By Jim Low - This comprehensive guide includes more than 700 miles of foot, bicycle and equestrian trails on 136 conservation areas statewide.

Jefferson City, Mo. - infoZine - Do you avoid exercise because you find treadmills and stationary bicycles boring? Do you shun competitive sports because of the potential for injuries? If so, the Missouri Department of Conservation has a stimulating, healthy alternative: walking trails at conservation areas (CAs).

Although CAs are best known for hunting, fishing, birding and nature photography, they also have more than 700 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. With National Trails Day coming up June 3, now is a great time to discover these little-known recreational assets. The Conservation Department plans to release a new guide in June to help Missourians discover these hidden gems.

The American Hiking Society sponsors National Trails Day on the first Saturday in June each year. It encourages local hiking groups to organize events to introduce people to the health benefits and fun of leisurely strolls, brisk walks or marathon hikes. The Society's web site (www.americanhiking.org/events/ntd/events.html) lists events.

For those who want to strike out on their own, hiking trails at CAs are made to order. Two hundred-sixteen designated trails stretch hundreds of miles on 136 areas. These trails range from paved to primitive and from .1 miles to 22 miles. They traverse some of Missouri's most beautiful landscapes, including swamps and barren glades, deep forests and rolling, tall-grass prairies All are covered in the third edition of the Conservation Department's 102-page Conservation Trails book.

Conservation Department Trails Coordinator Teresa Kight said the revised book features more trails and has a comprehensive list of trails on CAs.

"Besides listing all the trails, it highlights popular trails on 40 areas," said Kight. "The featured areas include maps and details of what you can see along the trails."

The book groups trails by region, making it easy to find a hiking spot near home. A description of Missouri landscape types helps users anticipate what they will find in different regions, and a practical "Trail Tips, Tools and Rules" section helps novices get started.

The Conservation Department expects to release the book in June. It will be available from MDC Nature Shop, P.O. Box 180 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, phone (877) 521-8632 or by visiting www.mdcnatureshop.com to order online. The guidebook also will be available at conservation nature centers and regional service centers statewide.

Until Conservation Trails appears on shelves, you can use the Conservation Department's free online Conservation Atlas database to find hiking trails on CAs. Go to www.mdc.mo.gov/trails/. Choose the type of trail you are interested in, or search by county or conservation area name and the database will produce a list of hot links to brochures and maps of CAs with trails.

Once you discover the joys of hiking on CAs, you might want to take an interest in your favorite area by adopting a trail there. Maintaining more than 700 miles of trail is a big job, and the Conservation Department welcomes volunteer help. The Adopt-A-Trail Program lets trail users take an active role in conservation by monitoring, maintaining and enhancing trails and trailhead facilities.

Common trail maintenance tasks include clearing loose rocks, sticks and branches that accumulate on trail surfaces, cutting back limbs and brush, cleaning water bars and drainage ditches, clearing debris from bridges, stairs and viewing decks and picking up trash.

For more information about the Conservation Department's Adopt-A-Trail Program, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/trails/adopt.htm or write to Adopt-A-Trail Coordinator, Wildlife Division, MDC, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.