Apr 02, 2020

Mountain bike trail through Missouri River bluffs possible

Posted Apr 02, 2020 4:30 PM

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

A mountain bike trail could make its way through the wilds of the Missouri River bluffs in St. Joseph.

Bids will be taken on building a trail through the bluffs east of the Missouri River near the St. Jo Frontier Casino and the Runge Nature Center.

St. Joseph city councilmember P. J. Kovac says while the council has agreed to spend $3.9 million of transient tax money on the project, bids still must be within that budget.

Kovac says biking trails have gained in popularity over the years.

“We’ve got probably as many biking trails as most cities in the country,” Kovac says a guest on the KFEQ Hotline. “They’ve really expanded. Originally, I wasn’t real crazy about them, but they seem to be just more popular than ever and they get a lot of people coming in from out of town using them.”

Kovac says extending the mountain bike trails through the Missouri River bluffs could give tourism a big boost.

“There’s a lot of people really into them and the public seems to really like it,” Kovac says. “Nationwide, it’s a big thing. Like I say, they do get a lot of tourists in that bring their bikes, just use the trails, and head back home.”

Under the proposal, a mountain bike trail would cut through undeveloped land along the Missouri River bluffs.