Located in southwestern St. Charles County, Klondike Park is a 250-acre park, acquired by the County in 1999. This park lies adjacent to Highway 94, the Katy Trail and the Missouri River. In the past, the Klondike Park site was the scene of quarry operations to mine the high-silica sand, and is a study of nature’s resiliency.
There is a surprisingly wide range of trails in this park for a rather small area. It can be divided roughly into 2 sections: the western side with the Powerline, Strip Mine, Donjo’s, and Donkey Kong trails; and the eastern side with the Hogsback trail. Both of these sections can be ridden as a complete loop by making use of some of the paved and gravel bike paths in the park.
The trails on the western side are for the most part, rockier and more technical, featuring the flowy, curvy Powerline trail, and the advanced, uber-technical Strip Mine and Donkey Kong trails. Nearly everyone will end up putting a foot down, or even walking some sections of these trails. They are not recommended for beginners, but will prove a challenging and rewarding ride for more skilled bike handlers.
On the eastern side, the Hogsback will take you on a thrilling ride beginning on top of the bluffs, and sending you rapidly down a screaming descent with super-tight switchbacks, a 40 ft. sandstone ledge, exposed slopes and even some short but tough climbing near the bottom.
A number of newer trails have been built in the central and western sections of the park to test your technical skills: Rock Crusher, Moh Joe, Ed’s Basement, Tombstone, and Ayre Flow.
Because of the sandy, rocky soil on the western side, these trails generally drain well, and can be ridden fairly soon after rain. The Hogsback, however, is on a north-facing slope and the lower areas see little sun and are very slow to dry. It can be very muddy and slippery, so it’s recommended to avoid it immediately after rain.
Some technical skill structures are being added to the park. Two teeters and 2 drops have been constructed on Powerline already with more to follow.
