QCC 2025B - Queen City Guided Tour

This is the guided tour/trail route option for the Queen City Century. The route is a circuit of some of the best trails, scenery, and historic attractions of the Springfield area.

You can make a shorter out & back route by turning around at Smith Park - about 6 miles total. The 6 miles back from Smith Park to the start line is on your own (not guided tour).

Route highlights:

- Butterfield Stage station location (Park Central Square)

- Many historic markers, points of interest, Civil War (Park Central Square)

- Springfield Brewery District

- Historic Route 66 & Bicycle Route 66. Our route follows historic Route 66 along St. Louis Street from Lexington Avenue to Jefferson Avenue passing the Route 66 Car Museum, College Street Cafe, Birthplace of Route 66 Roadside Park, Hubcaps on Route 66 sculpture, and Bud's Tire and Wheel. Springfield was the birthplace of Route 66 & the Route 66 association met for many years at the Kentwood Arms Hotel on St Louis Ave. See an extensive local tour or Route 66 sites here: maps.springfieldmo.gov/rt66

- Historic Rutledge Wilson Farm

- Historic Butterfield Stage Route between Springfield and Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (railroad crossing west of Nathaniel Greene/Close Park - the historic trail closely followed the present-day railroad corridor)

- Trail of Tears route through Springfield and historic marker on the South Creek Greenway Trail

- Historic Gray/Campbell Farmstead, Botanic Garden, Kickapoo Edge Prairie, Lake Drummond at Nathaniel Green/Close Park

- Jordan Creek Greenway

- Silver Springs Park

- Pythian Castle

- Phelps Grove Park

- The Link - Springfield's north/south bikeway connector using a series of beautiful, low traffic/low stress neighborhood streets.

The route visits or crosses several of the statewide and national bicycle touring routes that MoBikeFed helps develop and maintain in Missouri:

Bicycle Route 66 (USBR 66) - Springfield: mobikefed.org/missouri-bicycle-maps-and-routes#route66

USBR 51: Springfield Park Central Square: mobikefed.org/missouri-bicycle-maps-and-routes#usbr51

Butterfield Stage Experience mostly gravel bicycle route: Springfield
Park Central Square and trail sections on the SW portion of the loop: mobikefed.org/ButterfieldStageExperience

Find out more about the Queen City Century or register for the ride here: QueenCityCentury.org