Map of bike paths / walking paths in the East St. Louis area

Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in the East St. Louis area of Illinois

The East St. Louis area includes the portion of Western Illinois that is situated just east of St. Louis, Missouri. This area is located in the counties of Madison and St. Clair. The communities in this area include Granite City, Madison, Glen Carbon, Maryville, East St. Louis and Edwardsville.

This area has numerous lengthy paved and unpaved recreational trails that span outward into the surrounding countryside as well as local paths located inside the urban area. These are trails for non-motorized use such as bike riding, walking and running. Madison County Transit, MCT, has over 100 miles of trails in its jurisdiction, many of which were constructed along abandoned railroad corridors.

MCT Confluence Trail

The MCT Confluence Trail is a 23-mile long paved pathway that heads to the north along the Mississippi River. The features of the trail include several parks, spectacular views of the boat traffic along the river and a 900 ft. long bridge over Wood River Creek.

Read more about the MCT Confluence Trail

Sam Vadalabene Great River Road Trail

The Sam Vadalabene Great River Road Trail is a 20.4 mile long paved pathway that follows alongside the Mississippi River northwest of Alton, Illinois. Portions of the trail are separate from Highway 100, but there is an 8.3-mile long section that consists of bike lanes adjacent to the roadway. The trail offers nice views of the river with the boat and barge traffic.

The south end of the trail is located in the north side of Afton at Highway 100 and McInerney Street. The north end of the trail is located near Pere Marquette State Park.

Read more about the Sam Vadalabene Great River Road Trail

MCT Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail

The MCT Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail is a 12.2-mile long paved path that extends from W. Main Street in Glen Carbon to the community of Marine. The trail intersects the MCT Nickel Plate Trail in Glen Carbon.

MCT Nature Trail

The MCT Nature Trail is a 14.7-mile long paved pathway that extends from Granite City to the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

MCT Quercus Grove Trail

The MCT Quercus Trail is a 18.9-mile long paved and unpaved pathway that extends from E. Schwarz Street and Springer Avenue in Edwardsville toW. 6th Street and S. Union Street in the community of Staunton. The south end of the MCT Quercus Trail intersects the MCT Nickel Plate Trail in Edwardsville.

There is a break in the trail at Jerusalem Road at 3/4 of a mile west of State Route 157. Trail users can travel along Jerusalem Road to reach the next section of the trail. There is another short gap within Hamel and another at Spangle Road.

Read more about the MCT Quercus Grove Trail

MCT Schoolhouse Trail

The MCT Schoolhouse Trail is a 15.5-mile long paved path that extends from Highway 203 in Madison to where it intersects the MCT Goshen Trail in Maryville.

MCT Nickel Plate Trail

The MCT Nickel Plate Trail is a 28.7-mile long paved trail that extends from Old Edwardsville Road in Pontoon Beach to the community of New Douglas.

Read more about the MCT Nickel Plate Trail

MCT Goshen Trail

The MCT Goshen Trail is an 8.8-mile long paved trail that extends from Interstate 55 in Collinsville to Hoppe Park in Edwardsville where it intersects the MCT Watershed Trail.

MCT Watershed Trail

The MCT Watershed Trail is a 5-mile long paved path that extends from W. High Street in Edwardsville to Wanda Road in Edwardsville. The trail intersect the MCT Goshen Trail near Hoppe Park.

Metro Bike Link Trail

The Metro Bike Link Trail consists of about 8 miles of paved pathway located in Belleville and Swansea in St Claire County. The trail extends from Frank Scott Parkway W to S. Green Mountian Road. The trail intersects the  East Belleview Bikeway east of N. Illinois Street. The trail goes past the Belleview Metrolink Station, the Swansea Metrolink Station, the Memorial Hospital Metrolink Station and the campus of SWIC Southwestern Illinois College.

There is a short gap in the trail south of Carlyle Avenue where trail users need to use streets to get to the next section of the trail.

East Bellview Bikeway

The East Belleview Bikeway is a 4-mile long paved path located in the community of Belleview. The meandering path follows the greenbelt along Richland Creek. The route spans from Old Collinsville Road to W. Cleveland Avenue. The bikeway goes through Centennial Park, intersects with the Metro Bike Link Trail, goes past Franklin Elementary School and Hough City Park and wraps around Khoury League City Park.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in East St. Louis in Western Illinois.