Katy Trail Forum

Am riding the Katy trail in a couple of weeks. Does the trail run through Sedalia or do you have to take city streets?

I depends on where you start in Sedalia, but I think in general it is pretty easy to get around on the city streets as long as you know where you are going. Admittedly though, I usually stay at Hotel Bothwell, and it's very easy to get to trail from there, with a little neighborhood riding. From a far side of the city, or farther from trail, not sure.

The answers to your question are both yes, when the trail comes into Sedalia you will eventually ride though on city streets. Just grab a map of the trail and follow along with the posted directions and you will be put back on the regular trail.

Thank you for your comments. Anyone else have any input on the trail from Clinton to St. Charles?

@Tony -

HUH?

Yes. The trail runs on the edge of Sedalia and through some neighborhoods, past the big, brick museum/old train station.
If you're staying in Sedalia at the Hotel Bothwell, you'll need to get off the trail and wind around through small town streets to get there. Follow google maps or whatever you use to map out rides

AmVets Center by the park. Bar with food. Opens during the week at 2pm and the weekend at noon.

The ac works great! Hot showers! And the $15 dinner from the Collins family was worth every cent. A wonderful stop on the trip.

Big pavilion with electricity to camp under. Restroom/shower open 24/7. No lights though. Close to Cori's for food and only a half mile from the dollar general.

Delicious food, cold beer, affordable, and within eyesight of the park. Definitely recommend. The live music was nice as well.

Your site has the Red Brick Inn In Augusta as being closed. We just stayed there as we rode the Katy trail. July 2023.

Planning a trip west to east from Clinton to st Charles and looking for some feedback from the experienced group! For those that have completed the trail, how many days did you give yourself + what is your biking experience? Thanks for the help!! (Also, does west to east seem like the right move?

I don't think I can adequately describe my level of experience. I'll just say that 55 miles on flat road is like 40 on the trail.

I would guess that the reason you want to know how many days someone else took to ride the complete trail is to use that as a gauge for you to determine how many days you need to complete the trail. Otherwise that information is inconsequential. And it really is anyways. We all ride different because we are different. Some people think the faster the better is the way to go....do 80 miles a day. You may or may not be capable of that. I am, but I prefer not to. I would prefer to ride 30 to 40 a day and take my time. I don't like to race against time and would prefer to take my time and savor the moments. I have a hard appreciating details of the trail, the people I meet, etc. when I don't have the time to do so. If someone told you that they allowed 3 days for the ride and someone else told you that they allowed 6, how does that fit into the equation for you? That would just leave me with more questions than answers. Ride on a limestone path with your loaded bike and see how many miles you are comfortable with. Math that out with the distance you want to cover to complete the trail and the number of days you have to vacate in Missouri and you'll find your number of days that you need for you to do your ride independent of what I do when I ride.

West to east.....east to west? What works best for you again. Many discussions have been made about prevailing wind direction and wind as it swirls around the bluffs and as it follows the river. Wind direction can change throughout the day and really is unpredictable. Mute point as far as wind goes, which direction to go.

The higher elevation on the Katy is on the western end with the gradual slope to the east. It's a rail trail so it really isn't bad either direction. I would prefer to know that I was riding the small ups and downs at the first of my trip and then gradually leveling out as I rode to the east. Lard hill in Boonville has the greatest slope it seems to me, so I'd prefer to ride down it going west to east than to ride up it going east to west.

I rode across the entire state including 30+ miles into and back out of Illinois so time in days doesn’t count for your purposes. 394 miles over 5.5 days. Planning the number of miles I budgeted for per day and then coordinating lodging to align with that mileage was my challenge. You didn’t mention if you were camping or lodging. I stayed in AirBnB or hotels for better sleep, showers and laundry ( in order to carry less clothing) I have everything I need to camp but I was solo, wanted less weight and desired time to relax, and have somewhere to just sit. West to east is generally downhill and wind is variable IMO. If you Amtrak back west reserve your ticket AND add bicycle storage well in advance because they only allow four bikes per train….the River Runner only operates between KC and StL and is basically a glorified commuter train…there is NOT a baggage car, therefore bikes have to go in a passenger car where they have removed two rows of seats to accommodate bikes. Weekends probably busier for bikes I ASSUME. If you’re on Facebook join Fans of the Katy Trail or Katy Trail Rider group for more information and feedback. Also this website hosting this forum has good info. Here is a link to my Strava below. I managed to merge my entire trip into one ride and it shows my daily miles. I’ve been riding casually for years. Prior to the Katy trip I did only 20 to 30 mile day rides. In order to make sure I could succeed on my Katy trip….meaning long daily rides followed immediately by another long ride I did a trial run. I rode from Marysville Kansas to Lincoln Nebraska via Blue River rail trail and Chief Standing Bear trails. It was 77 miles one way. I returned the next day. It was a shakedown ride and was very similar to Katy, just less services available to trail users.
https://strava.app.link/EvpdDwQLABb

64 yrs old. Rode in May. Solo woman-used hostels/airbnb/hotels where I knew I could relax and not worry about safety or getting a good night's sleep. I'm active and not overweight, but not necessarily super fit. Rode up to 60 miles each day, but tried to keep it moderate at about 30-40 miles, so I could enjoy the scenery and not kill myself, took about 6 days with 1 day to drive to St Charles and 1 day to drive back home. Rode long practice trips in April, as weather allowed, on weekends a few times did 60 miles on dirt/gravel. During the week with work, difficult to get longer rides in so did about 20 mile days on pavement. It's the daily riding and repetition of long miles and breaking in your butt that I focused on. Carried some snacks but didn't really need them, food and drink available on trail. Used downloaded Alltrails and Notes for each day in my phone, or google maps when internet was avail., to locate food, etc. Panniers and front handlebar bag. Repair shops were not frequent so glad I carried a few tools, tubes, pump, etc. Trailhead and hotel pumps and tools were not reliable or always available. Bathrooms were available at stops and trailheads. Carry the shuttle number to phone if you get a repair that you can't fix or you need to bail out. There is also Amtrak at some stops. There's time to chat on the shuttle from St. Charles and that's what I did to have a trail family who sometimes rode with me. I also met lots of other cyclists on the trail going across the country or on their own ride, many international, so we watched out for each other, checking in at trailheads/hotels/airbnbs via our phones and text. The trail was just wild enough that it felt like a challenge, but not too far out that I worried. Really a positive experience and it boosted my confidence to try other trails now. I did the GAP/C&O last year and this was a far easier trail with more services and better maintained surface. May was a great time as the heat and humidity of Missouri in the summer is legendary and even the shuttle driver mentioned that August is not a good time, just way to much heat. Shoulder months might be better. Good luck!

Overdue to comment on our stay here. My wife and were here on 6/16 and were biking the trail. Jerry is a wonderful host, bed was comfortable and the room was clean. Breakfast was great the next morning and we were on our way. Jerry went way above and beyond that morning. We were only 3 miles west when we got a flat tire (our only one of the trip, btw). The head for my CO2 cartridge wasn't functioning (new one bought in Sedalia). One of us was going to ride back to Jerry's to see if we could borrow his floor pump, but we thought it would be a good idea to call first. He insisted on driving out to us with his pump...way above and beyond. He was out there shortly, we changed the tire and went on our way. Thanks, Jerry!!!

Thinking about doing the entire trail in August starting in St Charles. Question is, how do you suggest carrying your personal belongings from town to town. We plan on staying in bed and breakfasts so it would be just hygiene, a few clothes and extra emergency bike items. Backpack or bike rack? Backpack seems kinda hot. Ideas?

Rack and panniers. You will hate a backpack. You'll also be surprised how much you end up with. Remember a first aid kit, snacks, extra tube, minimal bike tools along with your bike clothes and evening clothes and shoes.

Agree with Jack. Panniers or frame or handle bar bags.

Backpacks are hot and can wear on your shoulders and back.

You can get a sturdy rack for $60.00 and under. You may already have one on your bikes. Go with a decent set of panniers but not necessarily top of the line. I put hefty trash bag as liners in mine in case it rains. Agree you will carry more than you may think even if just day tripping.

FWIW, I did a training ride prior to my cross Missouri ride which included Rock Island and Katy. Anyway, I wanted to be sure I could do back to back long days of riding. Call it a shakedown trip. I rode from Marysville, Kansas to Lincoln, Nebraska via the Blue River Rail trail and the Chief Standing Bear trails. They are very similar to the Katy, just with less businesses catering to trail users. The trail name changes a few times before reaching Lincoln and the one way distance is 77 miles. I used a rear rack and ortlieb brand waterproof panniers. They are a little bulky and you’ll need to be careful when you park your bike if using a kickstand. Occasionally when you’re riding you may stand upright to go up a hill, this is when you may notice the panniers throwing you side to side slightly. I normally don’t pack light, but I was careful to bring only essentials for my Katy trip, because stuff adds up quick. I didn’t camp, I “credit card camped” (Airbnb and hotel) so I would get good sleep/relaxation, have a shower and laundry so I could pack less. I’m including a Strava link to both my return ride to Marysville and my Katy trip. Don’t forget your water bottles like I did on my Lincoln trip. I also suggest something like LiquidIV for salt/electrolytes replacement perhaps every other water bottle. And a banana. Happy trails!

https://strava.app.link/Nfn0AG3GvBb

https://strava.app.link/k1QMu3PHvBb

Rear rack and some Roswheel panniers. You can buy it all for less than $100, and it will carry plenty.

Put a bunch of stuff in it and take a few training rides before you hit the trail for real.

There are lots of other great tips above.

Adam Lineberry from redeeming eden u-tube uses plastic kitty litter boxes for panniers. They are waterproof and if you have a cat they are free, He has a video showing how to mount them,

Planning a trip west to east from Clinton to st Charles and looking for some feedback from the experienced group! For those that have completed the trail, how many days did you give yourself + what is your biking experience? Thanks for the help!! (Also, does west to east seem like the right move?

Would a small campervan be allowed to camp here? I'm working on a itinerary for a Sept. trip. I'm riding, wife following in van.

Katy Roundhouse


Camping, Parking, Restroom
New Franklin MO
1893 Katy Drive
660-848-2232 / 660-537-0238
http://www.katyroundhouse.org

Five of us are planning to ride the Katy in September from Clinton to Machens. Is there anyone who could shuttle a car to the end? We are hoping to camp and wonder if we have to make reservations.

Mwk -- We are a new shuttle service based in Fulton, MO (off but near N Jefferson TH). We'd be happy to assist with shuttling your car. Feel free to give us a call when ready to make arrangements -- 573.220.0806. AmericaBicycleJourneys.com

I learned Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles offers car transfer for $350.

Might be an opportunity here for a rider to provide their own transportation (your car) to St Charles/Black Walnut and then ride their bike back towards Clinton. In case you didn’t know there is no parking at Machens and the neighboring farmer has been known to block the roadway that leads to the trail from the local highway (probably illegally) I suggest Facebook group Fans of the Katy Trail for a larger audience/ feedback Where are you from?

636-987-2673 Defiance Katy Bike Trail Shuttle-Todd $110
Nice people. St Charles to Clinton shuttle. Then we rode back to St Charles where our car was parked behind the Country Inn and Suites Gazebo parking lot.

Want to take my grandkids on a train ride from Jefferson City to Sedalia and back and was wondering if there are things to do within walking distance from the train station? We will have several hours before the train goes back to Jefferson City. Thanks!

No matter where you are there are things to do. Are they things you or your grandkids like to do? Who'd know the answer to that other than you and the grandkids? Have a look on Google maps of the area and how far out you're willing to walk. Zoom in and see if there are things to do that are of interest to you. Who knows, you all might end up with new tattoos and an ice cream cone.

Thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Joey's on 6/22/23. I stayed at the Victorian on the hill (hope I got the name right) since the Birdhouses were occupied, but the hospitality and accommodations were great. It's such a pleasure to have such super hosts to welcome riders after a long day on the KT.

Am so pleased the Globe is open again. Stayed there 6/21/23 after a dusty day on the KT, and was sure happy for the great accommodations. The breakfast was super. Would recommend the Globe without hesitation.

Spent the evening of 6/20/23 at Katy Junction B&B. Jerry was a great host as always, and this B&B is most welcome after a long day's ride. My one regret is that I couldn't get to Pilot Grove from Clinton any earlier; will have to adjust the future itinerary somehow to spend a bit more time in Pilot Grove. Thanks again for being a super host.

We will be installing new windows in the shelter this week (July 3rd - 7th). The shelter will remain open but the installers start work around 6:00 in the morning to try and beat the heat. We apologize for any inconvenience to those of you who plan to stay there this week.

did they take the key off the pole. can riders gain entry on the same day.

The key is still on the pole - the installers have their own key.

Last weekend, I rode the trail from Clinton to Augusta. I wanted to finish the trail but I was stung/bitten by something that caused my right leg to swell so I had to call it quits.

There were many trees down east of Jefferson City to Augusta. Being a holiday weekend, I would have thought that the State park rangers would have been out cleaning up the trail after the rain knowing that there would be cyclists out. Which there were.

The trail from Clinton to North Jefferson had various types of rock laid down. If one has a mountain bike or wide tires, that would be no problem but with a road bike, I was moving slowr than normal.

Jefferson City going east was much easier due to the crushed rock being ridden over more almost made it feel like I was on a hard surface. The trees on the trail were the only exception that slowed me down.

Otherwise, all in all, it was a great ride, I sure would have liked to finish the trail perhaps later this fall. i hope to ring the bell in Machens as I did when I started in CLinton.

Advice on overnight parking in Columbia? Can one park at Flat Branch Park?

There is a parking garage a couple of blocks east of Flat Branch Park at Sixth and Cherry. City of Columbia website indicates no stays over 72 hours.

We've left our vehicle there several years ago overnight without incident.

Thanks!

Update: Monette's is open...we were able to book it for our trail ride in July.

Our group is starting on the Rock Island Trail and riding east. If we have an overnight stay in Warrensburg, is Hiway 13 safe to ride to the connector at Post Oak?

I take 251 rd south to leeton then head east. its paved 35mph rd with no traffic . you can get to it from the se side of town by going behind the hughschool and following that rd se across the bypass then first right east of the bypass. its a direct 12 mile shot to the trail. if you need more help let me know

I take 251 rd south to leeton then head east. its paved 35mph rd with no traffic . you can get to it from the se side of town by going behind the hughschool and following that rd se across the bypass then first right east of the bypass. its a direct 12 mile shot to the trail. if you need more help let me know

Jacob- Thanks so much for the great information. We will secure accommodations in Warrensburg and follow the 251 rd as you stated. Any bike friendly suggestions for overnight stays?

if you look at the map it doesn cross over a few county highways but if you keep on the 251 and head east on 2 you should see the dollar general in leeton where you can head south until you see the trailhead. There is an air bnb on north holden that i hear is pretty decent but being from there ive never really had to stay anywhere and havnt heard from others too much sorry

Best way to get from St Charles to the AmTrack station in Kirkwood?

At the top of the page, you can search the forum. Search for Kirkwood and you'll see many people suggesting routes to that station. I think there is a pretty defined acceptable route.

Two of us are going to finish riding in St.Charles and will need to go to St.Louis AMTRAK train station. What is the best way of doing this with my bike? Are there any public transportation between these two points that allow bikes?

My wife and I rode from the Katy Trail to St. Louis as you are planning. Here is what we did. You can use Google Maps with the cycling option and it will give you a pretty good and safe route to ride. Remember there are 2 stations in St. Louis. We did this and we had no problem. There are two places you can cross the river and one of them is near St. Charles. I hope this helps!

Thank you, Rover1 ,for your input. I will look.

I haven't tried it yet but there is a light rail from the St. Louis train station to the St. Louis/Lambert airport. The light rail has facilities to roll on your bike.
From the airport, find your way to the 370 bridge.
Maybe someone local could confirm this route and the safety of riding from the airport.

Thank you, Sandy, an interesting idea. I will look.

People usually ask about the Kirkwood Amtrak station. At the top of the page, you can search the forum. Search for Kirkwood and you'll see many people suggesting routes to that station. I think there is a pretty defined acceptable route.

Does anyone know if Monette's cabin is closed? We are looking for a place to stay in Marthasville, and their website doesn't load and they have not responded to my inquiries.

I found their website at https://monettescabin.com/ and it has their phone number: 636-359-4501

If it doesn't work out with them, we would love to have you in Marthasville at our Bank Haus or Katy Haus!

Has anyone actually ridden the Google recommended bike route? Are Hwys 150 and 291 ok to ride on? Thanks!

Just following Google Maps along Hwy. 291 and Hwy. 150 is not a good idea. Although there are a few other options, there are two routes that most local people recommend (described from North/Lee's Summit to South/Pleasant Hill):

The first route that I prefer uses the paved trail along Ward Road, the sidewalks along Hwy. 150 west of 291, a short 2/3 mile section along 2 lane 150, residential side streets in Greenwood (Doc Henry, Allendale Drive, Allendale Lake Road (there is a nice sidewalk trail along a good stretch here), then 167th/Groll/171st/Gray (there is a section of gravel road here with a few larger stones), and finally low traffic 175th Street east until you reach the trail just past the active train tracks:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=10eHY4HfsGMFVR773KfJu7dHcnME9L7aW&usp=sharing

The second route is all on roads and does not use the available paved trails or nice sections of sidewalk, but traffic is reasonably light: Scherer to Thompson to Hamblen, along 150 Hwy. mostly in Downtown Greenwood where the speed limit is low, south on Smart Road where eventually you reach the trail at 167th Street (there are a few sections of gravel road here too but usually the rocks aren't too big as compared to the other route):
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1S5Um60ydU-JTZvsemSZuVHoacidMXUs&usp=sharing

Here is a link to my cross state route. I avoided 291 entirely because it is a high speed, heavily trafficked highway. I did have to cross it once. I did ride on 150 highway but only for one block. The ride from LS to P Hill was pretty safe the way I went on a holiday Monday. The business park just east of 291 will have some truck traffic but that’s only a short ride before it’s quiet again. Good luck!
https://strava.app.link/80z3KEbhCAb

don't let google maps take you down 291 did that a few years ago was not fun

Highway 150 isn't that bad. Staying off of 291 is easy; just take the outer road (right) before 291 Highway. The outer road takes you all the way down to your left turn onto SW Stuart Road (you will see Eagle Creek Church on your right). Be careful crossing 291. Stuart Road to SW Jefferson for half a mile, turn right, then half a mile and go left onto the KC spur of the Rock Island trail. Easy riding from there to the Sports Complex.

Sean Nunn
Raytown MO