Katy Trail Forum

Is there overnight parking allowed at the Page Bridge Parking lot in St. Charles? We are planning on 8 consecutive days of parking.

I am not sure about the Page lot, but just 3 miles east of that lot would put you at the St. Charles Trailhead/Frontier Park. To park there for 8 days, you should contact the St Charles Police Department, their non-emergency number is 636-949-3300, and they will take your info along with giving you verbal permission/permit to leave your car there.

I too would recommend the lot in St. Charles (after contacting police as suggested) over the Page lot.

Thanks, Steve K and anonymous. I called the police and gave them my vehicle info even though they said it wasn't necessary. I was also pleasantly surprised that there is no fee for parking at the trailhead lot:)

Has anyone used the St Louis Riverfront trail, crossed over to Illinois and then crossed back over at Alton to connect to the start of the Katy Trail? What is your experience with the St Louis Riverfront trail? Is it safe?

I have ridden the Riverfront trail quite a few times, crossing between IL & MO. You can now make a loop by crossing the McKinley Bridge (with its spectacular view of downtown)and continuing on the Confluence Trail on the IL side, and then crossing the Chain of Rocks bridge back to MO.

So you really have 2 routes from downtown up to Alton. I have never had a problem with safety on the Riverfront trail. You should know that some parts are very industrial, but that's a nice change. The trail goes up a steep hill on Riverview Drive as it approaches the Chain of Rocks Bridge, then comes immediately back down -- so a lot of riders just stay on Riverview for the 1/2 mile, but it is a very busy street.

Cross the Chain of Rocks bridge, and catch the Confluence Trail all the way up to Alton. Jump on the Clark Bridge and pick up 67 on the Missouri side. That is a busy highway, so be careful. Take 94 out to Machens, again, being careful. I have done this route a couple of times with no problems.

However, I would never park my car at the Chain of Rocks bridge, especially on the MO side.

I love the Riverfront Trail - the industrial stuff is fascinating. You'll see rail yards, barge docks, junk yards, ancient warehouses, etc from a perspective that you've never seen. And there's a thin strip of wilderness between the bike path and parts of the river where I've seen wild turkeys before (and some crusty old guys fishing). Very cool experience.

We have ridden the Sam Vadalabene trail that goes all the way to Grafton, where you can take the Grafton Ferry across and make your way over to Machens. It's all back country roads. We are riding that way from west to east the second week of Sept. starting in Clinton and ending in Grafton IL

I have wanted to ride up through Grafton and take the ferry across to Machens. Unfortunately, the two times I was ready, the ferry was not (due to water levels). So check before going. The scenery along that route cannot be beat when the leaves are changing colors. And (I think) the ferry will let bikes on first even if there is a long wait for cars.

Thanks to everyone for their input. The ferry sounds interesting but since Amtrak gets in at 2pm and I am trying to get to St Charles before nightfall I think I will try to Riverfront and Confluence Trail to the Alton bridge, then go over to the Katy. Thanks again.

Depending on the Amtrak route you are taking, you might be able to stay on the train and ride it to Alton instead of getting off in downtown STL. That's a lot closer to the Clark Bridge.

Becky's is a nice well lit restaurant with really good food. There's seating outside if you choose to sit there. They only take cash or checks. This was a problem for us on the day we stopped in and ordered lunch. We tried to get cash from the ATM down the street but didn't have any luck. We told Becky's about our problem and wanted to pay for our sodas. Becky's said they already made our food and it was no problem. We were so appreciative and hungry. I would recommend them for the food and the people!

Lost Creek Vineyard loves Katy Trail bikers! Located at mile marker 93.8, along one of the prettiest stretches of the trail! Check the website at LostCreekVineyardmo.com for special evening events and live music.

I'm planning on riding the trail from Clinton to St. Charles the second week of September and MO State Parks has this on their website:


"Two bridges are being replaced on the Katy Trail near Providence Boat Ramp (MP 166.2) and at Wilton (MP 157.4). Construction will begin Monday, Aug. 4 and is anticipated to be completed by Friday, Sept. 19. During this time, the trail will be closed from McBaine Trailhead (MP 169.5) to Providence Boat Ramp (MP 165.5) as there is no detour option. Signs and barriers will be erected warning trail users of the closure. Users should avoid this area and not go beyond the barriers."

Any suggestions for re-routes to avoid this section?

So, if I had taken the time to read down a few threads I'd have gotten my answer. I'll do this now.

Let me know what you find out on this thread. I don't think there is a great answer on the earlier thread. I'm riding the third week in September. Maybe the work will be done by then... Any chance of a bootleg trail?

Guys the bridge closure thread has some ideas and people willing to transport you around the bridge closures.

@ Sean, The alternative route that had been mentioned in the thread was:
Start out going southeast on S Katy St toward W Route K/MO-K.
0.08 mi
2. Turn slight left onto W Route K/MO-K.
1.5 mi
3. Turn slight right onto S Mount Celestial Rd.
0.9 mi
4. Take the 1st right onto S Warren School Rd.
If you reach W Route K you've gone about 0.2 miles too far
1.6 mi
5. Turn right onto S Old Plank Rd.

A friend of mine who is from that area and who has traveled those roads verified that they would be challenging for casual riders or riders who are riding a bike less-suited for off-road riding. I’m guessing that would be why the MO State Parks did not designate this as a detour as they don’t want to send casual weekenders on a wild ride.
I’ve done singletrack centuries and raced MTB’s for years, and I’ll be on an MTB tandem (with gearing and tires for off road) so I’m less concerned about the surface conditions than others might be. I think it’s awesome that Gary near Tebetts has offered to help shuttle folks around this closure. What a fantastic community that has developed around this trail!! If you’re not prepared for climbing or rugged conditions, I would suggest you contact Gary at the e-mail he offered in the other thread. A friend along the trail can only be a good thing.

Thanks. I'm going to keep my eye on the forum. My ride isn't until mid-September. I'm probably going to try this detour. A few hills on some country roads shouldn't be that bad.

Yes, the other bridge closure thread had the same directions, which I looked at on Google maps. I used the street view for Hwy K and it has a narrow bicycle lane and doesn't look too bad. We decided to go as far down K as we could and then cut back on Mt Celestial to Warren School and so on. Those roads are all gravel with hills. Still, we've done road cycling with hills and will try it ourselves the week of Sept. 6 - 12th. Looking forward to hearing from anyone that may try this alternate route before we go and hopefully post the results here.