Reply to katy-trail-to-downtown.aspx

I would recommend one more route (to get out of creve couer park).
It's sort of complicated, and there is still a massive hill. But you don't have to use the non-shoulder on marine.
It's hard to describe, but I posted the google map link here.
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:Amiot+Dr&hl=en&sll=38.698942,-90.48121&sspn=0.021168,0.038581&geocode=FWOYTgIdpi-b-g%3BFb9pTgId-CCb-g%3BFddiTgIdT0Cb-g%3BFVCbTgIdQH-b-g&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=mi&mrsp=3&sz=15&z=15

The southern-most tip of this route is actually a path of crushed rock (similar to the Katy).

Rather than the deathtrap hill on Marine, I'd take the Creve Coeur bike trail west after you drop into the park, veer to right around the circle and take the second right (which is really going straight ahead. The trail will take to Creve Coeur Mill Road, and a left turn will take you to Olive, where a left turn will take you to Mosely Road.

We just returned from riding route 1. Good route. We live in St Peters near the Katy trail. I think I'd still prefer the Marine Rd hill to riding out on Olive, especially in the area where you cross I-270, the traffic is always thick there. Next time we will take CC Mill road to Dorsett to McKelvey and turn east on Marine/Westport and follow route 1 from there.

would somebody be willing to post directions (something i can print out) from the Delmar metro link station to the Katy Trail in St. Charles. I"ll be pulling a small trailer and looking for a bike friendly route. Also how much time can i expect to do it in.

Thanks

This route is copied from the home page on this site. If you follow the route in reverse order from Forest Park (near Delmar Station) it will take you to Creve Couer Lake park, from which you can easily access the Katy.

Pretty direct, but some narrow roads & steep hills out of CCP:
1. Creve Coeur Park trail to Marine Road
2. Right on Marine, up winding narrow climb (no shoulder here, for about 0.4 mile)
3. Marine changes to Westport Drive (residential & office park)
4. Westport Drive changes to Craig Road - this is right around the time you cross Page Ave, about 2.25 miles from where you left Creve Coeur Park
5. From Page @ Craig, continue south 2.2 miles to Olive (residential). Left on Olive 0.3 mile (commercial) to Right/south on Mosley at next light
6. Mosley 1.2 miles (residential) to Left/east on Ladue Road
7. Ladue Rd 4.7 miles into Clayton (mostly residential, becoming commercial after crossing under I-170)
8. Right/south on Forsyth, which then curves to the east (high-rise commercial)
9. Continue on Forsyth 2.4 miles until reaching Forest Park (just after passing through Washington University and crossing Skinker). At Forest Park, ride on the paved trail, heading left/north. Glance to your left (west) for a nice view of Washington University's Brookings Hall.
10. Exit the paved trail after less than 1/10 mile, to Lindell Blvd heading east (park and exclusive residential, then urban commercial)
11. After about 4 miles on Lindell, its name changes to Olive St, just after crossing Grand Ave. Continue east on Olive (urban).
12. Olive takes you to the Arch grounds (about 2.75 miles after crossing Grand Ave, or 4.5 miles from the eastern edge of Forest Park)

While in Forest Park (steps 9-10), you can visit the St Louis Art Museum, History Museum, Zoo, or Science Center.

ovsa - First I would recommend getting off at the Forest Park Metrolink station rather than Delmar. The Delmar Loop (from the station westward for about a mile) is a fascinating and ecletic area with lots of interesting shops and restaurants, but the streets are tight and crowded and not great for biking.

If you do get off at Delmar, head West or South - not North. North from the station would take you into less safe neighborhoods.

As much as I love the routes provided on this website, you may find it easier to let Google define your route. Go to maps.google.com, and enter Katy Trail St Charles as the location. Then click Directions, and enter Forest Park Metro Station. Then, put your mouse over the "..." where you see the little car, bus, and pedestrian icons. A bike icon appears - click the bike.

That gives you the route that Google considers best for biking. It's a little over 20 miles. I've never ridden it, although I've ridden parts of it and am familiar with most of the streets, and it looks like a good route to me. The worst part is probably the section on Olive - a very busy street which has shoulders, but lots of bumps in that shoulder as you ride over the entrances to businesses and strip malls. But that's only a few miles.

For best results, avoid riding during rush hour, especially afternoon rush hour.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

thanks for all your responses.

i was looking a the map again and because i am picking up the bike at Big Shark (Delmar) it looks like the best route would be west on Delmar to N. Prince road, then north to Olive Blvd. West on Olive until i hit Creve Couer Mill road. That road takes me to C.C. Park Connector road which leads straight to the trail.

Just wondering about cycling on these roads, they look pretty busy but maybe wide enough for a safe shoulder or bike lane?. Any advice?

thanks again, hope the rain holds off for awhile

Given all the recent unrest in St. Louis and its environs, how dangerous is it to travel by bicycle from St. Charles to either Kirkwood or St. Louis?

I think the unrest has been in Ferguson. A small part of St. Louis that is mostly north and east of the route from Kirkwood to St. Charles. If you're not riding through at night you'd probably be alright as is with most other places in the world.

The Kirkwood route goes through upper-middle class suburbs. The only protestors you will encounter are people complaining about another Starbucks moving into the neighborhood.

The route to downtown is also safe. If you veer a mile or two north of the route when getting into the city, you might find yourself in some dicey areas. But you'll see plenty of cyclists along this route, especially around Forest Park.

During the Ferguson protests, the trouble and violence occurred later in the evenings. Everything has been peaceful during the daytime.

Ray - the middle-class suburbanites might just be protesting bike trails, as was the case in Des Peres the other day:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/connect-des-peres-neighborhoods-to-parks-with-sidewalks-and-trails/article_3333ee42-f2ba-5a89-8b12-6fb288838b52.html

Dave, sadly this happens EVERY TIME there's an attempt to expand a bike trail. I'm a little biased on the subject, but my observation is that the trails always end up improving quality of life for the neighborhood. And the "bad elements" that people fear never really materialize.