Katy Trail Forum

Where will the expanded Katy Trail be located on the south side of the Page Extension? I live there and am distressed to learn it may pass less than 20 feet from my bedroom window. Can this possibly be correct? John White (our St. Charles councilman) will not discuss with the residents exactly where it will be, other than just saying it's a "done deal" and "you can't do anything about it", when one of our Heritage Trails residents spoke to him the week of April 10, 2005.. Heritage Trails Residents are NOT amused, John.

Sorry, I do not have any information on where the extension will run. If your councilman has this information, I can't imagine why he would not share it with his constituents.

I'm surprised that you are distressed about having a bike path near your home. Any of your neighbors who are upset by the idea of having healthy recreational opportunities in the neighborhood may want to consider selling their homes. They will be pleasantly surprised to learn that having a State Park right next door will increase property resale values. Honestly, people will pay a premium to live that close to outdoor recreation resources like bike trails.

Our family would love to have a trail connection that close. I don't think people understand all the positive implications of having a network of bike trails in our area. They increase the quality of life for residents (by giving children and adults a safe place to ride), they promote a sense of community and civic pride, and they always lead to an increase in property values. Cyclers are generally friendly and respectful people and I wouldn’t mind them riding through my neighborhood. I'll take a nice quiet bike trail any day over all the annoying pass-thru traffic on our street. To be fair, yes, people passing by on their bikes may infringe on your privacy. Nevertheless, seeing other people around is just a part of living in a city. Move to the Alaskan wilderness if you don't like living around other people.

Ron, you are correct, the Katy Trail is coming on the south side of Page Avenue Extension along the Heritage Trails subdivision. Apparently, the land was donated by the developer before the new part of the subdivision was built. The engineering study is being done now and should be complete in September, 2005. I believe the trail itself will completed by summer, 2006. The access to the trail is going to be located at lot 41. In addition there will a "pocket park" located on the other side of the trail near the access point at lot 41. This information is accurate, I have verified this with two very good sources and both told me the same thing.

The only negative could be if you rent. As Matt said, property values always go up when they have good multi-use path access. So if you're renting, expect your rent to go up.

Yes bike trails in the area increase a home's value. However, does the resident's quality of life increase if there is a public trail 20 feet from their BEDROOM? It would be really nice to have a trail a half mile or so away.

Obviously, nearby multi-use trails increase the quality of life. What else would account for the increase in property values? I'd have no trouble with such a trail 20 feet from my bedroom that'll only have runners, walkers, and bikers. Sure beats a road where there can be that plus cars and trucks.

i've heard the katy trail will be going on west of clinton some day. if so where is the proposed route. i.e. what towns etc. and when. i'd like to be 20 ft. from the trail (i think). i'd have one of my grandkids set up a lemonaid stand. any way i'd like to know the route of the trail if you know. thanks eab

Gene, You can find a little information on connecting the Katy to K.C. at this website: www.marc.org/metrogreen/ Click on the Katy Trail button on the left side of the screen. There are maps of three different proposed routes, though they are not very detailed so it's hard to tell what towns they would pass through. One route would go from Windsor through Pleasant Hill and possibly Raytown.

I have not heard anyone predict when this will happen, but if you have grandkids that are interested in the lemonade business now, they will probably be dating and thinking about college before it is completed!

Pleasant Hill recently announced plans to build a trail to the city lake north of town (3 miles, I think) and they hope that it will become part of the trail that connects KC and the Katy Trail eventually.

Before the question of "Where?" is relavant, we must first get answers to "Will?" and "When?". Please contact MO DNR director Doyle Childers encouraging him to make the extension of the KATY trail to Kansas City. For additional details, visit the Missouri Bike Federation's website:
http://www.mobikefed.org/2005_07_01_advocacyalertsarchive.html#112114690814400554

I know for a fact that Councilman John White will discuss anything you could possibly ask him. He has helped us with problems and directed us to the right people to address our situation. He is a honest councilman, and is there to help the common people. He did speak to your association about the trail, and told you that there are no firm plans right now of where the trail will go. It is a shame that a few people want to ruin a trail that would benefit all and be enjoyed by people from so many counties.

My family lives on the Columbia MKT spur, on one of its busiest segments. We get literally hundreds of people going past our house on nice days. We have never had any problems. Our house is more than 20 feet from the trail, but some of our neighbors are quite close. One indication of how people feel about this is that not a single person has built a privacy fence along the trail, although some have plantings to screen the trail in the summer; another is that many of the houses have their own little connectors to the trail. And I can tell you that people who come to our house uniformly say how lucky we are in our location. As a matter of fact, I am now trying to keep my eyes open for a house in our neighborhood for the 4th family of friends who wants to move here!

Heh, dont speak for all Heritage residents. Myself and a neighbor both love the idea.

I think both St. Louis County and St.Charles County should have more interconnected trail systems. Any one who has traveled the Katy Trail knows the thrill of being able to go from one historic town to another safely, is an experience all people and future generations should be able to enjoy. Each community benefits from any expansion both in economics and in culture.

"Yes bike trails in the area increase a home's value. However, does the resident's quality of life increase if there is a public trail 20 feet from their BEDROOM?"



Most houses have streets (and, in civilized areas of the world, sidewalks) running 20 or 40 feet away from them. And what do you know, people are going up and down those streets all day and all night.



Trails are sort of like that, only even more enjoyable and even less annoying.

What a fool! I would love to live on trail accessable property.

Best advice is: Don't let anyone know who you are and where you live. Otherwise your yard may become a waste recepticle and urinal. But that all goes with living in crime infested STL County anyway, right?

Chuck, I think your comments were tongue-in-cheek, but in case Ron is still reading this thread you may wish to clarify that you really weren't suggesting that trail-users will vandalize his property because of his disdain of the trail. He sounds like someone who would overreact & over-generalize those comments, reinforcing his negative impressions of cyclists, runners, and walkers. We know that we're all pleasant, eco-friendly neighbors, but he probably doesn't.

Can you tell me when this will go in? I live near Lot 41 and have been waiting anxiously for this trail to go in.

I concur with Ron, my house will also be within about40'-60' of this new trail. We bought this house knowing that the Page extension would be in our back yard, but we were seperated by dense woods and the access to my back yard would be limited. The trail will make it easy to access the back of my house for the first time. So while it will be great for all the "healthly recreational people" in the daytime, when you go home it will leave us to deal with the other side of society.

I do not remember ever hearing about a plan or vote on this?

Bake, the plans and status of the various phases are availiable on MoDot's website. I was looking at them this morning. In addition, MoDot is required to have public meetings on these type of projects at various stages of the design process. There is also contact info there for the MoDot Project Manager. If you really want to make a big deal about it, he would probably agree to meet with you at their office to go over the current plan, status, and issues that are specific to your property, and could probably discuss over the telephone if you give him your info and list of concerns ahead of time. Yeah, I know, it would be nice if someone would do this for you and report back, but I doubt you will get any volunteers posting on this forum.



As far as the "other side of society", Grant's Trail literally runs right by my front door in St. Louis County. Traffic can be very heavy during the day, but there are no issues with the "other side of society" at night. Now, I also understand that St. Charles County has some issues with Big Foot, who likes to rome around at night. However, this Big Foot issue is still there with or without the bike trail or Page Project.

There should less concern with a bike trail behind your property than with an abandoned railroad behind your property. At least with a trail, it is monitored, it is attactive, and the people who use it are for the most part respectful and responsible people. With an abandoned railroad, the only people back there are people who are trespassing and either screwing around or up to no good. I know I'm much happier after a local abandoned railroad eyesore was converted to a nice bike trail.

Well Ron's worries have been proven true. The crime in our subdivision has jumped dramatically. Several homes near the "unofficial" entrance to the trail from our subdivision have been broken into and/or vandalized. One family is so fed up with the sudden onset of crime, they are putting their house on the market this summer. I love my long walks on the trail, along with the rest of my neighbors, but I have to wonder if the increase in crime is making it worth it.

Neighbor
I too am located near this area. I have not heard about any of this crime wave. Where can I read this information? Is that you Ron?

I just love this trail link, wish my property touched it.

I found myself out farther than planned, later than planned, and with cloud cover and rain last night, so I walked the 2ish miles from Jung Station to Page along this stretch in complete darkness (except for the faint glow cast on the trail from some conveniently located bedroom lights). Am happy to report that I witnessed no shenanigans either on or off the trail. Was very happy to get back to my car though.

hi my friend and i are planning to ride on the katy trail on may 8 for 4 days. we would like to stay at b&b's and find some wineries too. she would be flying into st louis and i will drive from memphis. is there someone who could help us plan our trip? we would like to ride 50-60 miles a day .thanks in advance for any help that some nice person out there will give us !

I would be glad to help you set up your trip. Call Doug at the Rendleman Home.

The milage chart and trip planner on this site are very useful when planning a trip.

Patty, On the home page to the left there is a banner for Katy Trail Tours. If you have the resources this would be a good start for first timers. No affiliation to the business.

Patty, I just rode the whole 237 miles of the Katy and there are a lot of wineries along the way, but you can also look at driving to say, Hermann and taking the Amtrak to Sedalia and riding back to Hermann? There are nice wineries in Hermann, Rocheport, Holts Summit (N Jefferson) Augusta and Defiance, MO and more, I am sure! Just a thought! And if you want to see some of the trail on the way to Hermann from St Louis, I would get on Hwy 94 in St Charles and take it all the way to Hermann, you will cross over and ride parallel to the trail.

Good place to stay. Shower house was clean.

Try the fish!!! Good food!!

My wife and I are staying at the Katyrest over a weekend cycling excursion in October and would like to catch breakfast at Dotty's famous Cafe. Does anyone know if they are still operating? I hope so.

Yes Micah, Dotty's Cafe is still open. There's also a new place down in Hartsburg nearby. So you'll have a few options. Dotty's number is 573-657-9750. Have a great trip!

Had lunch there last week! Still great food and pie.

Good food and pie. A blast from the past!!!!

Most awesome place to eat!!! I would definately drive back for a meal. I hope they never close!!!!

We stayed at the Globe Hotel. Nice place. This is the 2nd time we stayed there. We enjoy Jeanette, Frank and Ethel!!!

Ok place to camp. The bathrooms were filthy.

Awesome place to stay. Reasonable, quiet, clean! Showers and places to eat near by! Will defiantely stay there again!

Good place to stay. Safe and showers were clean.

This place and people were awesome. We got to camp behind the building in a fenced area. It was totally safe.
No charge. And we got to use the facility and showers!!!!!

The campground hosts there are a joke. A couple of stoners riding around in a jeep! When we camped there it was loud and noisy with a bunch of locals and their coolers! The campground hosts came by and even talked to them but it did not change things.
Avoid this place at all costs!!!!!

We rode the trail 1st week of October and stayed 1 night at Katfish Katy's.
We stoped at the trailside cafe in Rocheport for a snack before Katfish Katy's And was I glad we did. The camp store had beverages and cat litter. No sandwiches at all.
We were charged $10 dollars to camp and was assured although there were a few campers with families it was quiet.
We got our tent set up showered and about dark here come the locals with their coolers.
Bet they did not have to pay $10 to drink.
So if you are looking for a quiet place to stay and a sandwich, keep on going!!~!~!!!

I took a ride with Todd last year. Greatttttt!!!!
He provided top notch service the whole time.
I am planing my 2014 (in oct 2013) vacation and he is number one on the list. I want to ride KATY again.
Mark
Tucson

Just finished a 3 day tour on the trail. Sedalia to Boonville, Boonville to Columbia, Columbia to Jefferson City then Amtrak back to Sedalia. Had a wonderful time and scenery was beautiful. Thank you Missouri! We will be back!!

For sure a nice ride, glad you enjoyed it.

We rode into Boonville and had a nice stop at the High Street Victorian. It's very close to the trail (right before you go over the bridge) and they serve a lunch and tea there on top of being a bed and breakfast. We didn't stay the night, just stopped for tea but the proprietor was very friendly and had the most extensive selection of teas I've seen. Not bagged tea, mind you...real loose leaf in a tea ball. Highly recommended!

Me and 4 friends stayed with Doug this past weekend during our 45 mile hike. We had a great time. Food was wonderful and the place was inviting and warm. Doug is a lot of fun. Had a great bonfire for us all. The place is clean and Doug is a gracious host. Will come back again

Just a phenomenal stay for us in the dormitory! Everything was stellar, from the easy check in, to the cleanliness, to the comfort of the beds, to the great breakfast items provided that fit our needs perfectly. The scene for us was picturesque ... a cute lodge in a neat little town. Although we do enjoy biking, our reason for staying on this occasion was that we were visiting for a Mizzou football game. The next morning, we shopped all over Rocheport and ate lunch, spending nearly three hours in the little hamlet on a Sunday afternoon. This was like a trip back in time to our childhood, as my wife and I each were raised in small towns with friendly mom-and-pop merchants. That still exists in Rocheport, and the School House B&B is the perfect place to stay. We'll certainly be back, many times!

Its not on the list above but look up Prison Brews Resturant & Bar. Its not a bad ride from the trail but it is a bit off the trail. But the food and the service is well worth the trip out of your way. Also the ride over the bridge and going past the old Missouri Prison is a great view. Stop in, you won't be disappointed.

I agree, we walked there from the Capital Plaza Hotel, was glad to be off of the bike after a long day in saddle. Great place to un-wind.

Three of us recently rode the whole trail, starting in Clinton and finishing up in St. Charles (one of us completed the out-and-back to Machens). We had a wonderful trip, with the exception of one day when it rained the entire day. Riding that crushed rock trail was a challenge in the rain and we learned that fenders are a must! One thing we noticed, however, was that getting food in these small communities along the trail was sometimes a challenge. We pulled into Augusta, for example, on a Monday night. There were no places open to get dinner, or breakfast the next morning. The restaurants and wineries all closed on Monday! The Augusta Brewery (great place, BTW) closed at 6pm. Fortunately, our host at the Weinstrasse Cabins brought us some cheese, sausage and crackers or else we would've been out of luck. Do want to give kudos to a couple of folks who provided us some fantastic service along the trip. First, Joey Los and Rich Lauer, who run Joey's Birdhouse in McKittrick - the best lodging we had along the trail and the best hot breakfast. Joey's a chef and that meal was one of the best we had in Missouri! Also, we ran into some problems with our shuttle from St. Charles back to Clinton. The driver's car had some mechanical issues and we were left stranded right outside St. Charles. Thankfully, Barb and Roy Gokenbach with Show Me MO Tours were able to pick us up at the last minute and drive us to Clinton - great folks to work with! Finally, I was able to get a copy of Brett Dafur's new edition of The Katy Trail Guidebook before we started our ride and this proved to be an invaluable resource along the trail.

Deb, I am glad you enjoyed your ride. Since you have a copy (and I do to) of Brett's book, he does mentions some of the reduced services in the fall for trailhead closing, B&Bs and local restaurants and businesses. Having an organized tour is also a big benefit for first timers too. But being from Boulder roughing it a little is fun too. Not as hilly I imagine too? Now that you are "hooked" I am sure you will return.

Deb, If you three are who I think you are, my wife and I were on the KATY at the same time as you all and we ran into each other several times, though not literally. Glad to see you finished and that you enjoyed your ride. We had already heard about the Monday thing and since we preferred to camp as much as possible we were carrying food, stove, etc... We camped at Klondike Park our last night out and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Katy Trail is a real jewel and we have recommended it to our friends. As for ourselves, we are now planning for next year's Southern Tier. Happy Riding.

Here is my insight from 4 days biking the Katy Trail. I would highly recommend it! We had a blast
Oct. 9 Boonsville to Jefferson City Approx 50 miles
Oct. 10 Jefferson City to McKitrick Approx 45 miles
Oct. 11 McKitrick to Defiance Approx 40 miles
Oct. 12,13,14 Rested in Shrewsbury( St Louis suburb,stayed with friends son and son's future wife...Thank you so much Tim and Sara )
Oct 15 Rode Amtrak from Kirkwood ( St Louis suburb ) to Sedalia MO... 60 dollars for 2 people with bikes. The train only has room for 4 bikes. Very comfortable ride.
Oct 15 Biked from Sedalia back to Boonsville Approx 37 miles.... 172 miles total in 4 days riding

The Katy trail is not easy riding...Its taxing... The crushed limestone does not allow you to coast and is a much more difficult surface than pavement or concrete.
Wished I would have rode much more 2 to 3 months prior to the trip ( highly suggest 70 miles per week minimum)
The hardest part of the trip was from Sedalia to Boonsville, by far the hardest. I bet it's uphill at least 10 miles and the surface is softer than any other stretch. Also, there are tennis ball sized pods from some tree all over the trail, probably 15 miles of them. I would like to know what kind of tree this is if anybody knows. My friend and I would hit these pods and we both felt like we could go down any moment. Kind of unnerving. This is only a problem in the fall.

I would use lock tight on all my screws on my luggage rack and verify they are tight. Learn about lock tight.
I would avoid or ride it first, the trail from Sedalia to Boonsville if I had it to do over.
I would avoid Jefferson City as it is a 2 mile task getting there from trail.

The highlight stop of the trip was the 350 year old Giant Burr Oak tree around mile marker 170. Its right next to a paved county road out by its l

Tennis-ball sized pods, if they were bright green, would be hedge trees, aka Osage orange or horse apples. The farmers would use their wood for fence posts because it is strong and rot resistant.

Smaller, dark green/brown pods would be walnuts in their husks. They are about the size of golf balls. Smaller yet are pecan and hickory, which do not pose much of a hazard but you will hear them popping as they shoot from under your tire. With the leaves falling, there are many hidden dangers so try to ride in the clear areas.

Isn't iIt funny how each of us has there own "things" that make them happy and vice versa?

My favorite part of the trail is between Sedalia and Boobeville. I love the tree tunnel, the places where the rock has been moved away to accomodate the railroad etc. Sure, it can be a little uphill sometimes, but it is a railroad bed--nothing to gripe at there as far as I'm concerned. As for the hills, they also give you a break from the "taxing" surface (although I will argue that "taxing" statement too: Headwind is taxing. Crushed limestone is just not as smooth as asphalt).

As for the big Burr Oak: It just doesn't do much for me. It reminds me of a place where we used to drink beer in high school...... And that, in retrospect, wasn't that fun.

To each his own. Happy to hear you enjoyed your trip. We probably don't need to ride together :)

Booneville. There might be some boobs there too, but I have never stopped there for that.

Love this place, can't go wrong at the Globe B&B! We went to bar but the pizza was a little lacking.

Do not pass this stop! Had a great time here food was good everyone nice and helpful.

Just got done riding, this was a great stop. I'm not sure about some of these comments, this town was very friendly and helpful. We camped at the city park after talking to some towns people and they said we could camp for FREE. We went to the store very nice people there and the food at the bar and grill were some of the best food on the whole trip. Just want to say Thanks to everyone there!

Wanting to let all Katy Trail riders know that the City of Marthasville offers FREE camping to all bike riders at Wessel Park (on the south side of the Trail, has small log cabin on site). There are no showers available at this park as of now. The restrooms at the trailhead are conveniently close. If you are wanting a shower, the Marthasville Community Club is directly across the street and can be used for a small fee. Again, camping only at Wessel Park is FREE.

Are there any plans to build a shower facility? That trail gets dusty :-)

I've stayed at the ball field a few times. $5 for sheltered camping, showers and restrooms are hard to beat. It's good to know there's an option, though.

Thank you to the folks of Marthasville for offering this resource to those of us who ride/love the KATY Trail.

AMEN! I'd like to add an "Atta boy" to Marthasville.

For anyone not familiar with it, it is a wonderful option as a stop on the trail. Several food options. Several places to stay. Cheap or free camping and showers. Excellent trail access. As far as I'm concerned, a Marthasville stop should always be considered on that part of the trail.

I totally agree with a Marthasville stop. It is very obvious the community has a great heritage with the nearby monuments plus all the KT benefits. I make it a stop when Im riding through every time. Also DNR has it for a stop over night usually going west on their annual summer bike ride too just for these reasons. Great job!!

We were lucky enough to meet Jim and go for a ride in one of his classic cars. Then he opened up for us and we enjoyed an evening of beer and Karaoke. He even got Pizza for some other bikers who did not bring food with them to the shelter. A great guy as were all the locals if you are lucky enough to find him around.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Jim on our trip in May! By far, one of the nicest and most amazing men I've had the luck of meeting. We are thinking of riding the Katy Trail again and would love tonknow if he has opened back up for business. We will plan our trip around his business hours!

This is the same KT desert section (summer) Tebbetts with only some wondering dogs, couple of grain elevators, and everything is closed all the time? Does Jim have a portable restaurant and what is the name of this oasis business?

We rode threw Boonville last Tuesday. Carrie Lyn's is very close to the trail and a easy ride. They let us park our bikes just inside the door. I didn't have any ice cream but I did have a hot sandwich and it was absolutly fantastic. We will be back threw again. And maybe get some ice cream too next time.