Katy Trail Forum

I'm planning to ride the entire KATY from west to east late this April, and not wishing to backtrack from Sedalia to Clinton, am wondering if anyone has a good route from Warrensburg (I can catch a train from St. Louis to here)to Clinton?

I don't have a route, but I'll tell you what I've been able to find out. Looking at a map, hwy 13 looks like a logical choice, since it runs directly from Warrensburg to Clinton. However, much of this has no shoulder. Here is a hwy shoulder map from the MO Dept of Transportation, which indicates that only about half the distance of hwy 13 between Warrensburg & Clinton has shoulders (here's a page explaining how to read the map). Unfortunately this map doesn't seem to offer any good alternatives. I would expect hwy 13 to have heavy traffic at high speed.

Most of the other roads around there will have much less traffic, but still no shoulders.
I live in eastern MO, so it may be a while before I have a chance to check out these roads myself. I've only driven on 52 coming into Clinton from the east, and 7 coming in from the west. I am trying to get in touch with someone from the Warrensburg Cycling club, and will post more details if I can find any. Sorry, wish I could offer more information.

The map referenced above, and other shoulder and traffic volume maps for the rest of the state, can be found at the Missouri Bicycle Maps and Routes page on the Mo Bike Federation website.

I'm not a rider, but I drive MO-13 quite a bit from Warrensburg to Clinton. I would not recommend riding it, the northern part has quite a few hills and curves in additon to no shoulders to speak of. No services at all en-route. You'd have better luck riding via DD, MO-23 and WW to Windsor, as there are better shoulders and/or better sight lines. You could take the train to Sedalia, but you lose part of the ride. If you spend a night at one of the Warrensburg B&Bs, they might be willing to provide transportation to Clinton if you arrange well in advance. See www.bbim.org.

Steve - If you are looking to catch a train from St Louis - Check out www.amtrak.com. They have a train that leave from St Louis and goes to Kansas City with several stops. Including Sedalia and Warrensburg. I hope that helps. Hope you enjoy your trip.

I got in touch with Barbara Curtis of the Warrensburg Cycling Club, who was kind enough to write this detailed route:


Happy to help. I have rescued a cyclists or two who have risked their lives trying to get from the Amtrak station in 'burg to Clinton on 13......not a good idea.

We have lobbied MoDot to include a bike lane should they ever construct the promised Hwy 13 Bypass. Of course, I went to the first meeting on the bypass 27 years ago --literally-- so it probably won't happen in my lifetime. By the time it is built who's to say there will still be Amtrak, anyway..........

I assume you'd like a route using only paved roads so here is my choice:

leave Amtrak depot and go south three blocks on Holden street to traffic light at South street. Go east (left) on South two blocks to Maguire which is also Hwy 13. Go south (right) to BB........this is maybe 1 1/2 miles leaving city limits. At BB turn right and go nine miles to F. At F turn left and go six miles then turn right onto Hwy 2 and go through Chilhowee.

Stay on Hwy 2 for about 4 miles and turn left onto "O" and go Hwy 7. This is about 14 miles on 'O". Hwy 7 is duel with a wide shoulder......lots of traffic, but you will only be on it 6 miles. Hope this helps. If you look at a MO hwy map most of this is on it. Most of this route has "share the road" signs that the bike club requested and MoDot supplied after considerable begging on our part. bjc



Thanks to Barbara for helping out fellow cyclists with these great directions.

Evenin'

I'm doing the katy trail this year(just a guess---early may, were is Warrensburg? I'll being going west to east. Just curious;,,,roadlitter---in Al, 68 degrees and sunny---

While I would agree with all the replies, my son and I did bicycle on Mo 13 from Warrensburg to Clinton with no problem in September, 2004. We arrived in Warrensburg on the late train, spent the night there, and started out about 8:00AM. That way the rush hour traffic was going the opposite direction into Warrensburg; and rush hour was over by the time we got to Clinton.



email: Wurfsendungen@insightbb.com

Okay, I just returned from a Katy Trip where I followed Barbara Curtis's directions for taking the blue highways from Warrensburg to Clinton.



The directions are accurate.



However, I question whether this route is a good option for anyone packing heavy panniers and tents and such. These are HILLY miles. Beautiful country, but this is a brutal ride for anyone who is not in tip-top physical shape.



If you can take the direct route (Highway 13?), I strongly advise you to take it.

It is simpler and MUCH MUCH safer to just get off Amtrack at Sedalia, ride to Clinton and backtrack to Sedalia. I am a local and I don't ride the roads from Clinton to Warrensburg.

I am with barf on that. I ride the train to sedalia and the ride back to clinton takes about three hours if you hurry. I ride pavement all the time but will always choose the safer and more pleasant way. also, while that is not the most spectacular part of the trail, it is a pleasant winddown from the trip.

one thing to think about is the time you get off the train. I once got to sedalia about eight in the evening and had to find a place to stay in the dark with no planning. it all worked out. Good luck.

In mid-May, we rode from Warrensburg to Clinton on Hwy 13. We had at least 3 feet to the outside of the white line on the road to use as our own bike lane. In addition, all traffic moved over past the center line to give us additional room. The route was what we call "rollers" here in Texas. Although our bikes had panniers, we didn't have any problems. It was as pleasant as can be--no stress at all. This road is not the monster some would lead you to believe.

I've got the same problem. I was planning the same thing but Amtrak says that I can't bring a bike if I'm getting off at Warrensburg. So far, our best option seems to be taking the train to Sedalia, and catching a shuttle to Clinton ($50 for two people, B&L shuttle 660-221-4406).

Brian of STL: I don't know which problem you are referring to, but Amtrak doesn't discriminate against Warrensburg as far as bicycles are concerned. If you tried to reserve bicycle space to Warrensburg, it could have been sold out.

Hey all, I know that this initial post is an old one, but it's also something many others can use for their own planing purposes, so I make my remark. You can bike from Warrensburg to Clinton. There is traffic, but depending on the time of day, and season (holidays and weekends lead to lake traffic), barely. They are currently in the process of repaving the highway so right now (summer of 2011) it's advisable to take a different route. I cannot give good descriptions of back roads but once the paving is done, you will have plenty of shoulder to ride on going the 13 route.

One thing I would love to see is a Warrensburg-Katy spur or even a second through-trail to KC from the Katy (it did originally used to go to KC...). One thing at a time, though.

I am an AVID downhill skateboarder and have learned well the dangers of vehicles. However I am inexperienced as a cyclist and I am looking into planning my very first bicycle tour. I REALLY want to ride the trail in its entirety!! My girlfriend and I will be traveling solo, taking the Amtrak from Flagstaff AZ, to MO on October 1, 2011. The train will arrive in the AM but Our bikes will have to be in boxes and we will be bringing our panniers as "luggage." Where can I find more info on routes from the Warrensburg station to the start of the trail. I don't want to mess around with heavy traffic right at the start of the trip and I'm sure my girlfriend wouldn't appreciate it either. Also does anyone have good train info for people coming from out of state?

Curtis, check out MODOT's bicycle maps at http://www.modot.mo.gov/othertransportation/bike_ped/bike-pedprogram--roadandrouteinfo.htm

Warrensburg is on the cutoff between two districts, but it will highlight the lowest-traffic routes. You may want to cross-reference with a topo map.

I heard they were repaving hwy 13 from Warrensburg to Clinton trailhead in 2011. Can anyone tell me if the shoulder is wide enough now to be safer to bike ride.

We live in Clinton and regularly shuttle cyclists to and from Warrensburg. The highway north out of Clinton has a new shoulder for only about 3 or 4 miles . AFTER THAT IT IS DANGEROUS. we don't recommend using it. What is easier is to ride from Sedalia on the KATY about a 4 to 5 hour ride.What smart people do is get picked up by us at Warrensburg and ride in comfort to Clinton as an alternative. We can carry 4 People and their bikes for $50 if they are staying at our B&B or $70 if not. This works out as $12.50 per person if you are a party of 4. Call me if you ned help.

Geez. If that's what smart people do better sign up.

Thanks Annette.

Any recent experiences with riding Hwy 13. The Google satellite images appear to show a shoulder most if not all of the way from Clinton to Warrensburg.

As mentioned above, not a good idea to ride a bike from Warrensburg to Clinton. It is very hilly and winding - there is no should in some places. Better to arrange some kind of shuttle or taxi if you can.

I have a good route to get to the katy from warrensburg that is safe on a 45 mph rural road with no traffic. highway 13 is not a good safe option. If you take the spirit (dd highway) bike path east to ridgeview drive you can head south past the highschool. that continues into 201 rd. you will make a left and should be on se 300 rd. cross the hwy 13 bypass. then take the next right onto 251 rd. follow 251 for several miles until it t’s. take a left then first right to continue on 251. continue to a T and turn left onto hwy 2 and follow for .2 miles (the only major rd on the route) and you should see the rock island signs for the leeton trailhead. This is about a 15 mile ride from burg to leeton. from there you can ride 12 miles into windsor and can backtrack to clinton or continue east out of windsor. anyway just wanted to say theres a safe connection to the trail rather than taking hwy 13.

Looking for opinions on mileage per day. I dont have a problem being on the trail for 10 hours per day but want a lot of time to take pictures at each trailhead and explore landmarks and towns seeing what each stop has to offer. Cant decide to stay around 40 miles per day or closer to 50-55. Just seeing what others have experienced with a lot of trail time per day but taking time at stops and riding at a medium pace.

Lodging may determine whether you ride 40 or 50 miles on any given day.

ya im fine doing 35-55 or 60 range depending on what towns have the most to offer. Wanting to spend decent time in hermann and rocheport and would like to mix in camping and lodge stays.

Doug was the perfect host. We ran into some trouble along the Katy and he bailed us out. We all had great conversations and laughed way harder than we expected. Needless to say we cannot recommend staying at his camp or barn enough. He's one of those good souls you want to meet and talk with and the campground is just an "added bonus" really. We'll make a plan to stay at Blufton Barn again.

A small group of us are planning to do the Katy Trail and Rock Island Spur next year, east to west.

(1) Could we ride from the Arch to Machens or St. Charles? (We did the Great Allegheny Passage and it was a kick in the pants to start at the Point in Pittsburgh (where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River).

(2) Our schedules are flexible - we can go anytime from May through end of October. We plan on five or six days of riding. Are there any periods of time we should avoid? I remember visiting a friend in St. Louis in mid-August many years ago and it was very hot and humid. Probably want to avoid having to deal with the heat and humidity. Also want to avoid any particularly windy times.

(3) I see that you can catch a train in Sedalia. If we sent to the end of the Rock Island Spur and biked back to Sedalia, could we catch a train back to St. Louis? Or is the Shuttle option just easier?

october november best time .if your going to double back to sedailia might as well ride to kc catch train at union station.there is a 7 mile gap between greenwood and the trail its not bad if you are used to traffic.that rock island trail that goes up to the stadium is brand new [very nice ride]crane brewery is a few miles from the stadium next to the trail you can rie thru the staium parking lot and catch the brush creeck trailon the north side easy ride to union station just my two cents.ps make your reservations a couple of months ahead on amtrack they have a limit of 4 bikes.

Having completed a west to east Rock Island Spur to Kirkwood tour a couple weeks ago, I see no advantage to doing the tour east to west. Given typical winds (W->E) and the elevation profile, a W->E tour might be more..pleasant.

We took the train from Kirkwood to Lee's Summit. Lee's Summit to the Rock Island spur trailhead at Pleasant Hill is 12 miles. The first day is then 60 miles from Lee's Summit to Windsor (Fitzgerels is an excellent place to stay..near the trail and food and great accommodations).

That said, there isn't much to the RI Spur. The trail itself is well kept and in good condition, but it's a 45 mile+ ride with no towns or services to speak of. Chillicothe was a life-saver for us as it was the only stop with a cold drink(tiny convenience store in town).. we did it at 94 degrees..long day. If you do the RI Spur..take plenty of water and some food as you won't find much of anything along the trail.

As for time of year..check the US Climate Data website for temps throughout the season. Early in the year it can be wet(though conditions may be very good), during the summer it may be very warm, fall is drier with more moderate temps.

COULD/CAN you ride from the arch to Machens TH? Technically speaking, yes. Should you? Nope.

The STL region is not really very bike friendly, especially for urban riding (which is what about 75% of this ride would be). For my money, too many risks with very little reward. Go and visit the arch then find a nice little hotel across the MO river in “downtown” St. Charles…ride east to the Machens on the KT, around and begin your trip.

As others have said, there’s a lot to be said for riding west to east. But some ignore this and ride east to west anyway…and they probably enjoy it at least as much. FYI…this direction will render the last big chunk of your ride less visually appealing, IMO. No cliffs, no river, very little life. But maybe you prefer this!

Best of luck.

this will be my third trip this year.this year i will be going from the arch to machenes ive gone east to west and west to east theres no difference matter whitch way tha trail is mostly tree covered anyway plus in the fall the wind is north or south.when riding in any city just make sure you have bright lights and a rear veiw mirror

i think kevin is talking about chillhowie u can camp there to if want.

I parked Warrensburg (registered car with online police dept form) bought Amtrak & bike pass to downtown St.Louis. stayed at hotel by Amtrak. Next morning road bike to Arch,road around downtown some, then Google mapped to Discovery Bridge. Google took me on very easy (15 miles?) street riding. Not any worse than other cities except maybe couple miles no shoulder. Very wealthy areas and coffee shops towards North, daytime city felt safe. The Discovery Bridge has sidewalk seperate.
On West end, i rode Katy to Windsor then Rock Island Trail to Leeton then Google Map to my car Warrensburg Amtrak Station, some of it is busy highway State Rt 13 with 18inch shoulder maybe 5 miles of the 20.

It's not hard, but it's not the easiest campground to find. When you get to the trailhead, go left to the street, follow it up and around TO THE LEFT as it curves around to the right. There is a sign that says "CAMPING" with an arrow - pointing to the right - go there.
We couldn't seem to find the TENT area so we just thru up next to some RV's. Cost was $12 for the night. Best part of the evening was the short, less than a mile through the Fairgrounds ride to the el Espolon Mexican Restaurant and Cantina! Go THERE!
The old grumpy guy who came by to get our $12 in the morning must had a bad night or something, he could have been much more friendly.
Oh well, on to New Franklin and the Katy Roundhouse!

Same guy a few years ago when i was there. Watch your possessions, i had backup battery & charger stolen from shower house within 15 minutes.

We got rained out of our first 2 days of a west to east ride, but have time to go back and catch a 20 to 30 mile piece. Can anyone recommend a particularly nice or pleasant section between Clinton and Boonville?

Sedalia to Pilot Grove is a nice ride.

Sedalia to Boonville is 37 miles. There are hills between Sedalia and Pilot Grove, but you will be rewarded with a mostly-downhill ride from Pilot Grove to Boonville.

10/19/2022 - This was my third Katy Trail ride. I had planned to camp but found out that Katy-Rock had small cabins. The temperature was going to near freezing so I called Dale and opted for a cabin. As I arrived from Clinton right at sunset, the cabin was great for $45 (tax included). Dale was very helpful and showed me everything I needed and pointed out nearby food options. One other guy already had a tent setup and we chatted for a few minutes before I got a shower and headed to a warm cabin. The cabins have electricity, beds with sheets and pillows. I was in the Rock Island cabin which had two sets of bunk beds (4 beds total). Since it was just me, I had enough room to bring my bike with panniers inside. The bathroom was heated and spotless. Shower had plenty of hot water and good pressure. There is also a bike storage shed which looked nice. The campground was immaculate and had fire rings and picnic tables. The camper had a fire going and said the firewood was free. I plan on stopping in Windsor on future trips and staying here. Highly recommend Katy-Rock Junction. Maybe the best place to stay on the trail.

Excellent Bed and Breakfast! Accomodations are top notch, outdoor backl yard area was perfect for our "happy hour time" as well as later in the evening for fireplace / hot tub time. You leave here feeling as if you are saying farewell to a new friend versus just a B&B hostess. Breakfast is fantastic and the welcoming cookies were devoured. Will return, if even just doing a xcountry car trip.

Rang the bell here on 10/14/22 after starting in Lee's Summit on the 9th. 320 miles total with a few spurs. YEA! Strong tailwind really helped for the last 20 miles. Met my wife at the Black Walnut trailhead. It is the last good place for parking. tailwind became a BAD headwind for 3 miles. After 6 days that was a grueling headwind. LOL.

Nothing else there but the canopy. no parking.

i stayed here on 10/13/22 after cycling from Hermann. Nice little park with a basic shower and water services. Note no food within 3-5 miles trail riding from the park. I reserved a tent space and it was great. No electricity at the tent camping site but you may be able to recharge at a pavilion or the bathhouse if needed. I would recommend again. Note the spur is marked from the Katy and STEEP. have low gears or prepare to walk. Bathhouse is to the left at the top of the hill.

Stopped here for lunch while riding from Hermann to Klondike park. Good lunch and friendly staff. Right off the trail, very convenient. I would recommend again.

i stayed here on 10/11/22 cycling from New Franklin. A few blocks off of the trail spur over the river. No laundry machines on premises! My mistake for not checking ahead of time. Older but clean hotel. they let you take your bike to the room. easy walk to a drug store and restaurants.

I would recommend again if you don't need to launder cloths.

I ate here on 10/11/22 while cycling between New Franklin and Jeff City. Rainy day and i was glad they were open for brunch. The sausage was great and appeared home made. Due to the rainy day, only 3 persons in the place so service was excellent!

I would recommend a stop here any time.

I camped here on 10/10/22. There were a few RVs and only two campers. Nice a quite. Heard the coyotes in the cornfield at dusk. Met a furry (cat) friend while setting up and taking down my tent. Check-in is the white building. Had to hunt for the location a bit but once found, pretty straightforward. Quite and great for a solo cyclist. I went looking for the roundhouse. It is completely overgrown. I avoided trying to get to close in the overgrowth for fear of ticks or other critters.

I ate lunch here on the way from Windsor to New Franklin. Great food and portions for a hungry cyclist. i had a patty melt. I heard another cyclist who ordered chicken strips comment "its half a chicken" on the portion size. I recommend stopping here.

Be prepared for less available water than you think there should be!

There are more water fountains at the little town depots on the Western half of the trail than on the Eastern side. It was rather disappointing that all the little depots didn't have potable water.

Rained all the way from Cooper's Landing to Tebbetts, a little over 30 miles. The Shelter was a much welcomed site. It is a bit through "town" and on your left. You will have to exit the trail, but can still see the trail. The Shelter is not far off trail, maybe less than a 100 yards.

There is a little connected "garage" for storing bikes. BUT, MAN that thing needs to be cleaned out. There is a lot of just jUNk in there that could be thrown in the dumpster. All together that evening, Tues Oct. 11th, there were 3 parties there, our 4, a guy and young teen son from Springfield and 2 guys from Dallas. So only 8 and the trash filled garage was hard to walk thru with our 8 bikes and 3 trailers, much less, repair the 2 flat tires we had.

Much to our welcomed surprise there was a flyer stuck to the fridge.
Rachel Collins - CALL HER! She will bring you a hot dinner, lunch or breakfast! She and her kids just started bringing meals to wearly bikers. WE had an OVERabundance of pasta, red sauce, meatballs, broccoli, garlic bread. Along with 2 chocolate cakes and a pan of brownies --- $15.00 per person! Did I say CALL her?! Do it. You'll thank me later... :) BEST food of the whole trip - hands down.

Had a somewhat short ride to CL on Mon Oct. 10th. This IS a pretty cool place to stop off for a night. We had campsite North #7, right on the river. Well, UP the drop off from the river. It was pretty darn cool site. We had a nearby electric pole. I had toted along a 25' cord and a power strip for charging our istuff. There was also a long water hose. Warning here - if you use the hose, let the water run for a bit to clear the hose. My first cup of coffee was terrible!

If you're watching for the "Boathenge", it'll be on your left and BOOM the trail opens up to Cooper's on your left.

The dudes in the little snack bar area were pretty cool and the beer was cold! It was a monday and there were no food trucks or no live music.

On to another much anticipated joint - the Turner Katy Shelter Hostel!

What a cool campground. We never saw any kind of "roundhouse" but there was a bunch of oddities there. Like the pack of coyotes howling and the hooting owls that sounded like a bunch of monkeys!
We had site #19 it was spacious, with no one around us, we were just East of some big brick building (maybe THAT was the roundhouse idk).
Bathrooms were pretty clean. When I was in the shower and turned on the nice warm water I looked up to the shower head and I was greeted by a little frog just sitting there looking at me. Coyotes, owls and frogs, oh my!

Checking in was a little confusing. There's a somewhat long gray old looking house type building. On the far end, I guess the East end, there's a storm door to a little tiny room. Go in there. There's a map of campsites. You have to go pick a campsite and then go back and fill out your registration form add your cash, put in a provided envelope and slide it thru the mail drop inside there.

About a mile or so out of the camping area, riding to the east, turn left at the street, go up the hill and there is small Casey's.

On to Easley and the anticipated Cooper's Landing!

We stopped here and wanted to camp but since rain was in the forecast (it ended up raining all night) and we only had hammocks so we had to go somewhere else. But he provided us a hot shower and some ice cream for a really good price. Highly recommend this location.

Made to Marthasville and the KT Caboose on Wed. Oct. 12th. Had previously called KT Caboose about reservations for camping. I was told there was plenty of spots and no reservation was required.
When we rolled in on Wed they were closed and there was no obvious places to put up a tent. They might want to have some signage or other indicators as to where to camp. After a long hard, soaking 55 miles that day I was tired and still mostly wet. I sent them a text and after waiting longer than I expected for a return text, I was told the bathroom was not functioning and they were closed and I should try the ball fields, just up the trail. Our little group of one old man (me) and my 3 boys rolled up to the Marthasville Community Club Ball Park, where we put up our tent along the 3rd base dugout side of field number 2! There was maintenance guy there who asked if we were going to camp there for the night, when we replied "yes", he said "Well then, I'll turn on the bathroom lights for ya'll." NO CHARGE. GREAT spot. Bar and grill just on the other side of an adjacent field with cold beer and good, hot food!
Bypass the Caboose and keep on rollin' for another half mile or so.

I camped here one night coming from the Rock Island Trail to the Katy Trail. Dale was a great host. Showers/restroom was great to have. pleanty of grassed area to sleep. A bit of noise from the Casey's about 200 yds away. Right on the trail. I would recommend!

Had dinner here on day 1 of 6. Highly recommend the Chili Colorado.

10/9/22 - Ate here for lunch on day 1 of 6 trip on the Rock Island/Katy. Great place to stop and grab lunch. Owner and I chatted briefly and she was friendly. Food was great. She asked to take my picture for the Cafe's facebook page showing cyclists travelling through. Would recommend a stop for lunch.

We just finished several days on the Katy (Pilot Grove to Hermann) and wanted to report in on three things, in case they are helpful.
1. We found the Katy Trail spur into N Jefferson Recreation Area to be kind of poorly marked, both directly from the trail and then to get to the primitive camp sites along the river. The spur starts from the parking lot at the N Jeff signposts, running perpendicular to the Katy, to the south. We knew it (the spur trail) was there, but wish there had been a sign posted eastbound with an arrow to confirm.
2. The Muddy Bottoms location in Mokane is no longer open.
3. The ride from the Katy Trail into Hermann follows the highway (as the tri-fold Katy Trail map says), but you need to lookout for the bike path that leaves the highway before the bridge over the river. If you miss it, you have to stay on the highway and it’s altogether unpleasant.

Aside from these three things, our ride was EXCELLENT. We benefitted from last week’s rain and trail conditions couldn’t have been better. Leaves were beautiful colors, temps for camping were crisp but not unbearable and everyone along the trail was so friendly.

We rode from Pleasant Hill to St. Charles over the course of five days last week. Great fun, but very dusty!

I wanted to give a thank you to Joey from the Independent Tourist Shuttle service. He was very accommodating to our entire group on Saturday, Oct 8 and got us safely back to Pleasant Hill after navigating all kinds of issues. He was great!

Kevin how did you get to Chillicothe? Shutttle? That would have been a VERY long detour. I bet you really would have needed a drink by the time you got there.

hes talking about chillhowie

I was pulling his leg a little Mad.

What would the cost from Sedalia to Clinton for two riders and their bikes?

Our group encountered a mechanical issue - This shop SAVED OUR TRIP! They were fast, friendly and do great work. Thank you Pro-Velo!

Hear Hear on Pro-Velo. Found them last week in Sedalia. Great staff.

I found out that adding the bikes occurs at the end of the ticket purchase. Hope I did not send anyone looking.

Does anyone know of a safe location to lock up your bike overnight in Sedalia? Taking the train back to Lee's Summit but only able to add 2 of 3 bikes for that trip. Planning on returning to Sedalia the following day to pick up the bike if possible.

We spent a few days last week in Sedalia. Found the Pro-Velo bike shop downtown. Super friendly staff. Check with them for suggestions. We did not leave our bikes so have no first hand knowledge other than this shop suggestion. Good Luck

The Turner Shelter will be completely full this Saturday- Feb 8th.

Looks like I've lost track of time and slept entirely through these past few months...completely missed that Fall color ride last year.

LOL……..,,Sorry, sometimes when I time travel I forget to reset my calendar. The month should be October not February.

What is the best bike route from St Charles to St Louis Arches / Amtrak train station.

google maps will give you 2 routes take the south route did that last november 7 at 4 in the morning got to the train station by 7am,nice ride on a lot of bike trails and nice areas the north route goes thru ferguson just saying.

We'd like to take our 5-year-olds (almost 6) on an extended trip in late October.

We would like to spend 6-8 days riding.

We are trying to keep daily milage around 35 or less, preferably 25?. We averaged about 3-3.5 MPH earlier this summer including breaks with the kids half on their own, half connected to us parents (we have two kids and two FollowMe rigs). That trail was much more rugged than the Katy trail (NETT in Texas), they now have larger bikes with gears, and they are 3 months stronger, so I'm guessing we will do more like 4-4.5MPH, but pushing it past about 35 miles in a day seems risky.

We definitely want to stay in some cool hotels / BnBs along the way (wife has requested we stop in Boonville), but aren't averse to camping for a night either. Though minimal camping gear (tent, four sleeping bags, four pads) seems like a lot to lug for a whole week if we would only use it for 1-2 nights. Is there a lighter way to camp on this trail? Hammocks only and hope for no rain and suitable trees at a site? I'm really a newbie on bike packing, but have backpacked a lot.

Finally, we'd like to do a one-way trek with a return via the Missouri River Runner, so likely between Sedalia and Washington (West to East), perhaps adding the section from Sedalia to Windsor or Clinton. Going into St Louis would be possible, but take more than 8 days unless we started in Jefferson City, and we don't want to miss the western Booneville area.


Aggressive Option, but no camping gear required:
Start in Clinton
Day 1: Clinton to Sedalia (35.5 miles)
Day 2: Sedalia to Boonville (37)
Day 3: Boonville to Rocheport (13.5)
Day 4: Rocheport to Jefferson City (35)
Day 5: Jefferson City to Rhineland (38.5)
Day 6: Rhineland to Washington (30)
Day 7: Train to Sedalia
Day 8: Sedalia to Clinton (35.5)

Easier option, but camping gear required:
Start in Sedalia
Day 1: Sedalia to Pilot Grove (25.5)
Day 2: Pilot Grove to Boonville (12.5)
Day 3: Boonville to Easley (28.5) [Camp]
Day 4: Easley to Jefferson City (19)
Day 5: Jefferson City to Portland (27.5) [Camp]
Day 6: Portland to McKitrick (15)
Day 7: McKitrick to Washington (26)
Day 8: Train to Sedalia


Any advice from parents who took kids along near this age?

Amtrak may not allow the FollowMe rigs. You may want to make certain they are allowed on the train or not before putting that adventure into your plan.

Depending where you start and end, you can probably rent a van one way cheaper than Amtrak. Anonymous also makes a good point about Amtrak not allowing trailers. Also, Amtrak may cancel you the week before your trip for no reason. Ask me how I know. :)

I'm guessing you will be driving to MO. Another idea might be to get a place in Windsor, and ride out and back from there - Clinton, Sedalia, and Rock Island Trail. Maybe do the same at Easley and hit Rocheport and Jeff City. And if you are going to Boonville, Rocheport or Pilot Grove could be good rides. I know a through-ride is so much cooler than an out and back, though.

I know your kids are pretty tough if they did the NETT, but I don't want anyone to have a bad time. Multi-day trips with hotel reservations really put you in a tight spot as far as having to cover a certain distance every day, and if you have a day of rain or bad wind, folks might not be happy about having to be on the saddle for 6 hours.

Your backpacking instincts will serve you well if you do decide to bikepack. Go light, but be ready for rain, and make sure you don't run out of food or water.

If you did drive, parents could take turns driving the car and providing SAG. That might work out pretty great in case of bad weather. And, it avoids Amtrak.
For example:
Start in Clinton.
Dad drives to Windsor, parks the car, and rides toward Clinton.
Meets family, they all head to Windsor.
Lunch at Wagon Wheel.
Everybody but mom rides out for Sedalia.
Mom drives to Sedalia, checks into the hotel, rides out toward Windsor.
Mom rejoins fam, they all ride to Sedalia.
Repeat until you get to the end of the trip.
If a day is a total rainout, you just drive to the next accomodations and take a rest day.

Does anyone know of a safe location to lock up your bike overnight in Sedalia? Taking the train back to Lee's Summit but only able to add 2 of our 3 bikes for that trip. Planning on returning to Sedalia the following day to pick up the bike if possible. Thank you.

Is the trailhead in Pleasant Hill near the Cass County Fairgraound a safe place/well lit to park a vehicle for the day until we get back from our Amtrak return trip to Lee's Summit and drive to pick up our vehicle around 9 pm? Is there a better option close to the trailhead? Thank you.