The Best Hiking Trails in Missouri

The Katy Trail is one of the longest rails-to-trails projects in the USA. Stretching about 240 miles across most of Missouri, this long-distance path is a popular multi-day cycling route. Shorter sections are also fantastic for hiking and running....

For hikers in the St. Louis area, the River Scene Trail is not to be missed. It makes a loop with the top of the stone bluffs and the bank of the Meramec River....

Powder Valley offers a much-needed escape to nature in the St. Louis metro area. It’s a pocket of hilly forest tucked between neighborhoods and two busy interstates. So while you can’t fully lose the sound of the highway, you can find more greenery and tranquility than you might expect this close to the city....

Rockwoods Reservation has several trails, and Lime Kiln Loop is one of the most highly rated. It covers the base and spine of a wooded ridge, passing rocky outcrops, trickling creeks, and various forest types....

Lone Elk Park is an unexpected gem in the St. Louis area. It’s a wildlife park with elk and bison on the roam. Such fauna were hunted out of Missouri centuries ago, but these re-introduced herds now thrive in a protected fragment of their former habitat....

The hike starts on a paved path leading to a small picnic area, and that’s where the loop portion begins. It’s a natural surface trail through familiar Missouri forest, with various deciduous species covering rolling hills....

Named for the explorers who traveled up the Missouri River to eventually reach the Pacific Ocean, the Lewis and Clark trails explore a small piece of that historic route along the mighty Missouri River....

Sitting in the Trail of Tears State Park, the Lake Trail begins near the park's visitor center and winds its way around the tranquil waters of Lake Boutin. The trailhead is easily accessible from the main parking area, so access is simple....