Katy Trail Forum

We discovered the Katy Trail last year as we drove across Missouri and are very interested in biking at least part of it. We love bicycling and have done week-long rides for many years. We now ride a Tandem recumbent bike. First, is the trail appropriate for our bike?

Secondly, is this the best website for planning the trip? Details like leaving our car at one end and shuttling back to the car after riding several days. If anyone knows of more websites or organizations that could give us more information, I would appreciate it.

I also saw that there's a planned trip once a year with a large group. How do we get more information about that?
Thanks,
ACD

I don't think you will be disappointed if you chose to do this ride! We have done it 5 times, at different times of the year, and all have been great rides. That being said, you do have to understand the reality of this trail and be prepared. There are very few places for bike repairs or needs, so you need to be pretty self sufficient. Also careful meal planning is a must. Every restaurant you think you will be stopping at needs a phone call about 2 weeks prior to your trip to be sure they will be open.

Regarding the tandem, surely someone else will chip in. I don't really know, but my instinct is there would be no problem.

This forum is your go-to for information. There is no better website for the all round information. Of course you can cater your trip activity in the small towns with google searches.

You should okay with your bike. We’ve ridden our tandem with 700 x 28’s without problem. As with all bikes stay out of the loose chat and ride in the path. It’s out in the country so there might be a tree branch or a rut here and there to look out for.

This site with the Trip Planner and Forum is a great asset to plan and gather information for your ride.

The DNR ride by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources State Parks may be what you are referring to. There is also the BAM ride…..Bike Across Missouri. A search should help you find more info on each.

Deby makes a good point about resources. It is a remote trail with resources dotted along in the rural towns. That can add to the adventure or be a deal breaker if you’re unprepared.

I've done the Katy end-to-end 11 times with two of them on a conventional tandem. I've ridden on it with tires as small as 700x25s to 650bx47 on single bikes and 26x2.15" on the tandem. What I've learned is when it comes to tires, bigger is better. Plus you want deep tread or some mild knobbies. The Katy can get soggy and slick when wet.

From Machens to Boonville, the Katy is very flat. However there are ups and downs between Boonville and Clinton. The climbs are usually under 4% but there are a couple of short stretches that get up to 6%. I know that climbing can be an issue with recumbents.

Actually there's several group rides. We've done the Katy on our tandem with Bubba's Pampered Pedalers. They stay in hotels and B&Bs so it's rather expensive but in my opinion worth it. PBB puts on two week-long rides in September.

I can also vouch for Big BAM on the Katy. They have a hotel option; a tent service option; or bring your own tent option where they drag your bags for you. They have one in June and another ride in October.

Unfortunately the Missouri DNR no longer puts on a Katy Trai Ride.

Jerry,

Since you are a veteran of the KT, was wondering if the trail is solid and dry enough to ride in mid-April? I was fortunate in either 2013 or 2014 in early April to get a dry warmer high 60s week. Could that happen in 2025?

DSD

I am planning to ride middle of June, have 650Bx47mm tires and am planning 5 days from Clinton to St. Charles. I will finish to Machens on 6th day. Assuming good weather and trail conditions, what average speed should I plan assuming at a steady pace. I am using the trail planner, but interested in hearing first-hand your experience.

April in Missouri can be a mixture of everything weather related. From chilly days & nights to humid and very windy conditions. Rain is expected almost weekly. The greatest advantage in riding the Katy in April is the abundance of wildflowers. The trail surface can be soft and rutted to hard and dusty, but will not be a huge problem. I would go for it and enjoy.

The old saying is April showers brings May flowers. I've only ridden short stretches on the Katy in April when I knew it was dry.

Jeffco25, for general planning purposes, my wife and I assume 10mph. We stop and take pictures and read signs and stuff, so we are not setting any records.

Trail vs pavement probably costs you 2-2.5 mph when it's dry. And it if rains, maybe 3mph on top of that. Your mileage may vary. :)

Thank you Bill, very helpful. I’ll definitely take the time to Look Ahead, Not Down and enjoy the trip.

Planning a trip the last week of March -- curious if the water at the trailheads is turned off for winter, or are these spigots that are winterized and provide water all year?

Pretty sure the restrooms are open. I'd contact DNR. They maintain the trail.

From Nov. 1 to March 31, restrooms will be closed and water turned off at several of the Katy Trail State Park trailheads.

Pit toilets are always available.

We would like to begin our biking starting in Sedalia after taking the Amtrak with bikes to Sedalia. Our question is which Amtrak station would you recommend to take to head out west to Sedalia? Either the Kirkwood station or the St. Louis Gateway station? After biking we would then either return to where the car would be either leaving the trail near St. Charles and getting a van pick up to Kirkwood or ending near Machens and getting back to the St. Louis station. Depending upon what Amtrak station we left from: Kirkwood or Gateway station?

Thank you for any help/ideas offered!

I would drive to Kirkwood Amtrak, drop gear/bikes and other rider. Then drive to St. Charles and park the car in an approved lot. You could then Uber back to Kirkwood solo….yes more time on the front end but worth it after riding in from Sedalia. Kirkwood Station will be easier to navigate with gear than STL, less people and no elevators to deal with. Make sure you book the bikes with your Amtrak reservation, they have limited bike spots on each train. Enjoy the ride!

Gotta say that I stayed in Windsor at the Katy Rock Junction this week and was blown away by Charlie and his great set-up there. Newer cabins with a nice showerhouse. I was offered drinks when I got off the trail, coffee in the am, and slept like a rock. This place is a VALUE which is what I'm all about. Great location and I will stay there again!

Thank you, Rick, for staying with us and your kind words. I really enjoyed your company and conversation over beverages. I hope you can come back soon! Happy Trails!

Ray, I feel like I asked this recently, and you answered, but I can't find it now. Do you have a site like this for the OTET (Ohio to Erie Trail)?

Hi Bill, I apologize for the slow reply, been out of commission for a few days.

I built a website for the Little Miami Trail at https://trailhub.com/little-miami-scenic-trail.aspx

Little Miami runs from Cincinnati to Springfield, so it overlaps much of the southwest part of the OTET.

Beyond that, I've had a requests to expand this from Little Miami to the entire OTET, so it is on my long term to-do list - maybe by sometime in the spring I would like to have an OTET offering.

Happy trails!

Glad you're back in commission, sir.

OK, will use the Little Miami site and will look for OTET in the future perhaps.

Thanks!

https://www.ohiotoerietrail.org/

The official OTET site.

We had heard there was going to be an experimental extra bike/baggage car for the Missouri River Runner Amtrak train from March to September. The River Runner is the one that serves the destinations along the Katy route. We rode to Washington, MO and took the train back to Warrensburg on March 13, 2024, and there was no extra baggage car. We had a ticket for our bikes--don't forget to get one in advance if you're taking your bike on the train!!!--but we had to put them in one of the three or four places designated for bikes. The train staff was great about helping board and store the bikes, but be advised that the bike baggage experiment may be a myth.

Last October I took Amtrak from Jefferson City to Sedalia and when making my reservations the agent said no more bikes were allowed to bring on the train.

When I went to go board the train I asked the conductor If they had room for my bike and the conductor was so nice "Sure we have room bring it on board"

FWIW, this week I purchased one-way fares for a day this June. Each has a $10 bicycle add-on amenity.
In the Amtrak app, this choice is nearly the last step of the transaction, with a counter showing the number of remaining bike spots, on that train. Happy Trails ~

Bummer to hear that the bike car wasn't in place in mid march last year. I was hoping that it'd be a consistent feature to the train. I'd be a little nervous hoping to get my bike on the train if there's not officially room and no guarantee.

Found a FOLDYLOCK on the trail today in St. Charles near Black Walnut. I know these things are a bit pricy. Anyone?

Hoping this info will help for 2025 campers! My name is Lea and I help run the ballpark in Marthasville. Camping is $5. Camping location is under the pavilion or in the field or grassy areas near pavilion. There are electric outlets at pavilion. Showers and bathrooms available. If you have a small rv we do allow camping for $10 a night if electric is needed
Our numbers are listed on the bathroom doors.
My number is 314 604 0045 and you can call to set up reservations or call when you arrive in town! We love hosting campers and look forward to meeting you all this year! The number listed for community club does work but isn’t checked regularly when it’s not ball season. Bathrooms will be unwinterized in the next few weeks!

Good info for Katy riders. Thank you Lea.

This needs to be part of the Marthasville Community Club Park info so it doesn't get lost in the Forum.

We would like to make a two day ride on the west end of the trail without making a round trip of it. Is there a shuttle service available on the trail's west side that will take you and your bike back to trip's starting place? Thanks very much. Ned

From the Trip Planner above:

Katy Trail Tours and Shuttle

Shuttle, Tour Organizer
Clinton MO
417-372-9220
https://katytrailbiketours.com/

Shuttle and Bike Tour Services for the entire Rock Island and Katy Trails
No physical location is mapped for Katy Trail Tours and Shuttle

Looking for a reasonable hotel or B&B in St. Charles close to the Bike Stop Cafe where we'll start our bike trip. We want a comfortable bed and good breakfast before we ride the following day.

Using the Towns & Services tab above or Google maps you can find offerings in St. Charles. Most of us here probably don't know what is "reasonable" for you.

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, St Charles is our preferred place to stay. It’s within walking distance of the Bike Stop Cafe, and has decent parking.

Can only echo what many others have said about this property. Amazing. Without question the best Airbnb we have ever stayed in. The owner, Rob, even had a bike chain delivered overnight to us when we had an issue.

We plan to go back again this summer and riding the trail again, and look forward to staying here again!

If you stay in Boonville, be sure to check out the museum by the trail - it was chocked full of history.

So I bought a bikepacking bicycle with 29er tires on it for going long distances off pavement. I was wondering if this type of bicycle is suitable for riding the katy trail?

Suitable....yes.

Overkill....yes.

Ideal....no.

Unless the trail is very wet and sloppy the 29'r tires are overkill. Even then the ruts that would be made would be frowned upon by others who follow you in a few days.

If the trail was dry and there was a couple of nice tracks to ride in the increased rolling resistance would not be ideal.

But yeah they'll work on the Katy.

We live on the Katy Trail and our 29ers are our Bicycles of choice (we have many types). You can really travel with those wheels.

Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying about "29'r". I am not sure what you are saying about the ruts and people coming after those that ride them. The wheels, tire treads, are the same as other Mt Bikes.

Scott: I ride a Salsa Cutthroat which is also a bikepacking bicycle with 29” wheels. For those that may not know, this bike was designed for riding the Great Divide mountain bike route from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. It is the most common bicycle ridden in the Tour Divide which is the race version of the Great Divide. Your bike is well suited for the Katy, including 29” wheels. I’m not sure why anonymous SEEMS critical, and concerned about rutting the trail…..any bike or pedestrian would do the same on a wet surface. I am not hyper obsessed about specific tire pressures, but I would lean towards firm PSI for less rolling resistance. The Katy is a very solid packed crushed rock and offers a fairly smooth ride, about as close to paved as a “gravel” trail can get. Story time: prior to my Katy trip a physical therapist I once worked with asked if I like spin classes…..I responded “of course not, who likes that kind of work?” She replied that the Katy is so flat, you’ll find yourself pedaling all the time, kind of like a spin class. She added that riders often don’t like riding up hills, but at least with hills, you get a break after you climb, and get to coast for awhile. My point is that you should pace yourself since you’ll be pedaling a lot, but it’s not that bad.
Planning: I found the hardest part was finding lodging to MATCH the daily miles I wanted to travel. I did not want to camp, because I wanted to travel light, did not have a SAG and was a solo rider. My route took me from Kansas, through Missouri, into Illinois via a ferry ride, then back to Missouri to finish at the Gateway Arch…394 miles over 6 days. If you’re camping the planning will be a little easier.

Yep, it will be perfect. You could get some narrow tires with minimal tread if you wanted to reduce your rolling resistance.

Just a comment on 29 inch tires. As mentioned, these are normally mountain bike tires, but can fit a frame designed for 700C as long as the stays are wide enough. Having said that, I rode a 29'r mountain bike on the last MKT trip, and found the posture (more upright) was much better than on my drop bar gravel bike, since the visibility was better. I will acknowledge that a drop bar is overall more comfortable but the difference in posture offset the difference. I think the biggest difference is in speed; gravel is just slower, especially with the wider MB tires.

Rolling resistance: There have been several comments regarding tire width and pressures for riding the trail. Much research has been done in the last 10 years or so on this issue. Much is available in the blog at renehersecyclse.com. It has been found that a softer tire rolls over an irregular surface such as gravel faster and with less effort than a hard tire. Soft can be due to the tire sidewall (supple), softer tubes (latex or TPU), or tubeless. Wider is also faster for the same reasons as softer. The wider softer tires feel slower than narrower harder tires because the latter give chatter or vibration that the rider may interpret as a higher speed. However the former, the softer wider tires, have been proven faster. Another reason is rider comfort. The softer tires do not tire the rider as much, therefore the rider can ride faster longer. Most of the gravel racers have switched to wider supple tires. The Tour d France pelaton has done the same although super wider for them is 28. I have crossed on the KT 4 times and ridden 20-40 mile segments of both the KT and the RI many times. I started with a 32 (actually 1 ¼”) inflated to higher pressures of 85-90. I then switched to supple sidewall 38’s at 65 psi. Felt slower but the trees were going by much faster. I have 42’s on that bike now and will give that a try in the next few weeks. Also using TPU tubes. I don’t want to rely on tubeless tires in a remote location. However, there is such a thing as too wide and too soft. 38-42 is recommended for trails like the KT/RI. There is a good guide to tire pressures for various surfaces at the Silca pump website.
Another note is smooth tread is now favored. All the above said, you can find different opinions about anything on a bicycle. What you like is most important. Have fun.

Another important part of comfortable long distance riding is the handlebars. The straight bars common on some bikes can be very tiring after a few miles, particularly on a rougher road. These were designed to give maximum control over shorter distances with tight curves, or for casual riders. The bar should offer you multiple hand positions. First, raise your arm slowly to the position it will be in while riding. Note that the wrist forms a 45° angle. If you are riding a flat bar, this is the angle you want at the end (grip) area of the bars. Otherwise your wrists are constantly under stress. Now add an extension handle either at the end of the bars or further in so you can change your hand and arm position occasionally. One of the best options is the drop (curved) bar. The real purpose of this design is to provide 6 different hand and arm positions. This greatly prevents hand and arm stress. The drops also reduce wind resistance which is important riding into a strong headwind. Some find these bars uncomfortable. Usually that is because they are improperly placed with regards to reach and height. Sheldon Brown’s website has good comment on this type of bar. (sheldonbrown.com). However, different people have different riding styles and comfort levels. Research bars and pick the one you like in the position that works best for you.

Is there overnight parking at the Woodson Trailhead. If so, is it generally OK and do need to notify anyone of vehicle ID, time there, etc?

I just called and talked to them, they do not allow camping.

Looking to purchase a new e-bike in the early Spring. I've not owned one previously. I'm not interested in an on-line purchase. I've done quite a bit of research. I have a shop in mind. Models I've researched are: Denago; Specialized; Giant; and Aventon. I ride quite a bit. I'm looking for a pedal-assist. I ride the KATY mostly and I've seen all of the aforementioned models on my rides. Anyone have any first-hand knowledge? Mid-drive vs. hub-drive seems to be the wild card. Thank you.

I bought a Trek ebike last year and love it. I live in the St Louis area and bought and had it shipped from a shop in Ashville NC because they had the one I wanted. The dealer said you can't go wrong with a bike from what he called the big three, Trek, Specialized and Giant. I have a Bosch hub motor which would always be my choice over a hub drive. But I'm not sure it matters that much. FWIW, Yamaha is getting out of ebikes in the US and has some great deals right now. I was very close to buying a Yamaha but backed off because their dealer network is weak to non-existent for ebikes. But they make great bikes with good components. You might want to look into those and maybe talk to a LBS about taking care of it when needed.

We purchased Specialized Vado 4.0 bikes and love them. They have enough oomph to pull my 260 lb. body and full paniers up the nastier parts of Jeff City with only a small effort. We've never pulled the battery down too far, but we feel we could get an honest 80 miles out of a charge (my wife could probably get 90),

But, they have a pedal assist up to 28 mph and that makes them Class 3. I have read that some trails are outlawing Class 3 E-Bikes so you may want to check up on where you like to ride. I'm not sure what kind of enforcement may be out there, but I'd hate to have my trip cancelled part of the way through.

We reached out to the shop we bought them from and they did a firmware patch that limits the pedal assist to 20 mph and Specialized is sending us stickers that proclaim them to be Class 1 E-bikes. Honestly, I'm not going to go above 20 mph on gravel so it's no great loss.

Go with one of the big three so that you can find a bike shop dealer that HAS to work on it. Lots of shops are refusing e-bikes.

Bought one a month ago from a local shop. Service after the sale is part of the deal. Thanks everyone for your input.

What is the typical weather like in April for the state of Missouri? Plan on riding during the 3rd week of April.
Thanks in advance!

It's Missouri. There is no "typical" weather. It has snowed in April. It has rained in April. It has been hot in April. It has been cold in April. We have a saying here: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few hours. It will change." I'd look at the weather 10 days in advance.

Be ready for some rain. Be ready for some cold. Be ready for some heat. Be ready for a dusty trail. :)

I'd be pretty surprised if you didn't get some rain.

I have had the pleasure of staying here multiple times, and each experience has been outstanding, thanks to the welcoming town. During softball nights, concessions are available, and the nearby bar/steakhouse and convenience store, situated just south of the ballfields, offer alternative options. The facilities are well-appointed with showers, numerous AC outlets, picnic tables, and a large carport, seems like last time I was their a firepit was handy, When arriving at the Marthasville trailhead, the ballfield and carport are visible to the south. In contrast, the caboose camp, located just down the trail, has left me with an unfavorable impression. Don used to be the man to call for the stay, he has retired good news you now can still call the friendly volunteer staff, the phone number is posted on the bathroom doors at the pavilion, or ask around in town. September 2024 (5.00 a person)

Thanks for your suggestions, Gary. We are staying the night in St Charles, then finishing out to Machens and back to Black Walnut TH the next day before heading back to NE Iowa with the KATY experience under out belts! We will probably take your suggestion to get off at the TH in St Charles and work our way back to the hotel.
Ann

Thanks for that information! My bigger concern is there a spur/sidewalk that leads off the trail to the streets to get to that hotel area? In a lot of places the view from Google Maps looks like there is construction, private property, weedy ditches, etc. Has St Charles, or the KATY trail management made an access point in that area?
Thanks
Ann

I was just figuring you were ending your ride at the St Charles Trailhead and it’s a small town vibe in that area and taking Main Street from the trailhead area would be less traffic and straight forward ride. Have you tried doing a navigation from the trailhead to your hotel using the bicycle mode of transportation selected and see what it shows you?

Hi,
Wondering how difficult it is to get from the KATY to either the Comfort Inn or Hampton Inn on S 5th? Our 1st Choice, Country Inn right in Old Town does not have rooms for our night. Some Google Street Views seem to show an access from the trail to Main Street, near where the trail goes under I-70. Others, do not. So, I am not sure what I am seeing. There will be riders, two of whom are not comfortable with street riding, so I am hoping we can get to the hotels by walking our bikes on sidewalks to one of these hotels.
Thanks,
AB from NE Iowa

I would use Main Street to go to your lodging, 5th street is the main entrance and exit for I70 and can get congested depending on when you go through there.

I would like to ride the Katy Trail in September. Will my road bike with 28mm tires work on the trail?

They should, but the type of tread is important. Katy is made up of packed chat that can become muddy and slick in places after a rain, which can happen in September. I would recommend tires with good overall traction. Good luck and have fun.

I rode just fine all December on my 28 slicks. That said, when it was wet after 4 days of snowmelt, trail was slimy and my narrow tires sunk in and became quite slow, but totally doable. So I would say 28 is fine, but minimal. It might also help that I don't weigh barely a buck and a half..

Your 28 tires might be doable but sink in the trail. People that follow you when the trail dries out will curse you for creating ruts. Bad karma will follow you. But hey, it’s your choice.

If you weigh 300lbs, then 28mm tires won't be too great. If you weigh 85lbs, you're good to go.