Clarifying Bangert Island's Wet Weather Trail Closure Policy
GORC continually receives questions asking why Bangert Island's trails are open - per the St. Charles County Parks Trail Hotline - when they are too wet to ride. In an attempt to clarify things, please remember the following;
- Bangert Island (Bangert) - and its trail system - is a Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) property. As such, it is governed by MDC rules and regulations.
- Bangert is leased to and managed by St. Charles County Parks (SCCP), for MDC [source: http://mdc4.mdc.mo.g...?txtAreaID=7606]. SCCP mainly performs tasks such as trash collection, signage installation and maintenance, trimming, and deadfall clearing. This has been the arrangement since Bangert opened and is nothing new.
- Since Bangert is an MDC property, the ONLY time the trails close is when the slough is under water. The SCCP's Trail Hotline for Bangert will announce the trails as closed only when this happens. Three inches of rain, freeze/thaw, melting snow, etc, have no effect on the Trail Closure policy.
- POLITE emails, and comments on the Park Survey (available for the last several years on http://www.sccmo.org...arks-Recreation) are two ways to communicate your thoughts and feelings on this. The County DOES read and listen to what is written, so please take a few moments to pass along what you think.
In the end it is up to you and the entire biking/runner/hiking community to use best judgment when deciding to enjoy Bangert. If it seems too wet then respectfully turn around and wait until conditions are better. Just because it's not closed doesn't mean it is always rideable without causing damage.
