Katy Trail Forum

My spouse and I are planning a ride in May from Clinton to the east. We are planning to take our time and do a lot of sightseeing, with overnight stays in Sedalia, Boonville, Hartsburg, Rhineland and Augusta. Any suggestions of things to do, places to stay or dine especially at the towns we will be staying the night. Thanks.

You may want to have dinner at the hotel in Sedalia (I forget the name) but they had great food and farm to table veggies. In Boonville, there go to Glen's Cafe at the hotel - go hungry. The servings are generous, food is great, and after bicycling all day -- the view outside overlooking the river is a delight. Both are right off the trail to. Hope this helps.

KJC, if you haven't already, you may want to get a copy of the KATY TRAIL GUIDEBOOK, see the home page of this site. Some info on businesses in the book may be outdated though.

A favorite point of interest of mine, just east of Huntsdale is a Champion Burr Oak Tree, at the Burr Oak Road crossing look south you will see it, the short ride down to see it up close is worth it.

Also consider that some of the businesses along the trail are not open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a call ahead may help.

Sounds like fun, have a good trip!

One place I really like is old downtown Sedalia. When you get to the train station, go west a few blocks and you will run into it. It looks like an old movie set to me. Very cool, and beautiful. Give it a look, go a few blocks south and get a Subway sandwich.

Then get back on the trail for my favorite section of the Katy (between Sedailia and Pilot Grove). It's a little up-hill to Pilot Grove, but enjoy the wildlife, imagine the old steam trains running through the tunnel of trees, and keep saying "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can......." Then grab something cold in Pilot Grove, and enjoy the downhill ride into Boonville.

If you're wanting to sightsee I think I would change my overnight in Rhineland to Hermann. Lots more to do there.

If you wish to visit Hermann consider staying in McKittrick, right on the trail much more reasonable rates. The McKittrick Farmers Mercantile is now serving made from scratch meals on Saturday and Sunday.

I've stayed at the Globe in Hartsburg two times and really loved it. Jeanette doesn't use the internet, so you'll need to call, but you'll love the place. And in Hartsburg be sure and eat at Dottie's. For sight seeing, be sure and see Boat-henge near Cooper's Landing, which is close to Easley. Someone else may have mentioned the Big Burr Oak, I think near Huntsdale. And if you enjoy the Missouri River, you may want to side-track at Jefferson City and go over the new pedestrian/bike path over the Missouri River. Plan to stop at trailheads and read the dispay boards. DNR has put together interesting histories of the little communities, and some information about the animals you'll see and other neat stuff, like bridges.

I've ridden across several times. Some of my experiences are below:
The Casino in Boonville is ok. You can't beat the convenience. I don't like the smoke. They've changed the rules in the past few months to actually allow you to take your bike to the room. The Frederick is nice, but pretty expensive in my opinion. The Comfort Inn out by the highway is not one of the better Comfort Inn's I've stayed in and is hassle to ride out to.

The Globe. Jeanette is SUPER nice and quite inexpensive, but I won't stay there again simply because I DO NOT LIKE CATS and she has several of them.

Amanda at the Dollhouse in Rhineland is a very, very helpful hostess. Not the cheapest place to stay, but nice. The food across the street at the Trailside Bar and Grill has gone downhill bad in my opinion over the last couple years. I thought it used to be a lot better.

McKittrick is fine. I like Hermann with a variety of meal choices. I have stayed at the Vinchester a couple times and that has worked fine with me. Very basic-but clean-hotel room but the price was very pretty inexpensive FOR HERMANN. Especially true if you're not trying to stay during festival weekends. My recommendation is to stay away from Hermann all together if its a festival weekend.
Lococo House in St. Charles has been good to me in terms of shuttle service etc. That said - I prefer hotels to B&Bs so have used several good options in downtown St. Charles.
Hope this helps. It is JUST ONE OPINION. Take it as that. Have a great trip!

In my opinion, the Section from Rocheport to Hartsburg is the most scenic... it generally follows right along the river. On the West side of Rocheport is the old railway tunnel. Just East of Rocheport is the old cave and whinery, as well as riding right along towering river bluffs. Just down the trail is Boathenge, and the aforementioned Burr Oak. I really like Rocheport and Hartsburg. Both offer great places to eat and are really cool photo ops! HAVE FUN!!

One thing you might want to do is take the spur into Columbia. We loved eating at Shakespeare's.

Everyone gave great ideas. We've done several of them listed. When are you going? My husband and I are planning our second trip on the Katy in May as well. Wanting to leave on May 4th.

Thanks for all the comments. We are going the week before Memorial day. Have added an overnite in Jefferson City, besides Sedalia, Boonville, Hartsburg, Rhineland and Augusta. Any security concerns or other suggestions from others. Thanks!

What is the name of the hotel in Sedalia that serves the farm to table veggies ?

The hotel you may be thinking of is the Bothwell, and there is a nice restaurant inside.

If you're going to stay in Boonville the week before Memorial Day, keep in mind it is graduation weekend at MU in Columbia, and even all hotels in Boonville are pretty much sold out at this time. We always take our annual KT trip in May, and always stay at the Holliday Inn off I-70, which is very reasonable and has a very friendly staff. They were completely sold out for that weekend, and we will be staying at the hotel Frederick this year instead. It is a nice place, but a little high priced if you ask me.

With your schedule you should have plenty time for sightseeing. Sedalia has a wonderfully restored depot on the trail - check out the downtown as mentioned on another post. Boonville you can't go wrong staying at the Frederick and eating at Glenns. The casino can give you a bit of diversion if you want to to try the slots. They do have a buffet, as well as upscale restaurant on site. You will have time to wander through the small, historic town of Rocheport and its quaint shops. If timing is right, you could hike up a trail to the A Frame winery and enjoy a view of the river along with wine and food. You will see that trail just south of Rocheport. Boathenge is easily missed - if you get to Cooper's Landing and not seen it, you have gone to far. Cooper's is a unique place to stop on Sunday when they have their jam sessions. Dottie's at Harsburg is good. Take time at Jeff City to tour the capital. Several nice restaurants downtown on and just off High Street. I stayed at Dollhouse in Rhineland and was very pleased - my ride ran later in the evening than planned, owner called concerned I was having problems, then went out and brought back a dinner for me. Take the side trip into Hermann for the wineries, and art. A favorite sandwich spot for me is Jillsies. I usually lunch at Dutzow cafe. From there on you have Washington to make a side trip to - check out Gary Lucy's gallery on Main Street, as well as the riverfront park. Augusta you have probably already checked out. Allow time in St Charles to visit the history Main Street district which is just off the trail.

Dining opportunities are not plentiful along the trail. I usually have two water bottles, a sandwich, and other snacks to munch on between the larger towns. Also, a number of places along the trail will not be open on Monday.

I rode the entire trail out and back, 500 miles. Places I stayed and recommend: Sedalia - Bothwell Hotel (very bike friendly); Bluffton (just short of Rhineland) where KATY crosses Rte 94 - Rendlemann Home B&B (1869 farmhouse); McKittrick/Hermann (just beyond Rhineland) - Meyer's Hilltop Farm B&B This last is absolutely first rate and it's across the river from Hermann which has great restaurants and wineries. Eldon at the B&B will drive you over AND pick you up. Meyer's is much more reasonably priced than the B&Bs in Hermann proper, yet it is rated number ONE in the area (see Trip Advisor if you want more about them).

I done the KATY 14 Times end to end.
After Sedalia no water till Pilot Grove
Between Clifton City & Pilot Grove ,you will hit the Cut and Fill its a 3 percent grade for about 5 miles,
Sedalia you will be on city streets for a couple of miles, its marked well.
Hartsburg if you stay at the Globe Hotel , Janette will greet you with homemade lemonaid, she also has laundry,A must in Hartsburg is Dotties Dinner the cobbler is to die for.
even if she is closed we call her and she will open for us to eat cobbler.
If you go into Jeff City Hwy 54 has a bike lane.
Fill up on water in Defiance last chance before St. Charles

Having ridden many times on the KATY including a few Clinton-St. Charles trips...lots of good advise in these responses in my opinion.

One thing I would add. I have stayed at the Globe and the hostess is a WONDERFUL lady and I found the prices very competitive. I do think it should be noted that if you don't like cats (or are allergic to them) you will not enjoy our stay at the Globe.

I'm looking for access to true laundry facilities (laundromat or in hotel/b&b) for every 2-3 days on a week long trip. It's such a priority to have available that we will plan the stops around the laundry. Advice?

There are laundry facilities available for guests at the Rendleman Home mm 111.

There are laundry facilities at the Katy Trail Bed & Bikefast in Rocheport and a laundromat in Hermann which has a collection of antique washing machines to look over while waiting for your clothes to dry.

The Doll House has facilities and I think you need to ask first.We asked but didn't need them.

amb. If you have a week trip your priority concern is only for one stop to find true laundry facilities? The trailheads have water for a quick rinse out. Most b&bs, as noted, can help you out. In the springtime now, the weather can definitely cause you to seek out laundry services more often.

There is a laundromat across the street from the Pilot Grove Trailhead. Also Pollys B & B has a washer and dryer available for customers.

Some motels have guest laundry. You might check some of those if you are planning a motel stay.

Bothwell Hotel in Sedalia has a guest laundry if you stay there.

I have a sturdy road bike. Is there anyway to ride the entire trail on a road bike or do I need a hybrid?

No need to buy a hybrid to ride the KATY trail unless you want to ride a hybrid on the KATY trail.

We have a Santana tandem road bike that is a good fair weather ride on the Katy. I had Bontrager Hardcase 700 28's on it and got along fine with no flats. I switched to Ultra Gatorskins last year and have found those to be good Katy tires too.

Ride in the track out of the loose stuff and the road bike will be fine.

In my experience you will be fine, unless it has been pouring rain on the trail for a week prior to your ride. I would use tires with really foot flat protection and would go as wide as the bike would allow. I personally prefer 28mm tires. Enjoy!

If you're looking for an excuse to buy a hybrid bike, this is it.

In the absence of a hybrid, for several years I chose to ride a rigid mtn bike with semi-slick tires over my road bike. The speed I would be riding, ruts on the trail, loose top layer on the surface, riding over road crossings, smoother overall ride, and carrying capacity all made it a better choice for me. It worked fine.

Now I have a drop bar hybrid with 29er wheels. All that really did was scratch my itch for a new bike, and give me extra hand positions........No harm in that through. The best bike is the one that you like to ride.

Tires make the difference. 700 x 28c is about the minimum. 700 x 32c is better, if you have room to fit them. You will have to pay careful attention to not washing out your front wheel on the looser sections if you go with narrower tires, but most of the trail rides almost like pavement. Thorns (goatheads) are a hazard. I used Flat Attack sealer to eliminate this problem and had zero flats. I used Panaracer RiBMo tires: very heavy duty, take 90 psi, and are almost a slick (they have small sipes). They roll well on crushed limestone trail AND on pavement.

Riding here in MI, I generally get about one flat a year, but last year during a trip on the Great Allegheny Passage / C&O Canal Towpath our group averaged about two flats per bike! Different places have different hazards (particular thorns, stones, etc.). So how is the KT in this regard? I'll be on it for about 5 days in mid-May.

I rode about 1,000 miles on the Katy last year and got one flat. My wife rode about 400-500 miles and got three or four flats I think. In the fall there is a hazard here and there from thorns. Right now the main hazard is tree litter and the occasional rough section with possible sharp rocks. I am a pretty careful rider and dont run over anything that looks bad. Still, it happens.

Flat-prone? I would not say the KT is flat-prone, other than certain sections during fall thorn season. But you need to go prepared, expecting at least one flat. I ride with a spare tube plus a repair kit just in case. This I feel is the minimum you should have.

I think the tires make all the difference. They need to be new/ not brittle. Thick rubber with limited opportunities for the little limestone "arrowheads" to work their way through, so self cleaning is a plus. Notice that I didn't say expensive,because I don't think that is necessarily true. But kevlar, or puncture protection of some kind is definitely a good thing, and those tires can be expensive. If you want cheap, think kevlar strips. If you want expensive, Schwalbe and Continental both have good puncture resistant tires. I don't care for the Slime filled tubes. Specialized makes a semi slick 26" tire called the Nimbus that I had good luck with too, and it flat protection, and was $20.

My wife and I have ridden about 2400 miles on the Katy on Kevlar reinforced tires and we have not experienced a problem since going to that type of tire. Well worth the expense.

Yeah, the worst tires I've found are those whose tread has small "sipes" in them that are good for traction on wet pavement, but on unpaved trails small stones can stick in the grooves and gradually work through the casing. My distance road bike now has Continental Gatorskins. For this trip I'll be using a new hybrid with 700x38 tires with a very small knobbed tread design. We'll see how it goes, but I'll be taking a couple of tubes and extra CO2 cartridges just in case.

In my experience, you've got to use flat protection tires or you will be changing lots of tubes.

We just rode 2 sections (on 4/4&4/6). The only flat we experienced was while sitting at the winery Bistro. My husbands front tube exploded like a gun shot! Found nothing in the tire so maybe too much air in the tube with a weak spot. Total of 75 miles riding and that was the only flat.

I rode 500 miles on the KATY last Sept. without a flat. I used Panaracer RiBMo tires 700 x 35c, with thorn resistant tubes and Flat Attack sealer. I was on a loaded camping bike, so the extra weight did not make a difference. These tires are ideal for the crushed limestone KATY, and are really tough. They'll take 90 psi (!) so they roll really well even on pavement. KATY has thorns. I met many people with flats and even ruptured tire casings. I never even needed to air my tires up, they worked so well.

Hi All,



I am thinking about doing a 2 day (1 night) ride during May and am trying to decide a good place to camp? West of Columbia somewhere and ideally it would be a remote location. Please let me know if any particular location stands out.



Thank you!



Bud

Katfish Katy's at Huntsdale or the Roundhouse at New Franklin are nice. Katfish Katy's tent sites are right on the river. You can camp free at Davisdale or Diana Bend Conservation areas near Rocheport right off the trail, but no plumbing (primitive). See the camping sites near Rocheport on this site for more info on those.

Thanks for the feedback!

You can camp in Hartsburg either at the Lions ballpark or at our Volunteer Park with bathrooms close by. With only 108 people it will seem remote to most folks.

If you're going West, try the Katy Roundhouse with three campsites. It is south of New

Franklin but you can go to Boonville or New Franklin for food and supplies.

RE: Katfish Katy's on the river... I'm moving from Denver to Indiana, and will be towing a small uHaul trailer behind my SUV. Would this location be accessible for me? I'll have a tent and my dogs.

Thanks,

Katy's has great access not far from I-70. Plenty of room for the tent and Uhaul. I would call about the dogs, but shouldn't be a problem.

about 200 feet from the bridge on 40Ty highway 3 or so mile west of Rocheport there a very secluded

If you decide to camp at the Katy roundhouse there is a great little diner just 3/4 of a mile from there called The Coffee Cup. My wife and I opened it in December of last year and we serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. My wife cooks the best breakfast you will ever taste! Our burgers are "top shelf", as well as the dinners we serve you will be completely satisfied. The hours are, Sunday:7a-3p, Monday:closed, Tuesday through Saturday:7a-9p. Hope to see you there!

Katy Roundhouse has more than three sites. Most of the sites are around the corner south of the 3 campsites plus the showers/restroom. There's room for a trailer at the other sites. I think I paid $6 two years ago for a tent site. Good camping.

I stayed at the Katy Roundhouse a few years back for $12 for a tent and a campsite. When I arrived the tent was set up on the site. They left it there for me on my return trip a few days later. It may cost a few bucks more to do that now, but it was quite a deal to camp and not have to haul a tent.

I camped at KATY roundhouse. It's an OK campground, but the distance from Columbia is a bit short for an out and back overnight ride from there. Also it may have lots of people there with noise, depending on the day. The ground is composed of old cinders left over from the RR days, so if it rains, the cinders dirty up your tent floor, and without a pad they aren't too comfy to sleep on (my Thermarest sprung a leak the night I was there!). If you want to do more easy distance, and press on through Boonville (good lunch stop) and up to Pilot Grove, that small town has a really nice city park near the trail, with a grassy lawn, sheltered picnic tables, and bathrooms (no showers). It was very quiet the night I camped there. Anyone in town can direct you there (south of the trail). It isn't really advertised as a camping spot, but they are fine with you camping there.