Cyclists enjoy the
Mississippi River Trail
through Perry County and Southeast Missouri
The Mississippi River Trail stretches the length of the Mississippi River. Through eastern Missouri it mostly follows back roads for some 400 miles - from Hannibal past the St. Louis arch to a Mississippi River ferry in the Bootheel.
The original bike trail comes within 2.7 miles of Tower Rock Winery. The trail spans more than 220 miles in Southeast Missouri.
The marked bicycle route in St. Louis 9k PDF description South County is along Route 231 (Telegraph Road), then to US 61 from Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties through Cape Girardeau 10k PDF map.
In Perry County, at St. Mary, you could ride out onto Kaskaskia Island, a little piece of Illinois on the wrong side of the river. The Kaskaskia Bell is known as the 'Liberty Bell of the West'. It was a gift to the Catholic church of Kaskaskia from France in 1741. It is 11 years older than the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The first capitol of Illinois was on the island's eastern side.
In Perry County, we encourage you to use the original trail (not marked), which we believe is much more scenic. Southbound, just south of St. Mary, it turns southeast on Route H from US 61. Cyclists travel the Mississippi river bottoms near Kaskaskia Island and cross Missouri 51 within sight of limestone river bluffs around Chester. The route letter changes to "C" and gets into comfortable hills of Southeast Missouri wine country approaching Frohna and Altenburg. county map
Take a respite to stop and visit us at Tower Rock Winery. We're 2.7 miles east of the trail, and east of Altenburg on Route A. Then continue biking south on picturesque Route C, to Fruitland.
Cycling Southeast Missouri
The Mississippi River Trail then passes the Trail of Tears State Park which offers camping, hiking, nature walks and Native American history. The trail passes the Cape Rock river overlook in north Cape Girardeau.
It passes the downtown Cape Girardeau river and floodwall murals, and new river bridge construction. It leaves Cape on Routes 74 and 77 to Dutchtown, Chaffee, and Oran. Note the rocks here and and visualize the Mississippi River waters as they once made a shallow ocean of this area.
The MRT trail, on Route 77 past Oran, turns north to Benton and crosses I-55. Try the apple cider at Diebold Orchard on the I-55 service road. The long "Benton Hill" just north of I-55's exit 80 is the last hill you will see in Missouri. (You won't need to pedal it.)
The bike trail takes Routes D and N into Charleston (stately homes, azaleas in spring). Follow Route 105 to East Prairie, and 102 to the Dorena ferry. A new prison is visible. Big Oak Tree state park is down the road. Not far away, the Mississippi River ran backwards after a big New Madrid earthquake in 1812.
Tennessee has extensively developed its MRT trail between Reelfoot Lake State Park near Tiptonville, and Mud Island in Memphis (177 miles). The ride around Reelfoot Lake is 50 miles. From Tiptonville to Memphis is just over 100 miles. The route continues south through Mississippi Magnolia country and the Vicksburg civil war battleground, to New Orleans.
The trail is marked with signs like the one at right. The MODOT Missouri Highway Department in Sikeston says the Southeast Missouri MRT bicycle trail is now fully signed.
More about the MRT bike trail:
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10769 Hwy A |
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