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Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard. Free to residents of Missouri.
A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages Missourians to find ways to connect with nature as the weather warms up, in ways consistent with COVID-19 health guidelines.
Careful use of conservation areas and mountain biking on Missouri’s public trails can provide excellent opportunities to embrace physical distancing, boost physical and mental health, and discover nature.
“Mountain biking is an exciting way to experience the outdoors, and MDC and our partners have trails for cyclists of all skill levels,” said MDC Recreational Use Specialist A.J. Campbell.
Mountain bikes offer trail users the ability to cover more distance than hiking, and experience more of Missouri’s diverse geography and ecological communities. Mountain biking also presents unique challenges and requires some preparation and planning to stay safe.
Always bike safely on Missouri trails:
MDC allows bicycles on conservation area roads and trails open to vehicle traffic, and on designated trails, except where posted. Conservation areas offer plenty of mountain biking opportunities across northeast Missouri, just a short drive from home. Learn more about these, and other mountain biking opportunities at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places, and download the MO Outdoors App for mobile devices.
Sugar Creek Conservation Area
Located west of Kirksville in Adair County. This area offers three trail loops: 2-, 3-, and 5-miles each, that can be combined to form a 10-mile loop. Cyclists can access the multi-use trails from multiple points on the area and ride through scenic, hilly woodlands. These trails are closed to bikes and horses during firearms deer hunting seasons and spring turkey hunting season. The area also offers primitive camping, a shooting range, and disabled-accessible privy.
Steyermark Woods Conservation Area
Located inside the city limits of Hannibal in Marion County. A single loop trail travels through the rich woodlands of the Mississippi River Hills in the area’s 73-acre tract, including old-growth forest, with diverse understory trees, shrubs, and ferns adorning the forest floor. Trailhead access from County Road 410 on the north side of the city. MDC worked with local volunteers to develop this trail.
Located north of Lewiston in Lewis County. This area offers approximately 17.4-miles of multi-use trails, winding through diverse woodlands and wetlands. The trail system consists of many loops of varying lengths and difficulty levels, allowing cyclists to customize their experience. The area also offers several shady primitive camping areas with picnic tables and fire rings. There are also multiple pavilions with picnic tables near the area’s 48-acre lake, fishing accesses, firearms and archery ranges, and disabled-accessible privies. These trails are closed to bikes and horses during firearms deer hunting seasons and spring turkey hunting season. The NEMO Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of Missouri helps MDC maintain this trail.
Located southwest of Kirksville in Adair County. This area offers a 1-mile trail segment that travels through grasslands and woods, eventually connecting users to the trails on neighboring Thousand Hills State Park. Cyclists can ride the 1-mile trail segment out-and-back or complete an additional 3-mile loop on Thousand Hills State Park before returning. Trailhead access located approximately 1-mile west of Kirksville at the end of County Road 226 (Rainbow Basin Trail). The area also offers primitive camping and several fishing ponds. F.L.A.T.S. helps the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and MDC maintain these trails.
Henry Sever Lake Conservation Area
Located approximately halfway between Kirksville and Quincy, IL, in Knox County. This area features a 6.5-mile trail that forms a partial loop around Henry Sever Lake. Cyclists can complete the loop by riding rural roads on the north and east side of the area. The trail provides great wildflower viewing opportunities in the spring and summer and wildlife viewing opportunities year-round. This area also offers several shady primitive camping areas with picnic tables and fire rings, as well as a pavilion with picnic tables near the area’s 158-acre lake. Trail access from the main parking lot on Missouri Highway KK just north of Newark. These trails are closed to bikes and horses during firearms deer hunting seasons and spring turkey hunting season.
Find other excellent mountain biking opportunities in central Missouri at Thousand Hills State Park near Kirksville, and Wakanda State Park near La Grange.