Katy Trail Forum

planning a 5-7 day trip this coming fall with beginning riders. planning to ride 25-30 miles a day. I want to maximize our time on the most scenic areas of the ride. We also plan to add a few train rides in to get from place to place. We are riding west to east.

Any recommendations?

If you call me at Bluffton Barn I'd be glad to answer questions and help you know what to decide. Would need to know if you are driving in, flying and then using a shuttle, how many in your group etc. in order to help you.

The 15 miles between Rocheport and Easley is a must see. You have river views on one side and bluffs on the other. Rocheport has lodging and restaurants and Easley has camping and refreshments at Coopers Landing.

Most scenic, or most majestic.....Rocheport tunnel east to Huntsdale.

We've ridden between Sedalia and St. Charles numerous times. Sedalia to Weldon Springs is our favorite. Have no experience on the trail between Clinton and Sedalia.

Some of the most enjoyable times riding has been in the open farmland and under the tree covered canopies.

All that aside, with 5-7 days you've enough time to cover the entire trail and determine which parts you liked best.

Thanks for the insights! Very helpful!

Cruses Cabooses has never shut down it does close for the winter time . the cabooses are open from April to October Iam the new owner my name is Rick Fosnow and phone # is 1-660-525-6395 or my wife # 1-660-525-6394 we will be open for the 2024 season

Any further developments on the Rock Island Spur toward Lee's Summit. Planning a Train out / Ride back this fall. Wondering if Pleasant Hill to LS Station is any easier now - Have not seen any recent (last 3 years) posts about that segment.

The Rock Island Trail has been extended from Lee's Summit to the northwest to the Arrowhead/Royals baseball stadium complex. That section is 99% done and will officially open next month, but cyclists are already riding it. There are 6 segments still to be funded to connect Lee's Summit with the existing Pleasant Hill MOPAC/Rock Island Trail. Currently segments 1, 2, and 6 are funded for construction in 2022 and 2023, but segments 3, 4, and 5 could easily take 8-10 more years to build unless someone makes it a priority. There are low volume county roads that people take to ride the trail gap from Lee's Summit to Pleasant Hill, but you need to be comfortable with onroad riding. I personally take the really low volume routes and link up several of the 8' wide sidewalk trails so I really cut down on the two lane roads that carry significant car traffic.

Are there detailed maps of this new section between Lee's Summit and KC? I had not heard of this.

If you search the Jackson County Rock Island Rail Corridor Authority, you will find some good maps of the new 7 mile extension to the stadium complex. Crane Brewery is right along this section of the trail in Raytown. The Facebook group The Rock Island Trail (Kansas City to Pleasant Hill) has tons of information and I have posted detailed maps about the future trail expansions that will eventually connect Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill.

How far is the bike trail from LS Hartman Trail head to Crane Brewey?

Use Google Maps, search for Hartman Park. Click on get directions and type Crane Brewing, click the bicycle icon so it will route you by available trails. Your route, miles (8) and elevation (279’) along the way will be provided. Click the little up/down arrow on right side to reverse the route.

We are planning on riding the KT in April 2024 from west to east. Any recommendations on the best parking options, Clinton v. St. Charles at the Bike Stop Cafe? Is one safer than the other?

The Clinton Comm Center will let you park your vehicle in their lot for a few days. They used to hold you car keys until Tony from Bike Stop Cafe would come pick up your vehicle - but no longer! You will have to fill out an ID form about your vehicle and they'll want you to park "out" in the parking lot, away from the entry. I've parked a vehicle there twice and had no problems. Bike Stop Cafe is the way to go for vehicle transfer from Clinton to St. Charles, in my humble opinion. I've ridden the awesome Katy Trail twice, Oct 22 and Oct 23. I've only used the BSC for vehicle transfer, it's not cheap, but they have your vehicle waiting for you right there - at the Bike Stop Cafe. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites, it's really close.
This past Oct when my wife and I traversed the KT is when the Comm Ctr would not take my car keys. I contacted BSC and Tony met us at Green Ridge on our 2nd day to pick up our keys to move our vehicle. Next year, I'm just going to mail a key in advance to the BSC. Food for thought!
Enjoy the ride! It's beautiful!

Is there anywhere to eat if we camp in Hartsburg? Looks like nothing until tebbetts? Breakfast options?

There is Jefferson City, half way between Hartsburg and Tebbetts. Tons of food options, bars and places to spend the night, plus you get to experience the bike/pedestrian bridge crossing the Missouri River.

There is no place to get food in Tebbetts unless you contact Rachel at Happy Trails Katy-ring ahead of time. She and her girls provide an excellent breakfast.

https://bikekatytrail.com/happy-trails-katy-ring.aspx


If you want to eat in JC but don’t want to do the extra miles to cross the bridge to get downtown, you can get a good breakfast at the Landing Zone located at JC’s small airport every day except Wednesday.
https://landingzonemo.com/

Two places to eat in Hartsburg, but none for breakfast off-season.
There's the Hartsburg Hitching Post - M-Th 4p-Mid, F-Sa 3p-1a, Su 12-Mid
"The Burg" is only open on Friday and Sat nights during the off-season And Thurs-Sun in season.
In-season, The Berg serves breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

We are planning to drive . . Is there a shuttle from here to Rock island trail ? Also is there a safe place to leave my car?

Call the Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles, they provide shuttle services.
We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites, great hotel. Short walk to the BSC.

Key security idea: Some of you have discussed or considered parking your vehicle and shuttling back to it with your bike versus having a company drive YOUR vehicle to the opposite end of the trail where it will wait for you upon arrival/completing the trial. In 2021 I rode the Katy but began in Kansas, rode all the way to Illinois and back into Missouri, finishing at Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium. I took the Amtrak back to KC, so moving a car wasn’t an issue. A few months ago I rode the awesome Mickelson Trail in South Dakota. I only had a few days to ride and didn’t have a support person to pick me up. I considered using a shuttle, but decided I wanted to hire Black Hills Discovery Tours to drive my truck to Edgemont, at the other end of the trail. This is more expensive than the shuttle for a solo rider but would cost about the same as two riders, plus I don’t have to ride the shuttle that two hours back. Remember when considering the cost whether it’s the Katy or the Mick it takes two people to shuttle a vehicle because the driver needs a ride back. Back to key security….i was uneasy about my keys being left hidden in my truck for a day, or longer. I purchased a real estate type key box from amazon for $20. Originally I was going to return it and get my money back but decided to keep it for future trips or if I have someone coming to my house to leave a key. This box has a combination that can be set easily to whatever four digit code I want. To make it easy for Bill at Black Hills Discovery Tours I set the code to the last four digits of his phone number. I then locked the key box to the tie down hook in the bed of my truck, but if you have a hitch receiver or roof rack it could go there, maybe even to a door handle…you get the idea. The box is pretty rugged and would take time, tools and effort to force entry into. Obviously there is some risk of theft with keys inside the box, however people/thugs steal cars by breaking in then damaging the steering column or ignition all the time without keys available.
https://www.amazon.com/Capacity-Storage-Resettable-Combination-Waterproof/dp/B09NBQW6D2

Just wondering if people had a preference for starting and ending ponts.

Hi! We are going to KT in May and according to some friends they said to go West to East. We are starting in Clinton, which is a small town but I had little trouble getting a room.

There is (apparently) a city parking lot that is free so you could park there and go to St. Charles and then shuttle back. The shuttle is $110 a person and goes daily from STC to Clinton at 0800.
If you decide to go to Manchens, then that's a 30 mile round trip to get back to STC.

Of course you could cycle back.

The trail is downhill going west to east. Maybe not all that much beings it is a rail trail, but the hill in Boonville wasn’t named Lard Hill for nothing. The elevation chart at the bottom of the mileage chart shows the elevation of each town along the trail. Best—downhill.

Wind direction changes often and it can swirl along the bluffs making the headwind/tailwind debate kind of a moot point to me. Best—either direction.

Which way is best? Based on what? Slope of trail…wind direction….travel plans before and after riding….required amenities before and after the ride…time of day riding into the sun or on your back….etc? Best—depends on you.

I rode the whole trail last summer. West to east is a bit easier, especially the western most part of the trail. Like was said before, Boonville offers a lot of exercise going east to west. It's not a "hill" but rather a slight "grade". Grade equals no coasting for maybe a mile or better. Sedalia to Clifton City was pretty gravelly. I was really glad my tires and tubes were new when I did that stretch. Otherwise it might have been pretty iffy. Enjoy.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate that. Does anyone have the name and number for the shuttle service from St. Charles to Clinton?

There's only about 500 feet of elevation difference from the high point to the low point so the trail is pretty flat. The only other physical reason for choosing one direction over the other is the wind. Some people will argue it doesn't matter because the wind changes so much and geography affects it too much, etc. However I've ridden sections of the trail a lot and I did a round trip of the entire trail last year and yes wind direction will vary but from my personal experience most of the time it's easier going west to east.

I've done the entire trail 11 times with about half each direction. I prefer west to east as the tailwind is 'usually' that way. Plus there is that nice downhill into Boonville. However there are two downsides going that direction.

1. If you are an early riser, the sun will often be in your eyes.

2. Some businesses, such as restaurants, are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in the smaller towns. However this issue can be avoided by starting in Clinton on Monday then spending the night in Sedalia. On Tuesday spend the night in Boonville.

"There's only about 500 feet of elevation difference from the high point to the low point so the trail is pretty flat."

That's over roughly 200 miles....so yes it's pretty flat.

But from Boonville to Pilot Grove the elevation gain is 220 feet.

From Boonville to Sedalia the elevation gain is 290 feet.

It's pretty flat from Kansas City to Salt Lake City too...except that part where ya have to go over the Rocky's.

Oh Anonymous, you're such a party pooper.

I did a ride from Rocheport to St. Charles and I don't recall elevation or wind being an issue. I do believe the elevation challenge is probably west of Rocheport.

I've ridden a lot between Huntsdale and Rhineland and the wind is catch as catch can.

Some people prefer to get those long stretches of slight inclines in the west part out of the way early when their legs are fresh than to do them when coming at the end of the ride after you have ridden the relatively flat east part of the trail.

Yep....reality can be a party pooper. Or it at least can make a bike ride less enjoyable than it could have been.

That's what really makes Gary's post relevant.

Of course there are some hills. It's Missouri after all. Between Sedalia and Booneville there are a few that go on for what seems like a mile but they are a very slight gradient. Overall the trail is pretty flat and pretty easy, even with a loaded down bike.

My preference is also W to E. And driving from OKC to Clinton is about 5 hours. So instead of trying to camp or hotel in Clinton, we choose to roll the easy 17 miles to Winsor and stay and Katy Rock Junction! It a great place with little "home depot" type shed cabins. RIGHT off the trail on the left, just past the Star Spangled Caboose, which will be on the right. There's a Casey's right there too and several nice small town eateries in Winsor. This way you can make your trek from your home town and still get a few miles on the first day.

**Take WARNING though... The Clinton Community Ctr will not let you leave your car keys for the Bike Stop Cafe transport. The first time I rode the KT with my adult sons in Oct '22, we were able to fill out a form and they took my keys and the form. The BSC came and got my truck and it was waiting for us at our hotel in St. Charles. This past Oct when hitting the trial with my wife, the lady at the Comm Ctr said - "we don't do that, never have". Well I must have imagined that then. But i didn't. She said you can leave your car here, fill out his form, it can stay here for up to a week before we have it towed. She was surely NOT the friendliest person in Clinton. I called the BSC and they had their transport driver, Tony, meet us along the trail at Green Ridge, on our second day.

Scotty Mac - OKC

Just another 2 cents worth. I've been on four trips on the MKT, either all or parts, and direction doesn't make much difference, although going west to east with the downhill into Boonville preferable. I've never been on the trail when the winds were favorable; more often than not, there was no wind or there was a headwind. It is more important where you overnight, as you will be at your best in the AM. A great option, which eliminates a shuttle, is to head west from Clinton to St Charles. The out and back to and from Machens is an easy 24 miles round trip, so you can do the entire trail. Then double back from STC to either Washington or Hermann, and catch the train back to Sedalia. Then ride from Sedalia to Clinton. You bypass all the grades around Boonville, and the trail from Sedalia to Clinton (east to west) is really pleasant. You do need to be flexible, as you have to be in place to meet the train, and it doesn't always keep on schedule. Also, it adds some time to the trip. It's more complicated than I can explain in a comment, as there are many options for waypoints and overnight locations, but with some research a rewarding itinerary is possible.

Hello! I’m planning to ride round trip the entire Katy Trail this April and starting from Machens. Questions...

Is the entire trail open? I see that person on the blog from KC said it was closed in Machens.

Also do you know of a place in Illinois along the Mississippi River that would connect to the Katy trail to start from?

Thanks for your help. I’m sure I’ll have more questions as it gets close. Any tips would be appreciated.

Machens is not the ideal place to start especially if you are parking a car. Your best bet is to do a 24-miles out and back from St. Charles to start. The trail ends in Machens. It was closed near Machens a few years ago due to flood damage, but it's been fixed for a while.

You can start over in Alton, Illinois. The Hwy 67 bridge over the Mississippi River has a bike path, but there is often a lot of broken glass on it. However the bike path ends shortly after the bridge. The shoulder of Hwy 67 is wide. You'll need to turn right onto Hwy 94 and stay on it for a few miles. It usually isn't all that busy. If you are looking at something like Google Maps, there seems to be side roads, but many of them are rough dirt. Interesting factiod: RAAM (Race Across AMerica) uses Hwy 67 and the bridge.

Another option from Illinois is from Grafton. Take the Grafton Ferry over the Mississippi River. Note: Do NOT take the Brussels or Golden Eagle ferries. Make sure that the Grafton ferry is open as river conditions often close it.

I agree with Jerry. Starting from Machens is not a good idea especially in April. If you want to say you did the entire KT Trail wait until summer and park in St Charles and do an out an back to Machens. Trail east of St Charles is not real developed. Start from or end in St Charles would be a good first KT trip. Riding from Illinois to start would be in the summer time.

Ok wow thanks for the tips. I’ll look at all those tips and plan it better. Yeah parking the car is scaring me. Maybe park at a hotel or township building in St. Charles or Alton, Grafton? But there’s nothing to worry about being on the trail? Safe?

I did a round trip of the Katy last September. I was riding alone and camped by myself most nights. I never once felt unsafe at any time. You will go through a few areas that look a bit sketchy and you will see homeless people occasionally but I never had any trouble.

I recommend parking in St. Charles. There's a public park there where I've left my car 5 or 6 times. I just left a little note on the dashboard giving the phone number and email address where I can be reached. Flooding could be an issue, but then you don't want to be riding on the Katy when the Missouri River is up that high anyway.

As mentioned before, start at St. Charles and do an out and back to Machens. That way you can claim rights to doing the entire Katy.

The trail is very safe. Just be careful at intersections with the road. There's one place near St. Charles and another near Augusta where it's difficult to see the road traffic. Just be careful.

Raff: the issues with Machens primarily are related to access to/from the trail. There is a legal right of way to/from the trail from the local roads/highway. That access allows you to legally get to the trail, including crossing an active rail line. The owner of the property adjacent to and surrounding the Katy/state park is not a supporter of the trail and has been known to place barriers to keep people out. There is no designated parking at the Machens trailhead and because property lines are not clearly marked one could “accidentally” trespass. Interesting fact about the property owner is his name is Machens. I believe that most trail users are simply using the trail for its intended purpose and not committing crimes. Another issue with Machens and all areas east of St Charles is that it’s not as scenic in some people’s opinions (I’ve seen quite a few comments related to that over a few years) so that’s why some may believe it’s not worth doing. I don’t feel that way, just understand it’s flat river bottom farmland far enough away from both rivers that you don’t see them. I enjoyed that section and would regret missing it and the bell at the end.
Regarding safety, most people overwhelmingly have a safe trail experience. Some may see someone or something that they don’t like, but that could be their own insecurities or prejudice, but even then typically nothing happens to them. Unfortunately cars sometimes get broken into, so park somewhere that seems safe. Also don’t leave anything of value visible inside your car, including change or bags….what you think is a bag of dirty laundry might appear to be a bag with POTENTIAL valuables to a thief.
I rode from Westwood, KS to Alton, IL crossing the Mississippi via the Grafton Ferry. I then rode across the bike/pedestrian only Old Chain of Rocks Bridge ending at Gateway Arch. I will include a link below to my Strava for the specific route. There is currently one closure at Mokane for a bridge replacement until March. I suggest going to Mo state parks website and use the trail advisor link on that site for official info. Sometimes you can get around those closures, but it may not be an authorized detour. I suggest Facebook group Fans of the Katy Trail for a greater audience and media than this good resource here.
https://strava.app.link/6N4dLH1tzGb

Thank you Eric, Jerry and Alan and everyone else. I appreciate all the kind help and advice. I’ll do my best with my ride and I’ll let you guys know when I plan for sure when I leave. I did a solo bike packing trip from Elk Grove Village to Lacrosse, Wisconsin and back. Well almost lol. It was for sure a great peaceful experience and I hope for the same on this trip.
Cheers

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This is excellent news!

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Oh My Gosh, did this headline ever get my attention. Is there a group soliciting Amtrak to help us trail riders??? We love the Katy, and it would be extremely helpful if we had more options to use Amtrak by the ability to load more bikes. There is no doubt more folks would be taking Amtrak if they could get their bikes onboard. It is such a great experience, but so limited right now.