Katy Trail Forum

Our group just finished the Katy trail; July 31 - Aug. 4. We had a wonderful time. However we did have some bike trouble. I wanted to take time out to thank the folks at the Katy Caboose for hooking us up with Revolution Cycle. They transported us from Dutzow to Washington and took my bike with a broken shifter, and another bike with bad tires, straight to the bike shop for repairs. They dropped us at our hotel. The repairs were completed in a couple of hours. I want to extend a special shout out to Erik. Kona and lamond thank you. We were all impressed with your knowledge of cycling.

When we picked up our bikes, Revolution stated that they make minor trail side repairs. Their work and customer service are excellent.

Revolution is located at 1917 Bedfor Center Dr. Washington, MO 63090. 636-390-9999. Keep their number, just in case.

Thanks for the post. This is good to know.

A week ago I rode up to Hartsburg and nearly got ran into by a biker coming from the other direction who was gawking at the corn field sprinkler (I guess he never saw one before) and crossed over onto my side of the trail. This past Sunday I was coming back from Hartsburg and some guy pushed the girl riding next to him over to my side of the trail (all in fun of course) and I nearly ran into her. Ah Katy, I miss the days when I could ride you and only meet other good people that respected the rules and provided good conversation at the stops.

I guess those who don't really ride bicycles very often do not have the perspective or experience of a real life crash with injuries. People actually die from bicycle injuries on trails too. My basic complaint is like you said when you are approaching a pair of cyclists and they believe they can straddle the middle line and take up 3/4 of the trail instead of the correct half trail. I've also been run off the trail luckily with some solid ground.

Rode the KATY for the first time the week of the Fourth of July 2013, never had any incidences like you mentioned, no close calls, it appears the KATY is as safe a trail as there is and that being said contributes to a relaxed attitude on safety concerns, so, as safe for the most part this gorgeous trail is, having on a bright flashing or blinking light on the whole time maybe the ticket, I've seen riders use that wise approach on Chicago's famed Lake Shore Drive bike trail which is a real cycling autobon that attracts hard core cyclists who zoom 30 mph and are a real and constant danger to other riders. The KATY and Chicago's Lake Front Trail may be exact opposites in many ways, only, the blinking / flashing light most bike stores sell may very well be a life saving difference maker.

Anonymous, you are a kidder aren't you. Agreed with the good things you say about the Katy Trail, but please say you are just joshing us about the blinkies!

I'd rather take my chances as I have in the past. Appreciate the idea. Not wanting to seem antagonistic, just trying to say 'no thanks' in a civil and respectful way.

I agree with the "Sunday riders" being dangerous... those that only ride about 5 - 10 miles a day, and think everyone does too, at their nice leisurely pace of 5-8 mph. Luckily they don't tend to stray too far from a town. Don't know about Anonymous, but I ride 15-20 mph on the Katy and find those blinkies very distracting to the point of almost being dangerous. I wish they could ban them!

You are correct and being funny about the blinkies, don't work except in the dark on the road maybe. About as effective as a sliding bell in Tianjin.

We ride motorcycles, mountain bikes, and backpack. Your always going to have those few that don't know what they need to do, I'm ok with them and will be nice in helping them learn the ropes. We all have been there at one time. For those that want to take up 3/4 of the trail(mostly groups of young men) I just pull out a line with Penny and have never had any not move over.

Is there any lodging available anywhere from Treloar to Gore Missouri?

Concord B&B at Peers.

I am trying to plan my first Katy Trail experience and I was hoping to get some suggestions. I am from the KC area and am wanting to park my car, ride b/t 40-60 miles to a destination, spend the night, ride back the following day. Are there some places that are better for the overnight visit? Certain parts of the trail that are better to experience? I am pretty flexible on where I start and what city I spend the night in so I just hoping for some to provide guidance. TIA!

Boonville to Jeff City is a good ride for a bit over 50 by the time you get into JC. We've stayed at the Baymont and Cliff Manor B&B...both an easy ride once you get into JC. Cliff Manor is the closest. We walk up to the capital square and eat at Arris's Greek Pizza and love it.
Sedalia to Boonville is just under the 40 mark but also good. Stayed at the Comfort Inn (but be aware the Casino shuttle (in order to eat there) only runs on certain days so check. Also stayed at the Frederick, bit overpriced but also nice. From the Frederick you're in walking distance to more dinner choices.

We too have ridden Sedalia to Boonville. Sedalia ia a good starting point when driving from the KC area. Most of the time we either stay at the Comfort Inn or at the Hotel Frederick. Considering the location to downtown, the casino, the trail, etc. we've found the old renovated hotel to be a good value.

As MAH mentioned, Boonville to Jeff City is a good ride. We've also ridden Hartsburg to Hermann. Hermann has a lot to offer if you're into the B&B scene and enjoy a good wine. Out and back rides shouldn't be discounted. We've done many of those on the Katy as well as other trails.

Seems that alot of first timers enjoy the Rocheport area when starting out and then migrate to other areas. Rocheport is a nice little town with quality eating establishments as well as B&B's to spend the night.

Good advice above. Sedalia to Boonville is my favorite part of the trail because of the tree tunnels and remoteness. The only down side of that section for a novice would be that there is a climb from both directions to Pilot Grove. That said: 1) Its a railroad grade, so the climb is long, but slight, 2) there are good places to stop in Pilot Grove, and 3) it's downhill from Pilot Grove.

That part of the trail has a very different personality from the Rocheport area. If you want remote, think Sedalia to Pilot Grove (be sure to see old downtown Sedalia), if you want people and river, think Rocheport.

I concur with Arky Kenny's note above.

I have left my vehicle overnight in Rocheport and Columbia. I felt that it was plenty safe (as safe as can be expected in 2013) in both of these places. Plus, this is my favorite section of the trail (so far!).

I like riding from Booneville to Hartsburg. Drive up the night before and stay at the Hotel Frederick or the Casino -- both are bike friendly. Stay at the Globe Hotel in Hartsburg. There is a new restaurant next door that is absolutely fabulous (a real "chef").

Depending on the kind of experience you want...you can take Amtrak from KC to Hermann. Ride Hermann to St. Charles (about 62-63 as I recall)...ride back to Hermann the next morning and still catch Amtrak back to KC in the afternoon if you like. Just a thought...

I believe the Cliff Manor Inn has closed. I had stayed there twice in the last couple of years and thought it was wonderful. However i received an email from Thom, the owner/operator around Christmas 2012, saying that he was closing the Inn to do other things. You might try to call the Inn to verify this though. Perhaps he has changed his mind or may be willing to recommend alternate lodging in JC.

Please forget my report that the Cliff Manor Inn is closed. I just read a couple of recent posts here that says the Cliff Manor Inn has reopened under new management. This is excellent news! I would highly recommend the Inn as it is my favorite place to stay in JC while riding the trail.

Booneville and Rocheport are two great places to stay. On the west end Augusta to St. Charles is great!

This hotel is a must stay!!!! They were friendly, accommodating, thought of things to make our stay comfortable, pleasant, clean and relaxing! Lots of fresh fruit was available. The breakfast buffet was well cared for and they had it all! It was my favorite hote so far( if you don't need a kitchen). Even had adjoins rooms!
I wou giv it a strong 5 star with 5 being the highest! You won't be disappointed, more like a b&b atmosphere plus the indoor pool and hot tub.

do they have accomidations for bicycles?

When we stayed there, they even sent us off as we started our ride on the Katy with a sack lunch! We kept our tandem in our room. Very accommodating and super nice!

Is there camping alongside the trail between Rocheport and Clinton? maybe some where in the middle of the two. I was going to ride it in October.

You can camp at the city park in Pilot Grove, or the State Fair Grounds in Sedalia. I'd recommend PG. Click on the city for more info--in PG, the local police want to know you are there, but it's free.

PG also has c-store, fast food, grocery store, and a bar. Running water inside the toilet at the PG trailhead to clean up. Nice little town IMO.

No stealth camping--that is a no no on the Katy

07-20-2013: Rained on us like it had never rained before. Made a scheduled stop at Dotty's and was served our food at the table on the front porch, per our request. Was also brought out bath towels to dry off with. Gave some of us trash bags to use in order to finish off our ride.

We made a real mess of your porch. Sorry for that! But thank you so much for your kindness. AND THE AWESOME BREAKFAST! You've made four customers for life.

She's a sweetheart, who certainly appreciates your business and; I am sure the complement.

Stayed at the Hampton Inn the night before a 5 day ride to St. Charles. All 4 of us agreed that it was a great choice. We walked to Appleby's for dinner and the ride to the trailhead was a safe ride along the highway with a wide, bike friendly shoulder. Good breakfast in the AM.

thanks for the information. My wife and I will be staying there the first of September and I was wondering about where to eat, getting to the trail, etc.

Agree it is a good choice. Have also had good experience (though VERY basic - much less expensive - no breakfast) at the USA Inn in Clinton. Hampton closer to restaurants and MUCH MORE comfortable and modern.

Can anyone tell me if the Communit Club Park in Marthasville is still open for tent camping?

I plan on staying this Friday night (5/22/13) but in looking at the comment forums the most recent comment about this location are from 2010. Also, in reading the old posts it seems there may or may not be showers available.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide.

R, SofiAndMe

You might call the number thats on the Mathasville page.

I know it's probably to late now for you, but I just talked to a woman at the park and it is still open. It's $5.00 a person, and they have showers and restrooms. She said you can pitch a tent behind those buildings or in the field.

A group of us are planning on riding the katy trail from Sedalia or possibly Clinton and riding east to St Charles. Is there a safe place to leave a vehicle for 4 days?

I've left the car at the depot in Sedalia several times without problem. I was told to park at the far east side of the lot as the folks that live next to the lot keep an eye on it. Make sure and let them know in the depot that you leaving your vehicle there and for how long. I always leave my cell number too, just in case they need to contact me.

I left mine at the Sedalia depot for 2 nights recently without problems.

A guy I met at the Sedalia McDonalds who worked as a security officer at the college that suggested that I leave my car at the college parking lot near the State Fair Grounds. He said that lot is in a better part of town, and is regularly patrolled by campus police and has security cameras--good points I thought. But I went on to the depot because I was leaving it there on the weekend, and I thought there would be plenty of traffic. The college is next to the State Fair Grounds: Both are also on the Katy about a mile or so south of the depot. That is another option for your consideration.

We rode parts of the Paul Bunyan trail in Minnesota the first weekend of July to escape the heat. As luck would have it, it was just as cool then in Missouri. This past weekend on the Katy was a fantastic time to ride. The cool mornings and moderated day temps are out of character for July but we'll take them! If you didn't ride the Katy this past weekend....what are you waiting for???!!

Having rained on Friday, the trail was in great shape on Saturday morning. The dust had settled and it was a great ride on the tandem with no worries of dust or sludge grinding away on the gears and chains.

We past a senior going west on a loaded Long Haul Trucker that was finishing up a three day trip from Washington to Sedalia. We enjoyed riding with him and talking about his trip. I hope we're still riding like he was when we're his age. You were an inspiration...thanks!

We tried the Mulberry Grill in Rocheport and enjoyed sitting under the huge mulberry tree for lunch. Shortly after lunch we passed the Trucker again just east of New Franklin. We had just popped a spoke on a rough road crossing so we were glad that the car wasn't far away at the trailhead. Unfortunately, the Trailside in Rocheport didn't have the right tool to take the cassette off, so Larry suggested Klunks in Columbia. Good idea.....thanks again Larry. Josh at Klunks replaced the spoke, adjusted the rear deraileur, and had us out the door in record time. Thanks Josh....you're the man!

From there we put on at Hartsburg and did about a 20 out and back towards Jeff City before trying out the Hartsburg Grand restaurant. Last time we were there, Mark and Pam had the bike shop in that building. You can find a lot more to eat than gel and goo packs in there now. It was good food in a rather cool old building this time.

Although we did have a broken spoke to contend with, as the gentleman on the Trucker replied when we asked him how he was doing, "nothing to compl

.....Although we did have a broken spoke to contend with, as the gentleman on the Trucker replied when we asked him how he was doing, "nothing to complain about."

Planning to ride the Paul Bunyan trail the first week of October, after I ride the Mickelson trail in September. Then, I will have to start looking for trails further south to ride during the winter months.

We loved this place! My husband, son, daughter and I all stayed in the north room and it was perfect for what we needed. Just a place to spend the night before riding the katy trail the next day. Everything was clean and fresh, beds comfortable, and we enjoyed eating on the patio. Our daughter made friends with Trudy, the cat who lived outside.

I think Trudy was looking for your daughter when we left Sunday morning. She was approaching the car, crying as lonely cats do, as we shut the doors and backed out.

Does anyone find the Katy Trail's crossing at Highway 94 in the Defiance area (just southwest of Howell Road's intersecting Highway 94) to be unreasonably dangerous and in need of some sort of additional safety measures? I biked across the intersection today, pulling my infant daughter behind me in a bike trailer, and although I looked before crossing and saw no cars, we barely made it across. Just as we had started across, a car came down the hill (southwest bound) at full speed and almost hit us. It was WAY too close for comfort. Granted I am slow when I'm pulling my little one, but that made me even more determined to see if something can be done to make this intersection safer. It's difficult for southwest bound drivers and bikers alike to see if there are people crossing / cars coming, due to the bend. I also know the speed limit is high. However, I don't want someone to be hit, and my daughter and I almost were. Please reply if you have any suggestions on how to improve this situation. I would like to elevate this and am not sure the proper channel. At this point I don't think we will be biking this stretch anymore, although I've been crossing it for almost 7 years. I can't get across quickly enough with the trailer to ensure everyone is safe.

Katy, you are absolutely correct. That crossing is double blind (both for the bikes and motorists). Adding electronics such as flashing light activation when approaching bikes or cars or having a slowing warning zone and signage for motorists would help but it would take MDOT and DNR to take notice. Rumble strips would slow traffic. I would hope an MDOT or DNR official who rides the trail could elevate this issue too.

Yes, agreed. This is a very bad crossing. Flashing lights would help but rumble strips are something that could be done quickly. I would suggest you contact the DNR directly (if you haven't already.) A phone call is good but a written complaint / request is even better.

A little off topic, but do any of the bike shuttles also offer canoe shuttle service. Thanks

Does anyone know of a service that will transport your personal items, luggage, etc. each day to your planned destination? Thanks in advance.

We biked the full Katy Trail last year and used the Independent Tourist. They were great and it was comforting knowing that our luggage would be picked up and transported each day!

Or.....you could buy a $20 rack and pack your stuff in a duffle bag that is bungeed to your rack. Put your clothing in a trash bag before you put it in the duffle to keep it clean and dry. If your not carrying stuff for camping, you will hardly notice the extra 10 lbs on the very flat previous rail bed trail.

I'd like to start out in Jeff City and end in St. Charles. Was wondering if anyone was looking for a partner to help share carrying load.
I'm planning on going solo for now, but in my thru hikes have had good luck when partnering with someone.