Life on LaCroix: Cape’s recreation trail provides six miles of traffic-free space to bike, run, walk, push strollers and enjoy the outdoors

France native and frequent runner Thomas Couvidat had only been living in Cape Girardeau for one week when he made his way to the Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail for the first time.

As he ran shirtless, sweaty and smiling, the new resident seemed to be settling into the community nicely.

Weaving its way beneath major roadways and through forested areas, the Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail acts as a junction connecting Cape Girardeau's network of parks.

For parents and children the paved pathway can guide an afternoon adventure, like that of 3-year-old Cora Briner, as she spent her birthday riding her Frozen themed bicycle with her father, Neil Briner, alongside to help navigate.

For fitness buffs like Scott Buescher of Fruitland, the route provides plenty of space to stay in shape. Buescher said he bikes anywhere from 20 to 25 miles on the trail three to four times a week.

Originally from France, Thomas Couvidat runs through the Cape Woods during his first visit to the LaCroix Recreation Trail on Aug. 25 in Cape Girardeau.

The trail also serves as a transit route with ample shade to help pedestrians, like TJ Thornton -- who had just finished a shift at Schnucks -- cross town while avoiding traffic.

Since its completion in 2000, the heavily-frequented trail has undergone multiple expansions and now spans 6.03 miles, according to the Parks and Recreation Department's website.

At its south end, the recreational roadway begins near Linden Street where it winds through Shawnee Park, traversing treelines and tunnels before reaching Bloomfield Road.

Jerry Kratochvil runs along the LaCroix Recreation Trail Aug. 25 in Cape Girardeau.

From Bloomfield, the trail continues beneath major Cape Girardeau motorways like Independence and Hopper Road before slicing through the Cape Woods and approaching Osage Park.

On the north end of the trail, walkers and riders can choose to end their route near Cape Splash or at an access point near the roundabout at Route W. For those who choose to see the trail to its conclusion, a 2010 expansion connected the Cape LaCroix Trail to Walden Park, ending at the mouth of Cape County Park North's walking trails.

As it provides community members with means for recreation and relaxation, the potential for future expansions of the trail seems plausible. One thing is for certain -- it connects community members in the simplest of ways, even if only a passing wave.