Katy Trail Forum

Hi there, I'm trying to figure out how to get from the airport in KC to Pleasant Hill for 2 of us and our bikes. And then at St. Charles how should we get from there to the St. Louis airport. We're planning on camping along the way.
TIA

There is not a shuttle that I know of, but I can help with transportation from the KC airport to Pleasant Hill trailhead.
A small fee of $50 is appreciated.

Hi Terry Sharp, How can I get ahold of you regarding transport. My email is freedos@comcast.net
We are looking at doing this in Oct. Thank you. Susi

I’m back and trying again. My husband and his visibly impaired friend are flying into Kansas City with their bikes and planning on riding the KT as far as St. Charles. Initially they were going to try and get to Pleasant Hill but have learned there is no place to stay or camp so have switched to trying to get to Clinton and starting there. I’m on the search for a way for them to get to Clinton with their bikes from the airport. They can unbox the bikes before or after the shuttle, whichever works the best. This will be in early Oct. Does anyone out there know of a way for them to do this?
While I’m at it they will need to find bike boxes in St. Charles or so for the return flight home out of St. Louis. Any suggestions?
Thank you.

I can't help you with the shuttle, but I did want to mention that Pleasant Hill has camping at their lake and those campgrounds are only a 1/2 mile from their MOPAC trail that connects to the Rock Island.

I've never been there, but I'd suggest you contact the Bike Shop Cafe in St Charles about bike boxing and possibly a shuttle to the airport.

Feels like a shuttle to Pleasant Hill would be much much cheaper than a shuttle to Clinton. Surely KC has Uber.

My two cents: Contact a bike store in St Charles area to purchase bike boxes and pick them up on arrival. Or, buy online and ship to your destination or the bike store in St Charles. The bike store in St Charles has probably dealt with this situation before.
In KC, Uber or other ride to Lee's Summit where there are many places to stay overnight. Then Uber or maybe hotel shuttle to P. Hill which is about 10 miles away. Also, if you have bike boxes you arrived with from home, perhaps have them shipped to your destination in St Charles. If you arrange this ahead of time it might work out. The hotel might drop them off at the local UPS office for a reasonable tip. FYI: I use Bike Stop in Blue Springs. They have a sister store in Lees Summit. Good people.

A

After a hot 64 mile ride from Hermann to St Charles and the challenge to find a camp site - my experience of St Charles was less than ideal until early morning when starting my ride back to Hermann and searched the Main Street historic are for a coffee shop - I just happened to see people outside the Bike Shop Cafe. What a delightful place; great customer service, amazing selection of drinks and food and has bike shop next to cafe. This Bike Shop Cafe changed my whole St Charles experience. Wonderful place.

They don't allow tent camping. There is no where to tent camp near St Charles, you have to go into woods between trail and river

You can tent camp at Klondike park.

That is like 28 miles away. I'm just saying that this should be removed as an option because it is not. I was forced to sleep in the woods just east of St. Charles because I was lied to by the signs.

There are many people that come to enjoy the trail by RV and do day rides. I don't believe anyone forced you to camp anywhere. There are many other lodging options in St. Charles that do not entail trespassing.

Please define "trespass" as per Missouri State Law. I'm thinkin if its not marked with signs or purple paint it's not trespassing.

Basically in Missouri if it is not public space and you enter without the owners permission you are trespassing. If it is public space and you are asked to leave and do not, effectively your permission/right to be there is denied, and you are then trespassing.

If you are inclined to press your luck it is probably best to search the Missouri Statutes to know exactly what the law is. You'll be much more impressive standing before the judge quoting the law than saying that you thought is was okay for you to go where ever you wanted.

The regulars, both Chris and Lone Wolf, are absolutely correct. This is a constant subject brought up often. The signs and laws are pretty clear about stealth tent camping in and out of this state park. I would not chance a friendly business or landowner or ignorance of the law when law enforcement or a person with a shotgun pulls up to your campsite.

Pseudio,

I totally agree with you: Stealth camping on the Katy is not an option. But the thing is, there is no reason to stealth camp, even if you are a camper.

A couple of years ago my son and I got caught between McKittrick and Treloar (maybe near Case?) in a thunderstorm. We didn't have it in us to make it to Marthasville. Anyway, we came upon a house, knocked on the door, and asked for permission to sleep in the barn. It was granted.

I also slept under someone's tree in Pilot Grove last year because I just felt like quitting for the day--after I asked and received permission to do so.

This is one area where you get permission, not forgiveness. But it's easy to get....Just ask. Offering or giving the landowner $10 for the camping spot doesn't hurt either.

Momma said "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar".........what momma said.

But (true) stealth camping never happened. ;)

ArkyKenny, you must know many landowners along the trail or are pretty lucky. My suggestion is get into better riding shape or reduce your riding distance with a planned stop. MO ain't Arky!!

I must a) look harmless, b) look pitiful, c) look desperate, d) be able to talk a good game. I suspect it is some combo of the above, because I don't know the landowners of the places I have stayed. Of course, circumstances, like the crazy thunderstorm, also helped me make my case.

My technique is usually something like this: "Do you know of anywhere I can put up a tent? ...........Would you be willing to let me pay you some money to sleep in your barn?"

I would never camp somewhere without permission. But ask and you shall receive. Bicycle tourists everywhere live in part by the goodwill of others. I would never purposely put myself in a position to DEPEND on others, but if in a bind I would never hesitate to ask. And the door will be opened. It is the "not asking" that gets one in trouble.

i think the original poster is correct.
There are signs at St. Charles that indicate tent camping yet there are none in St. Charles.
I too was "forced" to camp in the mountain bike trails. Hope that was okay. Fix the signs!!! or can you camp at The Landing right in the middle of town?

I didn't realize everyone that visits St. Charles is forced to camp and trespass. Last time I was there we stayed in a motel, guess we didn't get the memo, go figure?

I think the original poster may have misinterpreted the signage. I don't know what signs they are talking about that lied to them, but following the logic used on this site and in many, many other places, the "tent" symbol indicates that camping is available. That symbol seems to be international or standard signage. It does not indicate the type of device that you can sleep it. It simply indicates that a camping facility is available.

At this point, it becomes a matter of personal responsibility for the individual to determine if they can stake their tent, or if their 40 foot camper will fit in any of the spots there. Others do the same by calling the hotel to make sure they have a room, instead of just knowing that lodging is available.

But to neglect to do the required research and then claim to be a victim in that a sign lied and that they were then "forced" to do something illegal displays a lack of personal responsibilty.

The signs may need "fixed" but sometimes it helps to help yourself.

Or maybe there are huge signs in St. Charles that read "Tent Camping Here" and when you get there the armed guards yell at you and tell you that you can't pitch a tent here as they force you into the woods to bed down for the night.

Well said Trek! My vote is for personal responsibility. Stealth camping is illegal and the result of ones own poor choices, not outside forces acting upon one.

I went to the website of this RV Park and it did not even mention tent camping. The other postings here are correct, research and planning help to make an enjoyable ride. Also having a plan b helps when problems arise. Like others said, get a motel. And finally if all else fails go begging and ask permission to tent camp from landowners, plan c. It's all good. But don't whine about it Chris.

Not being judgmental, just an observation. But most of the comments on this thread condemning stealth camping are by the same people that recently congratulated a recent thru racer on his illegal (partial closed hours) attempt. whats with that.

I agree with the original post. I just rode the Katy Trail, and planned my stops based on where I would be able to camp by tent, and this site shows Sundermeier as allowing camping and uses a "tent" symbol. At the very minimum, the Sundermeier page should be updated to show that no tent camping is allowed but even better from my perspective would be to remove the "tent" symbol altogether and use a "trailer" symbol for Sundermeier's version of camping.

Sorry I didn't notice this forum prior to my trip, but a forum shouldn't be the way to clarify whether a site described as allowing camping actually does. That should be up there at the top in the description of the site.

As for the rest of the Katy Trail, it was a delight and all the other campgrounds matched up with expectations. Thanks for maintaining this service for riders.

I also agree. What the hell Ray
...why should I take a couple minutes to call someplace to verify I can camp there when it would be a simple matter for you to drive the trail end to end daily verifying the information that the vendors have given you.

Yes indeed that business is not relevant to Katy Trail users, and I have removed it from the website. Unfortunately, there is no camping east of Augusta.

Luckily was able to stay at Sundermeier RV Park on 6.20.24. Office person first said “no tents” then after a few minutes of chatting - she said “are you riding the Katy”? She said we have a tent site for Katy riders. The tent site was in the very corner of their large RV site that had a gazebo. I pitched my tent in the Gazebo for the night. Bathrooms and showers were great but busy interstate 100 feet away, busy freight rail road 100 feet away and right under STL airport flight path. Grateful for the nights stay - I would have been tough to find another campground in St Charles near the Katy.

I have no idea how Jon makes money. We paid $40 for two people to camp, dinner for 2, drinks for 2, AND desserts. The shower was a fun shack with live frogs clinging to the walls. The food was great with many high quality fresh items and several veggie options. The tent sites are all in the shade and with the trees and tall grass, it muffles the road noise more than most camp sites. I would 100% recommend anyone either camping or eating, to stop by. I'll be back for sure.

Jon is a treasure on the Katy Trail and I believe he does it for the love of the trail and all of us!

What an amazing stay at the Doll House! Melissa thought of everything! The room was so inviting and comfortable. Loved sitting out on the balcony in the afternoon. This was the perfect respite after biking on the Katy that day. We woke feeling rested and rejuvenated in mind and body. The full country breakfast was great too! Looking forward to returning.

The perfect spot to stay in Augusta after a ride on the trail. We rode from Hermann to Augusta and stayed at the Lindenhof. Kathy is a wonderful host. She greeted us at the door and offered cold drinks and a few treats upon our arrival. Her home is lovely and spacious. The outdoor fireplace and hottub are wonderful for relaxing after the day's ride. All of the rooms look quite large. The beds are comfortable. She is accommodating to riders who want to get an early start. Breakfast was on the table by 7 a.m. And, boy was it YUMMY! Give Kathy a call for your Augusta stop.

The Kickstand at Defiance is no more. The building owners sold and the new owners have different plans.

Augusta and Dutzow websites say those are "Temporarily Closed" also.

It seems like this place is gone. Another victim of the gentrification of Augusta/Defiance?

Following a four-day Lee's Summit to Washington, briefly, planning ideas to share, in no order:

Use all resources, not only Airbnb. KT, east of Hermann has more trail-side lodging.

When at speed, watch for turtles and small garter snakes.

Take care to not overestimate daily ride plan.

Get ready to be surprised to give and get positive energy and experiences from others:)

Consider carrying a small sack to pick up trash as you go, every trailhead has a trash can, where you can empty that sack.

Text-only weather forecast discussion links, Updated several times daily. Aviation and meteorologist focused, but plain text to understand the trends. For the three offices in Missouri:

https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=EAX&issuedby=EAX&product=AFD&format=txt&version=1&glossary=0

https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=SGF&issuedby=SGF&product=AFD&format=txt&version=1&glossary=0

https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=LSX&issuedby=LSX&product=AFD&format=txt&version=1&glossary=0

Enjoy- you already know you have a great resource to treasure with the KT\RIT in Missouri, cheers! Acoustic Al

It will have to do as this is the only option. Stayed here a few nights ago. The location is amazing and the host, Jay and his dog Sofie are super nice. Each site has a picnic table and power. But the tent sites aren't flat. So you end up at the bottom of the tent by morning. There are no showers and it's a potra-pottie. Be warned that tent site 6 has the best views of the lake but to our surprise it also has a bright street light above it. WARNING... as of 6/10/24 there was no potable water. The water onsite is a hearty walk from the sites and is under a boil order. Plan accordingly.

Oh...forgot. BYO TP for the bathrooms.

The city pool is in fact open. They're open from noon from memorial day through labor day. The bathrooms at the park aren't the best. Certainly not as nice as most of thr ones at trailheads on the route. There is a Casey's several blocks away though. Call the local police to let them know you are spending the night. You'll find the number in the forum. Lots of room with plenty of shade.

On the very off-hand chance that he may read this forum, I wanted to tell ‘Tyler from Massachussetts’ thank you very much for stopping to help ‘Shawn from Wisconsin’!! You helped me repair my flat tire, offered some great tips, and gave me a real emotional boost as well. Glad to know folks like you are out there offering help and friendship to strangers in need. Restores my faith in goodness!

Would anyone know if T-Mobile 5G is solid in Chilhowee or WiFi at the Corner Café? Happy trails everyone!

Not sure what you're referring to as Corner Cafe. Only thing in Chilhowee is Hometown Convenience Store. Probably just call them and ask about Verizon

Kim, Hi again, and thank you! WiFi at Home Town Convenience, and so much more. Today, Dusty made us be at home with handmade fresh sandwiches and sides, and a wide choice of ice.cold.beverages - shop local!

The interwebs have also useful sites such as www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map
coverage was good in Chilhowee, cheers, Acoustic Al

Great to have you all stay! Good for all to know on Chilhowee thanks

We stayed at the Cycle Inn in Hermann - myself and my husband and our two children - it was so perfect and the hospitality was amazing. The place had comfortable beds, beautiful showers and great washers and dryers. The staff really went above and beyond to help us. The place was newly renovated and close to town so we had everything we needed.

Definitely a great place to stay when you’re cycling the Katy Trail!

The new Cycle Inn Hermann Missouri is offering a discounted price on there queen and double room; we seeking new business for a new business. Hope you will stop by and at least look and see what your options are for Hermann Missouri thank you.
I still offer the $100 solo traveler discount and all the other rooms are 125 except the king room at 160. This is a June only offer; please take advantage of it.

Thanks for looking.
Rich Lauer.

For the second year in a row, we used Katy bike rental and shuttle. Both years, the experience was great. They pick up right behind Country Inn and Suites in St. Charles, right off the trail and drop you at your choice of destination. Bikes are carried behind in an enclosed trailer. Very good experience

I think things have changed a bit since the posts in 2014 and 2011. There are few amenities here now. No fitness room, no washer and dryer. The breakfast buffet was basic, but filling. The outside ground floor rooms are small and have a serious housefly issue. But, the room was clean and didn't have strange odors. The bed was firm. Food choices nearby are limited, but varied.

All in all, not a bad place to stay, but expectations should be curbed.

Between mile markers 212 and 213, there is a tree down across the trail. Someone cut part of the branches away and you can lift your bike over the remaining branch. It IS passable.

Had a great stay at Maxine’s. I would highly recommend. Very clean and convenient to the trail. Great people will definitely rent again! And loved Maggie Mae!

If you must go into a nearby town, please be aware of vehicle traffic as you ride on the shoulders of major highways. A rider this week had to jump over a guard rail on Rte. 19 as he was crossing a bridge between Hermann and the nearest Katy Trail trail head. A vehicle swerved to sideswipe him. He landed hard with multipole injuries. He was rescued app.13 hours later and is recovering. The driver has not been found but is considered a hit and run suspect. On top of all this, someone stopped on the bridge and stole his bike! Be watchful and be safe!

Not sure I understand this one. The Hermann bridge has a protected bike lane totally separated from the bridge lanes. Am sure it happened but the details are rather fuzzy. BTW, I've ridden Rte 94 and 47 into Washington from Dutzow; would recommend that over the Augusta Bottom Road. As always, it pays to be careful. Good riding.

If he had to "...to jump over a guard rail on Rte. 19 as he was crossing a bridge between Hermann and the nearest Katy Trail trail head.", that would have to have been that long span where 19 goes over the Loutre River. As was said, 19 has a protected bike lane where it goes over the Missouri River. Riding the highways anywhere is always dangerous. Tractor trailer wash is very dangerous. I won't do it. For me it's a risk/reward thing. To each his/her own, however.

The following account was broadcast on our local TV station.

"According to the sheriff, a bicyclist was riding north on Highway 19, on the southbound shoulder, near Hermann on Wednesday around 8 p.m While crossing the Loutre River Bridge, a gray SUV veered onto the shoulder towards the victim. The man jumped off of his bicycle and over the concrete barrier of the bridge, resulting in a 22-foot fall. The gray SUV reportedly drove off.

After 13 hours, two bystanders walking in the area heard the man’s calls for help. First responders arrived to help the bicyclist around 9:12 a.m. on Thursday. The man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries as a result of the fall."

Last comment on this one from me: Riding in vehicle traffic is always dangerous, but riding facing traffic is suicidal. Best wishes for a quick recovery.

Are there bathrooms available after hours? We plan to camp here on a Sunday when the community center is closed.
Thank you

If no one else replies here I'd just call the Community Center and ask

We are so pleased we found Greg. He shuttled our car from Clinton to St. Charles. He and his wife, Lori, are so very nice and friendly. They did a great job with our car and we felt totally comfortable leaving our key with them. The cost was very reasonable as well. We would highly recommend him to anyone.

Joey's Birdhouse is right off the McKittrick Trailhead. Joey is very informative and her place is so relaxing. The breakfast was delicious and just what we needed before we started our ride. Would definitely recommend staying here.

The Lindenhof B&B was a wonderful place to stay. Kathy provided wonderful cookies and brownie bites when we got there. Everything was very comfortable and relaxing. The breakfast was amazing and just what we needed for our last day of riding. Highly recommend staying here.