St. Joe Park? The Katie Trail? No, ruins of old mining villages... Exploring 252 year old ridge roads and ruins means reliving the patterns left from settlements long since gone. Follow new roads paved with asphalt then duck up into chat roads and trails abandoned even centuries ago. Follow mining haul roads only wide enough for a team of oxen up to the Discovery Mines on top of one of the highest hills in Jefferson or Ste. Francois County and see for 5 ridges.

"From the Radio Tower, I rode downhill for miles. Pack a lunch and something cold to drink. I wish I had."

Legend has it that Valles Mines holds 8 Secrets. So far we found 6 villages: Halifax, oldtown Valles Mines, Prospect School, Tunnel Station, The Discovery Mines and The Garottee Mine. Mining ended 80 years ago but the roads and trails still connect to somewhere. The Rock Road forms a central 5.5 mile ring road that goes to the General Store in the old town, Tunnel Station and The Discovery Mines. It joins French Village Road at Buster (Cemetery) Crossing and from Halifax goes (eventually) to Ste. Genevieve. You cannot get farther away from the city and still be this close by. Start at the ATT Tower to begin at the top where it's downhill ride for miles.

Or stay entiely on paved County Roads. From the General Store past the Old Dairy Farm to Hardin Road past Cole Lake to Silver Springs Roads to Berry Road past the Radio Tower back to Valles Mines School Road to the General Store makes it 12 miles around the outside of the property on paved county roads (except for a 1/2 mile of Valles Mines School). lf you like the Katie Trail, try the MRBT Right of Way. Not St. Joe Park. But right near by (we sold them the park).

Visitors need permission ( you purchase a seasonal or daily permit )

Call 636-586-3680 to buy a permit, get directions, orientation, etc. We are privately owned and carry our own insurance and taxes. So buying a permit helps our efforts to maintain the lands you ride over as well as our efforts to preserve wildlife and upgrade our timber stands. Call the Superintendent at 636-586-3680 for details or contact us by email.

The place takes some getting used to. Many square miles with abandoned county roads, trails, lakes, lookout points, etc. make it possible to get lost easily, often for hours. If this is not what you wanted to do, we recommend you stay on familiar trails to start with. Compass or GPS users might like to download our GPS map. If you use quad sheets for your maps, you will need Halifax, Bonne Terre, French Village or Vineland, depending on where you go.

 

 

POSSIBLE TEST ROUTE

• Park at the General Store (14117 Valles Mines School Road), ride past the old smelter chimney to county Road V,
• LT 100 yds. to the Valles Mines Post Office (63087) on county V-Road, past Huck's. Take on supplies. Last call for munchies. LT on Sunrise School briefly,
• LT on Valles Mines [not 'School', that's back where you started] Road. The road bends at Buster Cemetery so you're approaching the Lakes (check the Canada geese on Lake Mina).
• Go 1/4 mile, after the Old Dairy Farm property on the right and after the S turns, the road will T into Hardin Road. Turn left.

After you come down a long hill, turn LT at Cole Lake onto Silver Springs Road.

 

• Turn left on Berry Road/Old Hwy 67. Pass the Radio Tower on the left, bear left onto Valles Mines School Road [If you T into a major highway, Hwy 67, you have gone too far. If you see a trailor with concrete deer in the front yard on your right, you're going the right way on Valles Mines School Road].
• After the blacktop road, there is still a short patch of old fahioned country road (unpaved and downhill) so heads up. Follow this past 14161 Valles Mines School Road to 14117 to return to your car.

 

To download a better map with the roads, click here.

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