Lost Valley

 

Difficulty Rating: Beginner to Intermediate

Type: Loop

Directions:
From the Highway 40/94 interchange: Take Highway 94 South approximately 5 miles. The trailhead parking lot will be on your right hand side. It is not very well identified as “Lost Valley”. A good landmark is the shooting range at the top of a hill on the right hand side of Hwy 94. When you descend that hill the parking lot will be on your right hand side, at the very bottom. It can also be accessed by going 7.2 miles east on the Katy Trail from Klondike Park.

Description:
The name comes from the bootleggers who once made use of the area, getting lost among the numerous hollows. It was also near the site of an ammunition works and uranium processing plant which necessitated the cleanup that lies under the large mound on Hwy. 94. Now, the trail is a 9 mile loop with a mixture of double and singletrack punctuated with old homesteads, rock formations, natural springs, and a waterfall crossing. This is a very scenic and enjoyable mountain bike experience. The trail has gone from essentially having no singletrack to nearly 3 miles in a matter of a couple of years. The gravel/doubletrack sections are fairly flat, with the exception of 2 big climbs. The singletrack sections are super flowy and will reward you with great views and better riding. There is a central fire road that cuts the loop almost in half which can be used to shorten or lengthen your ride.

Trail surface varies from dirt to rock throughout the trail, and drains very well, except in the flats of the lower creek bottom, and meadow areas.

The trail is open until 10 pm, so it's a good place to ride at night.

Maps:

View High Res Map (Adobe Acrobat 135KB)

 

About Lost Valley:
The total contiguous acreage of Weldon Spring, Howell Island and the Busch Conservation Area is 16,918 acres, 7,356 of which comprise Weldon Spring. The area was named for John Weldon, who received a Spanish land grant in 1796 for 425 acres. Nearly 150 years later, during World War 11, the government acquired 17,000 acres here for the construction of a munitions plant. It was then owned by the University of Missouri and in 1978, the Conservation Department acquired this property. Along the road, you'll notice a fine chart trail that looks like the Katy Trail, except that it has WARNING signs posted on all sides. The government has cleaned up the old munitions plant where atom-bomb research was done during World War I. You can see the result and learn the history of the area at the Interpretive Center located at the Mound, located approximately two miles down highway 94 from I-40.