St. Louis Offers Many Happy Trails

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By March, most people are tired of the monotonous cardio that working-out indoors on treadmills and elliptical machines entails. Who knows what Missouri's bi-polar weather has in store for us in the next couple of months, but for now, there are enough nice days scattered throughout the weeks that it's time to start thinking about where you're going to work-out outdoors.

Sidewalks are an easy solution if you're going for a stroll around the neighborhood, but before you head out to pound the concrete, you might want to consider one of St. Louis' many trails instead. So whether you like to run, bike or hike, check out where a few of your fellow St. Louisans head when they want to get out on the trails for some exercise:

• Ryan S. likes to head to Forest Park, which is probably the most well-known outdoor exercise-friendly locale in St. Louis. He says that you can get a great ride or run in without ever having to leave the city. He also really enjoys Lost Valley, which he says offers great trails for an after-work ride that is somewhat challenging, but not too crazy.
• ToastedRav's own Jen D. says that hands down, Castlewood State Park is her favorite place in STL to bike or hike. Since the area is also open to equestrian use, you might have to watch out for piles of "waste," but the 15.5 miles of trails that the park offers are incredibly scenic. There are even seven different trails that are color coded along the way.
• Evie W. is a big fan of roller blading, and she says that she loves blading around the large lake in Creve Coeur Park. For something different, the roads in Babler State Park are wide and quiet enough for everyone to share the road. The 13 miles of hiking trails are pretty great, too.
• Like Ryan (and most of St. Louis for that matter), Tim M. really enjoys Forest Park, but he says that for longer runs and bike rides, heading down Page Avenue from St. Charles (by the bridge on the St. Charles side of the river) to Lake St. Louis is always pretty interesting. Then, when you get to Lake St. Louis, the five-mile ride around the lake is nice and refreshing.
• Alexa P. like to do her outdoor exercising on the Katy Trail, which starts before St. Charles and continues on past Sedalia. The small gravel on the wide, even trail makes it ideal for biking, especially with groups or small children, but it's runner friendly too.

Any other great trails around St. Louis that you're looking forward to exercising on?