Katy Trail Forum

My boys and I rode the KT this past October. LOVED it!
Taking my wife on the trail in Oct. '23.
When we rode through the burg of Augusta and past the Kickstand shop we noticed what appeared to be a newly built or renovated Hostel or BnB. I'm trying to find out the name of it for my next trip on the KT.
Anyone have any info on the new place?

I ride to Augusta often. This is an old hotel that the outside has been refurbished. The inside hasn't been completed.

According to the local papers some billionaire has bought most of Augusta so he can turn it into his playground; like Napa Valley etc.
He bought 4 winerys and about everything else. We won't go there anymore. Good luck.

The investments in Augusta should create a variety of jobs for the locals. I would think many small towns would welcome a boost to their economy. There is no logical reason for me avoid Augusta.

The old Hotel is under construction still. It is owned by Hoffmann Properties. It will eventually be available for booking on their website: https://visitaugustamo.com

There are many other lodging options in Augusta and this new website shows you what is either available currently or available soon.

Is overnight camping allowed at this trailhead?

Overnight camping is not allowed at any of the trailheads.

You can’t (legally) camp at Clifton City (so don’t do it), but camping at the city park in Pilot Grove is only about 10 miles away. There, they have covered pavilions, electricity, bathrooms, a nearby C-store, and other services.

I concur with the Pilot Grove Suggestion. Not only that, you can grab a beer if Deon's is open, reload with essentials at Casey's and if you get there early enough grab some delicious pie from Katerina's

We are considering riding from Katy Round house this Wednesday and camping at Jefferson. Last couple times I’ve rode through people kept saying that there were a lot of homeless living at the camping spots. What I’m wondering is, will I be pulling up on a tent city or just a couple homeless people in the area?

In answer to all three of your questions, I haven't seen a homeless person yet. Our trailheads don't offer anything for the homeless so I guess that would keep them away.

They’re not talking about the North Jefferson trailhead. They’re talking about the primitive camping sites on the river next to the Noreen river access.

The Hitching Post was opened mainly for locals and has survived many competitors. The previous entries about Hartsburg are mainly inaccurate as those places are gone. It's mainly a beer and pizza place and we must like it that way. If my friend Dan likes it, it can't be all bad.

Formulating a plan to ride Machens to Clinton and possibly back. I do plan to use lodging not camping and this site is an amazing resource, thanks to whoever built this.

My question is when I get off the plane in St Louis, where to stay the night before, so I can assemble my bike, and then get to the trailhead at Machens the next morning. It looks like there are some hotels 15-20 miles away. However, I don't which ones are best to get to the trail. There appears to be a bridge across the Missouri to the hotels in West Alton which might be a problem if there is no bike lane on the bridge.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

I would recommend that you take the St. Louis Metrolink light rail to Downtown St. Louis and start your Katy Trail adventure on the paved trails along the Mississippi River from the Arch. Depending on your flight arrival time, you can either stay at a hotel near the airport or in Downtown St. Louis.

From Downtown St. Louis and the Arch, you can take the paved Mississippi River Trail north about 15 miles, cross the Mississippi River into Illinois using the bike/ped only Chain of Rocks/Route 66 bridge, ride the paved Illinois levee trail (called the Madison County Confluence River Trail) north about 15 more miles to Alton, take the paved bike shoulder across Hwy. 67 Mississippi River bridge back into Missouri, and then use low traffic streets through West Alton to Machens. Through West Alton, the trick is use the two lane Hwy. 94 as little as possible, just look at Google Maps and you can see how you can use Saale Road and Dwiggins Road to parallel Route 94 almost all the way to Machens Road. I would then ride from Machens to St. Charles and enjoy yourself in old Downtown St. Charles right by the Katy Trail.

If you don't want to make it a Katy Trail roundtrip, then there are other options like taking the Rock Island Trail spur off of the Katy Trail into Kansas City.

St. Charles. It's about 13 miles from Machens and on the Katy Trail. So the out and back will add about 13 miles to your trip. There are plenty of hotels in St. Charles and a couple within a few hundred feet of the trail.

last october i was on the greenway trail near stl when it was raining and they opened one of the gates and closed the trail so had to reroute my way to machens so beware.

You will need advance reservations to stay at the Turner Shelter during the winter months.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225507407743309&set=gm.1231815277548788&idorvanity=499221650808158&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZX4m3Jfn3UENQ5TA5JMERsyqUt8FBxCnX17QkRxpzV2VeDUxmOhJcc4xwzI2W2U9mUEouedbbK90dAlhLTD797fgmhvDRJtDpgNzqroqeeisW9rmiliKhWuSW3PBprNeF5jVPvWvJMXcDXzv6KthcPFCOpDaZwvmx-TfUX8YC6vMTVXK2StJWWKNvxoD1rueh8&__tn__=EH-R

Question about riding the trail next spring. Considering riding and camping the Katy in early May 2023 and am wondering if that is too early most years because of possible high water and trail closures?

That's a hard one to predict. I don't know that the Katy floods most years. That aside, it could flood next May but not in the area that you are riding making it a non issue for you.

Probably the most logical path would be to keep an eye on trail conditions next spring and plan accordingly a bit closer to time you would like to ride.

We rode in May of 2021 and it was the absolute perfect time to go that year; warm, dry, green and verdant, lots of song birds around. However this past summer (2022) brought a horrible drought, resulting in the trail between Sedalia and Boonville being full of very deep and frequent ruts. I am wondering how long it will take the State Park system to work on this part of the trail. We rode the trail a few weeks ago - in October, and with the leaves covering much of the trail, we often couldn't see the ruts, making riding a little dangerous. So this is a concern, but at least in May the trail would be clear of the fallen leaves. I'd say May is a good choice, and I am hoping the parks system can do some work between now and then.

The cracks in the Katy appear every summer. Sometimes worse than others. They came through last week and poured gravel/chat in them. Should be good for another year.

I've often wondered why they don't have a salt truck attachment on the back of their pickups. They drive through most every day. Why wait and try and do the repair all at once? Like you said, dangerous with fall leaves covering the trail. They try and put cones up near the worse spots, but seems like it would be almost as quick to actually fix it.

Everything that is going to be fixed will typically be fixed by May. April can be too early.

Good to know.

Didn't know DNR was done in May each year.

I mean, not everything is fixed. Just that IF they are going to fix it, it would usually be done by May. Your mileage may vary, as pointed out by others.

Where do people camp near the Machens trailhead. I want to ride from Sedalia to my home 60 miles South of Machens and Machens would be the perfect stopping point for me, but there doesn't seem to be anywhere to stay the night. Is there primitive camping close by there?

Klondike Park might be the closest place on the Katy to camp. It's still quite a way from Machens.

Here's a web site for camping in that area.

https://www.sccmo.org/1956/Camping

We will be doing the KATY in October. Probably starting around the 3rd to the 6th.
Our timeline is open ended.
Our thinking is to do a daily out and back from trailhead A to trailhead B.
That evening we will move our van to trailhead B and spend the night.
Next day, trailhead B to trailhead C and back to the van.
Rinse and repeat all the way.
Our mileage will most likely be short as we want to explore lots
My main question is: Can we spend the night in our van at the trailheads?
Any and all suggestions for an open ended trip to experience everything the KATY has to offer would be greatly appreciated.

The Towns & Services tab above will show what services are provided in each town. Camping along the trail is provided by private entities and not by the state of Missouri.

Check out the YouTubes (search “Matty Freedom Katy Trail”) posted about a year ago. They slept nights in their van at trailheads and libraries.
Your plans sound good.

Hi; can't help you on the camping but I can say that it's good to do shorter distances and take your time along the way. And out and back is fine for us; often the trail just looks so different going in the opposite direction and you see things you missed the first run. Good luck.

From the DNR Katy Trail State Park website:

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Missouri State Parks does not provide camping along Katy Trail State Park. Camping is available at public and privately owned campgrounds adjacent to the trail. Click here for some options.

We like out of state visitors to come and enjoy our parks. We really like it when they follow the rules that we also abide by. It's rather disappointing to see others from out of state trying to encourage others to come and use our parks in ways they are not intended.

Please come and enjoy the Katy. Camping options may be found by clicking the Towns & Services tab above.

Clinton Community Center permits over night parking and camping. WONDERFUL facility. Check their hours and register. No cost but they want to know how long each vehicle will be parked. We rolled in at 7:45 pm last night, just before they closed.

It is free. But they will accept a donation to their general fund. Since we camped and used the showers, a small donation seemed like the right thing to do.

Close enough to highway that you can hear some traffic but it diminishes after 10 pm.

Thanks everyone! We are on the trail and the out-and-back routine is working perfectly. Every night back in our van and we've found showers every night too. Best method for us!

Finished the trail. What an experience. Had so much fun. We successfully did the van-hopscotch thing. Worked out great. Each out and back day resulted in doing the entire thing from Clinton to Machens both ways. Logged 492 miles. Not to bad for 70 yo guy and his 66 yo bride!!!

You are living the dream! We are planning on doing a similar set-up for long bike rides in the future, but using a camper rather than a van.

Hi Kevin,
We will do the same thing next year. Do you mind sharing details about where you overnighted, and the amenities at each? I'd like to find spots to park (legally, and paying where appropriate), and if you have some tips that would be really helpful!

If staying all night in your van be careful where you park it. A few years ago we had a couple park in a lot (they wern't sleeping) but not paying attention to the heavy rain outside. Their van was washed away but they were fortunatley rescued. We can't always guarantee a rescue.

The end of the summer I did my first full Katy Trail Ride. I actually left my home and got on the Rock Island Trail in KC and took that down to just North of Clinton and took Hwy 13 into Clinton. Then the whole trail to Machens. I then crossed the Mississippi River into Alton and took Amtrak back home. 365 miles in 4 days. If I was to do it over again I would probably split it into 5-6 days. I blew out my back weeks before the trip and tried to get it back into shape before the trip but it locked up during most of the ride.

I decided to do a video journal along the way mainly for my own benefit but if you want to ffw through the clips to get an idea my thoughts along the way be my guest... https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL53LkcXFAvTwf8EgZPvxc0BY4DmtiSroN

I haven't seen a vlog in that format before. I like it.

Can't believe you did those distances with a locked up back! You really pushed through the pain.

The crushed surface does take some more effort than pavement. I think that sometimes it makes it feel like you are pedaling uphill even when you are on the flat. The wind was pretty crazy for you, too.

Glad you got Amtrak to work.

I stayed at the Halycon Spa and B&B during my Katy Trail trip, riding 40 miles from Rhineland to stay the night. I planned a 1/2 day spa treatment that was out of this world good. I used their infrared sauna and had a body scrub, massage and facial massage. What a treat, I highly recommend. I also stayed in one of their bed & breakfast rooms. It was perfect, fully equipped with everything you need, including breakfast of bagels, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, coffee and various other drinks. Communication was prompt and thorough. I highly recommend a stop here for a treatment or a night.

I stayed at the Doll House Bed & Breakfast on my trip from Clinton to Machens. I traveled 86 miles from Boonville where I had stayed the night before, what a beautiful ride. Melissa and her husband were very accommodating on my arrival time and made suggestions for food along the way, as there isn’t anything in Rhineland to eat. She even offered to pick up anything I wanted to eat. The B&B is very well equipped and lovely. It’s very comfortable and the chocolate chip cookies Melissa puts out upon your arrival we’re a very welcome delight. The bed is comfortable and I was even able to do laundry. The breakfast was huge and delicious. I highly recommend staying here. And if you need food before staying here for the night I suggest stopping at Holhauzer’s in Portland about 10 miles before you get to Rhineland, cold beer, nice people and some great friends food! Delish!!!

I stayed at the Hotel Frederick 1 night on my trip from Clinton. It was very comfortable and the people were very nice. I got in around 8pm on. Sunday night so there weren’t many food options. I ordered pizza from Pizza Hut and it was perfect, quick and they even brought it to my room. Lovely old hotel. Highly recommend.

Hi! Does anyone know of a place in Hermann that will allow me to store a bike for a day? I'm riding the trail from Clinton to St. Charles next week and was planning to take a rest day Wednesday in Hermann. We're going to be camping, so we won't have a room to store bikes in-- does anyone know of any shops or services in Hermann that will allow us to store our bike for a fee? Thanks!

aybe Joey, at her Birdhouse B and B in Mckitrick would store it for you. It's a mile or so north of Harmen but Joey is a peach and trys to help out. Try her. We love her Birdhouse B and B.

As a frequent visitor to the St. Peters area for other reasons beside the trail, I can tell you I love Mission Taco. Great place, open atmosphere, friendly servers who generally seem to like working there. The food is a bit pricey, but it's all high quality stuff. They have a variety of artisan tacos like duck and pork belly and some very good burritos. The Mexican street corn appetizer is delicious as is the queso and chips (just the right blend of heat and creamy). They also have a well stocked bar and make a killer pineapple margarita.

We try to hit Mission a few times a year, but this should probably be the reward at the enf of a long ride and not when you have miles more to go.

The house is undergoing some renovations and not open for tours at this time. Stay tuned or call the house number for more information! We hope to be open again in 2023.

How many charging stations, if any, are along the trail? Meaning cities and towns that have areas.

Is that a thing now?

I've seen electric car charging stations, but didn't know there were ones specifically for ebikes.

None. Or many, depending how you see the world. You will not find an outlet somewhere with a sign with a green leaf on it proclaiming "bike charging station". You will find small businesses with outlets outside who will let you charge while you visit. Know what I mean?

Starting the Katy in a couple of days, I am planning on doing out and back from Machens to Clinton and back. Does anyone have any advice for me? I have never done more than a night of bikepacking but thought that the Katy would be a great place for my first time.

Use the trail map and location amenities of the map to keep track of where you want to go each day. You should be prepared to camp if you do not plan on B&B's or hotel stays every night. Fill up your water bottles every chance you can. Although, you state that you have never done more than one night bike packing I hope you have lots of camping experience, it helps. Also give yourself time to rest, even if it means taking a day off the trail. Most of all just enjoy the ride!

Thank you, Bruce. I have a bunch of camping experience. Would you say that I can do the Katy trail with a hammock and a rain tarp or is a tent recommended?

Be ready for long stretches without food or water. Like days.

Should be pretty quiet on the trail, which is good and bad.

Be ready to fix anything that goes wrong with the bike, including having spare parts. Not many places to buy parts near the trail. People riding narrower tires seem to get flats more frequently.

Casey's pizza is delicious when you've been riding all day.

Make sure your stuff doesn't bounce loose. I have backpacked a lot, but when I bikepacked my stuff bounced loose.

Be ready for rain. Fenders are dorky, but they will keep you and your stuff much drier.

Smaller businesses will be closed on days when you might expect them to be open.

Have fun, take pictures, all that. :) Let us know how it went!