Jon Schottler of the Mizzou Cycling Team chases down the best specimens of Rock Bridge trail. Music "Come Home" by Dire Wolf.

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is well known for the namesake stone bridge and other unique karst features like the Devil's Icebox cave, which is home to a species of flatworm found no where else on, or in the Earth. But this state park is also home to a species of trail known for being a fast, flowing network of XC single track that is close to home. The Rock Bridge trail system sits just south of Columbia off Hwy 163 and here it flows over a mix of smooth dirt, roots and rocks of the notable karst area.

Like the Devil's Icebox's flatworm, these trails deserve to be protected. The trails will be closed when too muddy. The closures are crucial to keeping the Rock Bridge trail system in good condition, please stay off when closed. To check the status of the trails, call the automated trail hotline at 573-442-2249.

Big Tree Loop Review from Brent Davidson on Vimeo.

Passing the namesake burr oak that is perhaps the most famous tree in Boone county, the Big Tree loop is a scenic 25 mile ride between Columbia and McBaine. It is well known and many riders enjoy this route on any given weekend. It is accessible by road from Columbia, or to avoid some traffic, via the MKT out of Columbia.

Rider Shannon Miller, music "Falling" by I am not Lefthanded.

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Elevation profile for the Big Tree loop.

Cosmopolitan Park Video Trail Review from Brent Davidson on Vimeo.

Tired of deciding what trails to ride simply by reading a two sentence description on a local website, we've decided to do most of our reviews in a video format. 

Here is a very local trail, Rhett's Run at Cosmo Park. It is about 2.5 miles and forms a winding loop with many optional trails feeding off of it. To access this trail head west under I-70 on Business Loop 70 till you see the Cosmopolitan Park sign on your right. Head straight through the roundabout and turn right towards the baseball/softball fields. The trail head is behind the easternmost field.

While this trail is technically always open, please stay off when too muddy to prevent ruts and other trail damage. Also, Rhett's Run intersects at points with the Cosmo Nature Trail, parts of which are seen in this video.

Check out Cosmo Park's web page, a map of the park, or Rhett's Run web page.