. Areas
  2. MO
  3. …St. Louis Metro Area
  4. …Weldon Spring
  5. Weldon Spring Conservation Area
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“A great trail full of variety around every turn. ”

Brian Barton
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Map Key

10.1

Miles

16.3

KM

95%

Singletrack

721' 220 m

High

464' 141 m

Low

665' 203 m

Up

666' 203 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

16%

Max Grade (9°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Allowed

Dogs must be on leashes at all times.

Overview

This is one of the go to trails in the St. Louis area. It is ever expanding with the volunteer help provided by GORC. Enjoy the Technical and flowy trail with short stints of doubletrack gravel.

Bring your Bug spray in the late spring and summer!

Need to Know

Stay light on your feet and off the saddle in the rocks to prevent flats, but bring items to repair them also!!!

Description

Head down the fire road into the property to get to the singletrack. Where the doubletrack opens up to the right head that direction, then to the left toward the middle climb.

Just to your left after turning onto the middle climb, you'll see the opening for the singletrack. This is the newest section called the beaver pond section. It is by far the most technical section of the entire trail with only 8" to 10" tread and some rough terain. You'll round the beaver pond just after clearing an armored drainage crossing and get back onto a shot stretch of fireroad.

At around the 2.5 mile mark, you'll see singletrack peel off to the right. This is the root ball section and with a good climb to start off and a couple tight swithchbacks. it will lead into a long climb into the "Cedars" and accross a spring crossing into the Haunted Hollow.

From there you just go with the flow of the trail for the next 3 miles. A little before the 6 mile mark (from the start of the ride)you'll hang a left and climb up to the top of the back fire road. There is a long fairly straight descent, but be careful. The gravel is very loose and prone to ruts so you can get caught off guard pretty easily.

At 7.5 miles hang a right to stay on the trail, from here you'll cross the same creek 3 time before getting back in to singletrack. This section is a fast flowy section in an oak hickory forest. A little after the 9 mile mark you can head right to take another lap and make it a 20 mile ride or you can keep straight and turn left to head back up the fire road to the main trailhead parking lot. I usualy take two laps if the weather is nice!

Enjoy!

Contacts

Local Club: Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC)

Land Manager: Missouri Department of Conservation

Shared By:

Brian Barton with improvements by Kurt Sontheimer
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 73 votes

#1

in Weldon Spring Conservation Area

#197

Overall
  4.3 from 73 votes
5 Star
45%
4 Star
40%
3 Star
12%
2 Star
3%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Weldon Spring Conserva…

#1

in Missouri

#197

Overall
101 Views Last Month
19,990 Since Jul 29, 2013
Intermediate Intermediate
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0%
75%
11%
14%
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Photos

Nice rocky section
Oct 17, 2020 near Weldon…, MO
Working with the GORC trail crew to armor a drainage crosing in the beaver pond section!
Jul 29, 2013 near Weldon…, MO
Small root section
Oct 17, 2020 near Weldon…, MO
Interesting spot to gather when you're caught in the rain.
May 4, 2022 near Weldon…, MO
Some run off after heavy rain in the area!
Jul 29, 2013 near Weldon…, MO
Stream crossing,all rock
Aug 14, 2015 near Weldon…, MO

6 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 6 days ago
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Check-Ins

Apr 11, 2024
Tim Mohr
Monitored to see if it was too wet. Trail had a few puddles but nothing crazy. The doubletrack was acutally the most wet. Great Ride! 9.5mi — 1h 00m
Mar 3, 2024
Steve Scherck
Feb 27, 2024
Evan Totterer
Nov 10, 2022
Sky Tracker
Two miles longer. This is what I would call mostly true singletrack. Will definitely ride again. Recommend parking at the Weldon Spring Mounds. 12.3mi — 1h 45m
May 4, 2022
Mike Obermeyer
A little muddy, but nothing to stop you from having a great time. Perfect day 10.1mi — 2h 19m
Mar 10, 2022
Randy Mace
With D
Mar 5, 2022
Matt Inman
The tail was in great shape. A few small mud puddles and a tree across the trail. 12mi — 90h 00m
Nov 16, 2021
John H
Went clockwise. don't do that, go counterclockwise 11.5mi

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Stewarded by Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC)
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