Katy Trail Forum

If there is a good bike riding route from Kansas City airport to an western part of the trail, we would prefer that. Otherwise, is there a Greyhound bus or shuttle?



One of us is blind so we'll be on a tandem (it'll be boxed on the plane and can stay that way if we use a motor vehicle). It usually doesn't fit on a city bus.



Thanks for any answers and advice.

Call B & L Airport Shuttle @660-221-4406 and they will take you and your bike to the start of the trail or anywhere else you need to go.

Here is a site with maps of on-road bike routes in Missouri.
http://www.mobikefed.org/mobikemap2004/ (See maps for Districts 4 and 5)

Since the airport is on NW side of KC you can take routes around KC on the north and east, and hook up with the KATY at Clinton, Windsor, Sedalia or Boonville. Or else get a ride to the south side of KC and work your way east to the KATY.

Also, Amtrack runs from downtown KC to Sedalia.

Getting from KC Airport to the trail is not easy. If you just want to ride the trail, I have a suggestion. Fly to St.Louis and get transportation to Old town St. Charles. You might want to call 'The Touring Cyclist' bike shop in old town they may be able to help get you from the airport to old town. I think the number is 636-949-9630. Ask for Chris. If he is still there, he is great. Ride west to Sedalia and take the train back. AMTRACK will take your bike for $10. St Charles is only about 20 miles from the airport. KC airport is about 100 miles from the trail.

Is it possible to take Amtrak from Sedalia to Kansas City airport?

A long shot, but I'll mention it anyway. A person flying in to Columbia Regional Airport is only about 5 miles or so from hooking up to the trail south of Easley via lightly traveled country roads. Just saying.

No. Amtrak will take you to Union Station, several miles south of KCI.

The AMTRAK website says there is no checked baggage on the Missouri River Runner. That route does have "roll-aboard" bike service, but only standard-sized bikes.

Seems like the best option is a shuttle services from St Louis to where ever you want to start your ride. They can likely store the tandem box and get you back to the airport at the end of your trip.

The other option is to do an out-and-back round trip ride on the KATY. You could rent a minivan or pickup truck in KC or STL and drive to the trail. The cost of rental car might be similar to the cost of a shuttle depending on how long you need it.

The best way is to take a bus from KCI to the Amtrack station in KC, hop off at Lee's Summit and then pedal to Pleasant Hill where you can meet the terminus of the current Rock Island line.After a pedal of some 50 miles you arrive in the town of Windsor which is the penultimate town on the Katy trail. If you want to stay overnight at the Haysler House B&B we can rescue you for free and drive you to Clinton.;)

I'm planning to do the Katy Trail W to E, next summer (2020) + some more after than. I see different options to getting from the Kansas City International Airport to the trailhead in Clinton.
(1) a shuttle service, gets you there but rather expensive (>$100).
(2) on weekdays, take city bus from airport to downtown and then Lee's Summit Bus (afternoon only) to Lee's Summit, then ride to Pleasant Hill, take Rock Island Spur Trail to Post Oak, the road to Clinton -- that's about 65 mi, or a day's ride to get there. So 5-6 hrs flight + 24 hrs getting to Clinton = approx 30 hrs. (Cheap, <$15)

Alternatively, a 37 hr Greyhound ride (Ottawa, ON 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 a.m. (+2 days) Clinton, MO) is about 60% the cost of flying and leaves me in downtown Clinton, with no messing around. I've travelled on Greyhound before without any issues, but 37 hrs might be pushing my luck :-)

For others, there's a 9:00 a.m. Greyhound from Kansas City, MO to Clinton, MO every weekday (I'm not sure about weekends.

Any thoughts, alternatives, horror stories, roads to avoid like the plague (bad surface, insane traffic)?

Thanks, G. Dodds

Are you planning to go to Clinton, or will you start at Pleasant Hill and take the Rock Island Spur?

If you don't mind a little bit of on street bike riding, then there are several nice trails that you can link together from the airport. The question is will you have your bike ready to go right from the airport and do you mind short sections of on street city bike riding? I don't know if you will have a bike case that needs to be stored or if you will just be unpacking a cardboard box at the airport. I would be happy to help you map something out if that is what you are looking for.

TO: Mark from Lee's Summit

Yes, my bike would be "ready to go" at the airport (after minor assembly) no cases or other items besides what would be in the rear paniers. So, what would be the best, safest and preferably shortest route from the airport to Clinton. I've been a cycling courier in downtown Montreal, so city traffic doesn't bother me too much -- within limits -- Could you suggest a route? Thanks. G. Dodds

You probably already know but it's a hundred miles from KCI to Clinton. The city buses will probably not fit your tandem and Amtrak only takes regular bikes. I have lived and biked in Kansas city for many years, this trip would be a major undertaking. If you feel you must ride to the Katy trail maybe check out Adventure cycling's Lewis and clark route it goes through Platte City (which is not to far from KCI) to Booneville, you could modify the destination. Missouri roads usually don't have shoulders except for main ones like 7 hi way and such. Google maps street view is an excellent resource to check out roads for shoulders and sight lines.

If it were me I would fly into St Louis Lambert airport and shuttle or ride from there to Katy Trail. I believe there are routes on this sight to accomplish this ride. Google maps street view is an excellent resource to check out roads for shoulders and sight lines.
Have a good trip
Allen

Let me start by saying that I like mixing in urban city trail riding with my long distance rails to trails trips. For instance, I loved riding through Downtown Milwaukee during my bike trip across Wisconsin. Linking up separate trails with 5-6 miles of cross city riding is fun for me as long as I stay on low volume side streets. I can follow up with a full route if you want, but it is between 65 and 70 miles to Pleasant Hill where you will pick up the Rock Island Spur trail that then leads to the Katy Trail and Clinton if you really want to go to the start of the trail. There are hotels and other places to stay if you are arriving mid-day at the airport and can't get through the city on the first day. Plus there are sites and restaurants that are great stopping points along the way if you are interested. I will follow up this post with another one that starts to describe my preferred route. You can follow it on Google Maps and just let me know if you want me to go into more detail or even provide my contact information if you need more details...Mark

Alright, go to Google Maps, turn on the Bicycling layer and let's go for a ride from the KCI/MCI airport! Once you leave the airport terminal, you ride to the end of the building and you will see an angled sidewalk that leads to another roadway loop beneath the main shuttle entrance. That roadway is the employee entrance loop and you will ride clockwise around that road called Bogota Circle. From Bogota Circle, you will turn right on Brasilia Avenue, left on Paris Street, and then right onto Mexico City Avenue. Take Mexico City off of the airport property over I-70 and then right on 132nd, right on Winan, left on 128th, and then right onto Heady. At NW Cookingham you will have to make a short jog across the road in order to continue south on Congress Avenue where that road eventually turns into Ambassador Drive which is a nice wide parkway. Once you reach Old Tiffany Springs Parkway in a couple of miles, you will see that the sidewalk along the left side of the parkway has turned into a nice, wide concrete trail. That is the start of a nice 20 mile bike trail network. Follow that trail down to the 152 Highway Trail that turns to the left after a few hundred feet. Go 1.7 miles east and then turn south on the long Line Creek Trail that will start taking towards the Missouri River and Downtown Kansas City. Take the Line Creek Trail 7 miles south to Vivion Road where you will have to link up to Klamm Road and the Vivion Trail Connector that links up with the Interurban Trail that runs all the way to Briarcliff Parkway. Even though it is pretty flat, Highway 9 stinks and has too much high speed traffic, so I would just use the sidewalks along Briarcliff Parkway and bike up the long hill to North Oak Trafficway where you will turn right and get to ride down a steep hill even though there is quite a bit of traffic on that 4 lane road. At the bottom of the North Oak Trafficway hill you will want to turn left onto 32nd Avenue and get back on smaller sidestreets. Turn right onto Swift Street and take that road south through North Kansas City to 9th Street, then turn right to link up to the separated bike trail over the Missouri River along Route 9.

That gets you to Downtown Kansas City...I can get you all the way to Pleasant Hill using a mix of sidestreets and nice urban trails if you want. Just let me know...Mark

Hey, Mark, can you get me to Pleasant Hill from Union Station? Riding cross state next month. Thanks!

You can actually start the Katy trail ride in Pleasant Hill Mo. It's roughly 10-12 miles from Lee's Summit. The Rock Island trail connects to the Katy trail and Windsor Mo.

There are ways to get to Pleasant Hill from KC but I'd suggest just driving (or getting dropped off) down since you'd want to be familiar with the back roads before venturing down some unknown stretches.

Frank...there are 3 Amtrak stations in the Kansas City area, Union Station near Downtown KC, Independence, and Lee's Summit. I can give you the route from any of the three.

Hello,

Is there a good shuttle service that can pick me up at the Independence Amtrak station to a hotel near the Rock Island Trail head at the Rock Island Trail Stadium Parking lot?

Thank you!

There is a very nice bike friendly route from Kansas City Union Station to the Stadium Complex that begins the Rock Island Trail. The city has completed a separated cycle track to the Plaza area and then there are paved bike trails heading east towards the Stadium Complex. You only need to ride on roads for the last 2 miles near the Stadium complex. If you are planning on riding the Rock Island to the Katy Trail, then you already need to plan for some on road riding because the Rock Island Trail has an 8 mile gap between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill. Let me know if you need help mapping out the best route.

Wow!!!! Yet again Joey was absolutely amazing!!!!! She is the best hostess we have ever had on the trail! Her place is walking and of course biking distance from the trailhead and her hospitality is like coming home to your favorite aunt! In the morning she home cooks the most delicious breakfast!!!! We have stayed here many years in the past and will continue to stay with her as long as she has an open door!

Had a great experience with Katy Trail Tours & Shuttle. Greg was very helpful with some trip planning and very accommodating on short notice. We started a short ride in Clinton on May 26, 2023 and Greg shuttled our vehicle to Sedalia. The shuttle service allowed us to bike one way without using two cars. This was well worth the reasonable cost and allowed us to enjoy a part of trail we hadn't ridden yet.

They were very busy with Pedaler's Jamboree that weekend, but took care of us perfectly on short notice. Very trustworthy and helpful. Highly recommend! Thank you!

We had a great stay at Kim's Cabins, LLC in Windsor on May 26, 2023. She has four cabins spaced on her lot, just a few feet from the Katy Trail, close to the junction with the Rock Island Trail.

Our cabin was very clean and comfortable with good air conditioning. Each cabin has a nice front porch for relaxing. Kim was very helpful and friendly. She is an advocate for extending the Rock Island Trail and shared some insight on the progress. Highly recommend staying here.

We started in Clinton and had our vehicle shuttled to Sedalia by Katy Trail Tours & Shuttle (also highly recommended). Biked to Windsor, had a great stay and checked out the town, and biked just past Sedalia to Beaman, and back to Sedalia.

What a splendid experience to stay here after 62 miles of riding (Day 1) from Clinton. My Grandson and my first time riding the entire trail. Jerry’s knowledge of the area and history , and entertaining personality made this stay a 5 star + stay. Every detail of our stay made us feel welcomed and special. In a world where customer service is being replaced by voice machines and text messages Jerry stands out with extra ordinary service. To boot, Jerry is a great chef! From accommodating us with a late arrival, dietary restrictions, to loaning a few tools we had all the assistance needed. Needless to stay, we highly recommend the Katy Junction B & B and Jerry. He is also close to Arrow Rock ! Thanks Jerry for a great time.

Curt and Zeke

What a splendid experience to stay here after 62 miles of riding (Day 1) from Clinton. My Grandson and my first time riding the entire trail. Jerry’s knowledge of the area and history , and entertaining personality made this stay a 5 star + stay. Every detail of our stay made us feel welcomed and special. In a world where customer service is being replaced by voice machines and text messages Jerry stands out with extra ordinary service. To boot, Jerry is a great chef! From accommodating us with a late arrival, dietary restrictions, to loaning a few tools we had all the assistance needed. Needless to stay, we highly recommend the Katy Junction B & B and Jerry. He is also close to Arrow Rock ! Thanks Jerry for a great time.

Curt and Zeke

Is it possible to hammock camp here?

Thanks!

I have replied with a panoramic photo of the area, but it is a link, which requires approval. Ray will approve it shortly, I am sure.

Looks like it. https://goo.gl/maps/Uy1U5c5pV3Sjtc81A

This was posted two times. In the other response the indication was that hammocks were not preferred.

Bill suggests that it looks like it is possible to hammock camp in the park. Dunno, but I see a difference between something being possible and it being allowed.

When looking at the panoramic photo I see a tent between two rather large trees. Two signs in the photo near the tent...."Tent Camping Only."

Hammock camping may be possible, but it doesn't appear that it's preferred.

Good point. I took "Tent Camping Only" to mean that they didn't want trailers or campervans to park there. But maybe it means that only tents are permitted.

The state, and a few other sources, also mentions the nearby American Legion ball fields as a place to camp.
American Legion Park Camping, First Street south past River Road, 573-818-8343

Best thing I could tell anyone who asks is that the sign says "Tent Camping Only."

I have mixed thoughts on the Vin. We stayed here years ago and things were a bit different this time. We had no human contact with the staff. Codes for doors and instructions were texted and emailed and everywhere they had cameras watching. Maybe it was covid aftereffects. Who knows. It just felt like some sci-fi movie or something.

Now, if you're good with that, you'll like it. First off, for Hermann, it's inexpensive. It's close to everything in the downtown district. The rooms have comfy mattresses and Keurig coffee makers. There's a secure bike storage room with a different code for entering. The lobby has filtered water and nugget ice. It's rather quaint. They even have actual keys for the rooms.

I stayed there in September 2021 and did interact with staff checking in and storing my bike. Enjoyed my stay and although I’m not high maintenance I do expect things to be nice, taken care of and updated….this is why I choose nicer places to stay and pay more for that. Maybe I actually am high maintenance because on my six day cross state ride I credit card camped, but I had clean clothes, body, no ticks/mosquito bites and good rest. I would stay there again. From the previous response I recalled that this hotel also markets itself as an AirBnB and perhaps that business model is what they prefer…..I suspect this is actually the owners “small business” and maybe they need personal time since they are always at work (assuming they stay on site or nearby)

Hmmm, we have had the "no human" treatment at several places. Trying to think which we like best. I'd say we definitely prefer it to some of the errr clingier hosts. But too many cameras can definitely give one the heebie jeebies. Thanks for the info!!

Got here on a Wednesday around 5:00 and there were no customers. Ordered our food and sat down and the riders started flooding in. Nice place. Open patio with garage doors to open it up. The menu is mostly single serve pizzas with some appetizers. Pizza choices are good. We had a classic cheese and sausage and a BBQ chicken with onions. Didn't feel like beer after riding all day so we went with soft drinks, but the beer menu looked good. Would stop here again.

Did anyone notice that our beloved Mo Farm Bureau got the $70 million dollars pulled for development of this trail?

As Paul Harvey would have said, "Now for the rest of the story."

From MO Bike Fed article May 27, 2023:

AND WHAT WENT WRONG
The short and simple answer is: Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough of Springfield.

Both in 2022 and 2023, Senator Lincoln Hough of Springfield has been the key opponent of Rock Island Trail funding. In 2022, Hough was vice-chair of the Appropriations Committee and had the ear of the committee chair. In 2023, Hough was named chair of the committee, where is voice is even stronger.

Hough is personal friends with members of the key family who opposes development of Rock Island Trail State Park, and members of the family have made campaign contributions to Hough's campaign committee. If you search the July 15, 2022 "Friends Of Lincoln Hough campaign committee contributions report (local copy), it is pretty clear exactly who the family is.

THE GOOD NEWS: OPPOSITION FROM A FEW WEALTHY, POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS IS UNFORTUNATE, BUT HAVING LITTLE LONG-TERM AFFECT ON ROCK ISLAND TRAIL PLANS AND DEVELOPMENT

The good news is, the Rock Island Trail corridor is still owned by State Parks and that will not be changing any time soon.
The dynamic that is going on right now is that a few very wealthy and influential property owners along the corridor are throwing their weight around by giving significant contributions to key budget leaders and hiring lobbyists to throw a monkey wrench into progress for the trail whenever they can.

And the Missouri Farm Bureau - which earlier on opposed the trail but was keeping a low profile about it - has gained new leadership that has recently become far more active in their opposition to the trail.

Hello,

I tried to google to find this story and nothing was found and nothing on the Missouri Farm Bureau site.

Thanks!

The article is on the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation website.

mobikefed.org

In the news...

27 May 2023: Rock Island Trail: What happened in Jefferson City this legislative session - What was lost, what was gained, what's next?

Unfortunately big money $$$$$$$$$$$$$ now controls everything in Missouri.
The poor and politicals out of office have no say, or chance of ever being heard.

Yep....look at the money Ted Jones invested in the Katy Trail!

Is it possible to hammock camp here?

Thanks!

The gazebo is where most people camp. They just pitch their tents on the floor and seem to do well. The trees are too big, or too small to hang a hammock. I would not want you to stretch a hammock by using the side studs of the gazebo. Enjoy the floor.

Stopped by around 1:00 on a Tuesday. It was everything I expected it to be. A dive bar with charm. Unfortunately, we got there right as a slug of riders and locals had just sat down. Two women, one of whom may have been helping cook as well, struggled mightily to keep up with the rush. It took us almost an hour to get our food as it came out of the kitchen in small batches of 2-4 baskets at a crack, but this is the two edged sword of small town local cookery. I'll admit to getting a bit ticked off as we burned daylight, but in the end, we had a great pork tenderloin and grilled cheese with sides of beer battered cheese curds that were fantastic. We will definately stop there again next time through.

Good things come to those that wait.

Katy Junction B/B Jerry has a very nice place clean, relaxing a place that makes you feel like you’re home, a place across the street to eat very friendly people. I myself highly recommend Katy Junction B/B if I venture, back to Pilot Grove, I would definitely check with Jerry He’s a very friendly and knowledgeable guy. You will learn a lot about the trail from him. Thank you Jerry for the hospitality and the great breakfast.??

...a place across the street to eat very friendly people.

Who da thought?

I thought the ribeye at Deon's tasted...different. :)

Hi, curious if anyone has noticed any ticks after riding yet this year?

We rode it in late July last year and it was surprisingly light on ticks AND mosquitoes, but I know each year can be different.

Not after riding on the Katy, but after fishing in northwest Missouri a few days ago.

It's time.

We live about 100 yards off the Katy. My grandson and I got ticks just being out on our deck. I’m guessing the raccoons are bringing them up on our deck. Never happened before so I’d have to say the ticks are going to be bad this year.

We live ON the Katy Trail. Ticks here seem bad this year. HOWEVER!~ If you stay on the trail, use facilities at the Trail Heads, you should be fine.

Just got off the trail on a 2 wk RT. I got one tick that hadn't bitten & my brother had none. He's a mosquito magnetic & was not bothered by them either. That being said, we stayed on the trail, avoided tall grasses, pre-sprayed clothing with repellent, didn't camp, etc. Was a big concern pre-trip.

SO FAR THIS YEAR ABOUT 50-60 TICKS HAVE TRIED TO CARRY NY WIFE OFF. TO SAY THIS IS A BAD TICK YEAT IS AN UBDERSTATEMENT. ALTHOUGH HUNTING FOR TICKS CAN BE FUN WE WOULD RATHER NOT.

Noticed any side effects of the Hartsburg tics?

Anonymous. That's comedy gold!

I have noticed that my wife creeps up on me more than usual and deet won't stop her. Seriously whether they are Hartsburg ticks or others please prepare yourself. I'll continue to fight off my problem.

Modern design. Can't be very old at all. The room had a large number of outlets and USB charging outlets. Everything was clean and worked well. Awesome shower with lots of water pressure. Breakfast was standard H I Express fare; eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, etc.

Caution... there is no easy path there from the equestrian trailhead at the fair grounds. Busy road, no shoulders.

I would just want to encourage anyone riding the trail and overnighting in Sedalia to seriously consider the Hotel Bothwell. It is such an amazing experience, and I think can hold up to any other hotel in cleanliness, good beds and pillows, probably as good or better breakfast, (bathroom is the only thing that wont easily compare to a shiny new hotel - they are all pretty small - but clean and updated for sure), VERY bike friendly, easy access to trail...and we are doing our part in helping to keep this wonderful, historic icon alive.

Could not agree more concerning the Hotel Bothwell! It's a treasure for Katy adventurers.

Hey everyone. Looking to ride from KC to STL this summer, starting in late July. Yes, I know it will be hot. Looking for any advice or tips, things to be aware of. I plan to camp most of the time. Anyone do wild camping along the trail? I am traveling alone and camp light. I have a tent and hammock, and leave no trace. Let me know if anyone else is interested in some or all of this. It would be nice to ride with someone else for portions of it.

I did a similar ride in September 2021 although I did not camp. I appreciated the leave no trace part and suggest you spend a few minutes googling how to protect tree trunks from hammock damage as it can permanently harm a tree. I will include a link to one way Philmont uses for tree protection from bear bag ropes. They have massive experience with this LNT principle. Also including a link to the route I took which included crossing the Mississippi by ferry. If you’re on Facebook the group Fans of the Katy Trail is the largest of the Katy groups and full of helpful and timely info. It’s a private group so you’ll have to request to join. This site is great, but response is slow and a fraction of what the other source can provide.

https://strava.app.link/p3xcy9QcaAb

https://philmont.fandom.com/wiki/Bear_Bags

Wild camping along the trail is against the law.

Camping is allowed in private campgrounds as well as some city parks as allowed.

Nice hotel. Bike friendly and accommodating. Got there early and they hurried to finish cleaning a first floor room for us while we waited in the lobby. The room was clean but a little tight with two bikes and panniers. Breakfast had standard Hampton fare; waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and bacon. Several restaurants and a Walmart within walking distance and the ride to the trailhead was easy and not busy.

A great little homestyle diner. Got there after 11:00 and it was slow, but it got busy around noon with the locals and we could see why Service was pleasant and attentive. I had a pork tenderloin sandwich that hung over the sides of the texas toast bun with a mound of fries i couldnt finish and the wife had a huge chicken bacon ranch salad. Everything was great. Took our picture for their upcoming map of places riders are from. Definately a place to stop at again on our next trip.

Hello,

Has anybody stayed at the casino in Boonville?
Do they allow bikes in the rooms?

Thank you!

I stayed at the casino and they were very bike friendly. I have a recumbent trike and they gave me a room for wheel chairs that fit through the doors. My trike went right in with me. As with most casinos, the food was good with great choices.

New cafe lovingly renovated by Kelly & Donovan Thompson to it's Edwardian period roots. It also doubles as a book & antique shop. We came on a bake day that offers deserts & pastries. We found it has caught on with the locals as well & can sell out. We got the last piece of pie!
A real upgrade to this town & they have future plans to expand it further. We really enjoyed chatting with Kelly & the locals. So much fun!

Nice, newly renovated cafe worth checking out. Doesn't seem to be on the Trip Planner yet, but on Google Maps. I had the cornmeal pancakes with a berry compote which was very good. My brother had chicken & waffles, also very good. Will satisfy foodies & cyclists who want a hearty meal to start the day's ride. Great service, too!