Marthasville Trailhead and water
- + There is not an outside drinking fountain at Marthasville; however, the bathroom has sink with a tall facet to fill water bottles.
Discussion started 07/15/2012 06:27 PM by AKillen - 3 replies (last reply by Tess at 07/18/2012 08:39 AM)AKillen from Kansas City on 07/15/2012 06:27 PM
There is not an outside drinking fountain at Marthasville; however, the bathroom has sink with a tall facet to fill water bottles.
SteveK from Saint Louis, MO on 07/15/2012 08:21 PM
FYI, south of the Marthasville TH there are ballfields and under the main pavillion there is an outside drinking fountain with cold water.
Jim from St. Louis on 07/16/2012 11:31 AM
There is an outside drinking fountain in Dutzow which isn't too far and one can reload water supplies there.
Tess from OFallon, MO on 07/18/2012 08:39 AM
Just south of the trail in Marthasville, past ball fields is a gas station, where you can get whatever you need. Dutzow cafe will fill up your bottle with ice and water for a small fee.
Clinton to Sedalia worth the effort?
- + So, I'm looking for some opinions here. I plan to ride the trail for the again this fall except this time from West to East. The question I have is this: is the leg from Clinton to Sedalia worth the e...
Discussion started 07/15/2012 06:32 PM by Wasinger - 11 replies (last reply by KR at 07/18/2012 08:37 AM)Wasinger from Duluth, GA on 07/15/2012 06:32 PM
So, I'm looking for some opinions here. I plan to ride the trail for the again this fall except this time from West to East. The question I have is this: is the leg from Clinton to Sedalia worth the effort or would I be better served just starting in Sedalia?
ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 07/15/2012 08:41 PM
HECK YES it is worth the effort. That part feels like an old early 1900's railroad to me, it's the most sparsely populated part of the trail (which is good), it's where you are most likely to see wildlife, and it just has a different feel than the rest of the trail, as far as I'm concerned.
To me, the trail has 3 main sections: Clinton to Boonville--the old railway section, Boonville to Marthasville--the river section, and Marthasville to St. Charles--the casual rider/wine/Daniel Boone section. (St. Charles to Machens is just extra as far as I'm concerned.)
So if you are rider, and you love the solitude of great long rides, plus the chance to see some rural country, tree tunnels, and if you are a bit of a romatic and can still hear the old trains clanking through the country, how could you even consider skipping this part of the trail?
As a side note, if you haven't been off the trail a few blocks and seen downtown Sedalia, you need to do that too. It looks like a movie set straight out of the 1930's. Those places don't exist in real life anymore, so you have to see it.
Anonymous on 07/15/2012 09:25 PM
Just rode Clinton to St. Charles 2 weeks ago and I totally agree with the assessment above. ABSOLUTELY....ride Clinton to Sedalia. It has more grades than the rest of the trail, but I loved it.
Hank from New Haven, MO on 07/16/2012 06:57 AM
Agree 100 percent. I have ridden all sections of the trail and Clinton to Sedalia (and then Sedalia to Pilot Grove) is the part I've been dreaming about returning to. Fabulous. I agree, there's a romance to it as well.
Wasinger from Duluth, GA on 07/16/2012 12:02 PM
ROMANCE!?!? Why didn't you say so earlier! I'm sure my riding buddy will love this stretch!
ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 07/16/2012 12:40 PM
I wasn't really referring to that kind of romance: But hey, the way you enjoy the trail is not necessairly the way I enjoy it. What happens on the trail, stays on the trail......
Wasinger from Duluth, GA on 07/16/2012 01:00 PM
So, I don't have to worry about that hobo I killed last Fall in Dutzow?
Doug from Bluffton on 07/16/2012 06:26 PM
So THAT'S who has been floating around the cemetary behind my house. I guess because I gave him water.
Wasinger from Duluth, GA on 07/17/2012 12:10 PM
So he floated upstream?
Billy from Mokane on 07/17/2012 02:52 PM
Heck yes. Map on the back of my T-shirt shows the trail starts in Clinton and end in Saint Charles. I got to follow instructions.
Doug from Bluffton on 07/17/2012 04:26 PM
Spirits move in mysterious ways.
KR on 07/18/2012 08:37 AM
I disagree with the local comments. I have ridden the full trail several times with the latest being a few hot weeks ago. It is the most boring with a few local spots and as mentioned some grade but the "river section" except Jeff City to McKittrick is better.
Hart Creek Bistro - New Hours
- + Greetings all. I just wanted to advise everybody that effective this week, we will be closed on Thursdays. We will continue to be open from 10am to 10pm the other six days, with live music on Wednes...
Discussion started 07/17/2012 12:32 PM by Bud Ditzfeld - 0 repliesBud Ditzfeld from Hartsburg on 07/17/2012 12:32 PM
Greetings all. I just wanted to advise everybody that effective this week, we will be closed on Thursdays. We will continue to be open from 10am to 10pm the other six days, with live music on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Thanks again for all of your support. It's been a great year so far, and we couldn't have done it without you!
Dormitory at School House B + B in Rocheport
- + Our stay at the Dormitory at School House B&B was simply Marvelous. It is new, clean, and provides all the necessary amenities. Highly Recommend. I'm looking forward to returning someday and staying...
Discussion started 07/17/2012 11:34 AM by Bill W - 0 repliesBill W from Manhattan Kansas on 07/17/2012 11:34 AM
Our stay at the Dormitory at School House B&B was simply Marvelous. It is new, clean, and provides all the necessary amenities. Highly Recommend. I'm looking forward to returning someday and staying at the full service School House B&B. Looks even better.
Sedalia Route
- + I just got my first adult bike a week ago. Why is the route that is marked with signs and marked on the streets different from the route on this map? What is laid out for you to do is to go east on 4t...
Discussion started 07/14/2012 10:10 PM by Laurel - 2 replies (last reply by Laurel at 07/15/2012 12:30 PM)Laurel from Sedalia, MO on 07/14/2012 10:10 PM
I just got my first adult bike a week ago. Why is the route that is marked with signs and marked on the streets different from the route on this map? What is laid out for you to do is to go east on 4th, north on Emmet, east on Boonville and then you get back on the trail going northeast well before the map instructs you to.
mw from sedalia on 07/15/2012 10:10 AM
Laurel i don't understand why they trail is marked the way it is, seem's out of the way to go 4th St. Look's like you should get off the trail where it end's at 3rd st go east to Engineer then north on Engineer to Booneville turn east and the trail is just a few block's.
Laurel from Sedalia, MO on 07/15/2012 12:30 PM
Using 4th isn't out of the way but it is difficult to tell that on the map because you can't see the gravel path that leads directly east at the depot and takes you over to 4th. It's marked to do this.
Joey's Birdhouse, McKittrick--
- + Wanted to pass on a great place to stay in McKittrick--Joey's Birdhouse. My son and I parked in Jefferson City and took the Amtrak w/bikes to Hermann. Joey and Rich,owners of Joey's Birdhouse, were ...
Discussion started 05/27/2012 08:46 PM by CC&NC - 4 replies (last reply by LJH at 07/13/2012 03:13 PM)CC&NC from Bentonville, AR on 05/27/2012 08:46 PM
Wanted to pass on a great place to stay in McKittrick--Joey's Birdhouse. My son and I parked in Jefferson City and took the Amtrak w/bikes to Hermann. Joey and Rich,owners of Joey's Birdhouse, were kind enough to pick us up at the train station in Hermann and drove us the 3 miles to the Katy Trail where the Birdhouse is located(they also gave us a great tour of Hermann and McKittrick.)
Joey's Birdhouse was very clean and was great for my 14 yr old son and me. The Katy Trail was only a few hundred yards behind our rooms and we loved being able to get up and hit the trail quickly in the morning.
They had food and drinks in the refrigerator and gave us a tour of their garden and The Merck. I can't think of a better place to stay for our trip and will stay there again. Joey's art was also amazing--I wish we had room to carry some back!
Gretchen Green from Kansas City on 06/02/2012 01:57 PM
We stayed at Joey's Birdhouse last weekend - it was wonderful! Very charming, clean, great food and drink provided and Joey was a wonderful host. Thanks for a great break from the trail!!
Jared from Kansas City on 06/14/2012 08:34 PM
Stayed at Joey's Birdhouse on Thurs June 7. Very nice and clean. Rich and Joey went out of their ways to make our stay fun and comfortable. Enjoyed listening to Rich's information and stories about McKittrick and Hermann and he gave us a quick tour of the town when he gave us a lift into Hermann. Joey is a fabulous artist and her style is interjected into numerous qualities at the B+B. Joey and Rich have an exciting vision for the future of McKittrick and I guarantee you will leave Joey's Birdhouse refreshed and inspired!!
DM from Fayetteville, AR on 07/11/2012 04:41 PM
Joey's was an amazing place to stay along the trail. Unfortunately, we did not get to meet Joey. However, her partner Rich was kind enough to haul us to Hermann on friday and saturday. It was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed the guests in the suite next to us as well. Rich cooked us Huevos Ranchero's and Joey's sauce was awesome. We look forward to returning in the future. !!! Highly Recommended
LJH from Iowa on 07/13/2012 03:13 PM
I totally concur to this being a great place to stay, My wife and I stayed July 3, Rich and Joey went out of their way to accomodate us, and cold beer, I was sold. We will be coming back this fall and use this special place as a center, and ride a couple of days each way. This was the BEST stay we had on our ride...
Mckittrick Mercantile-Opening Soon
- + Greetings all.I just wanted to let you know that I'll be opening The MERCK ON JULY 13TH 2012 at the Mckittrick Trailhead. The menu will include pizza, wraps, salads,and vegetarian foods. Low salt; ...
Discussion started 07/04/2012 01:52 PM by Rich Lauer - 5 replies (last reply by Rich Lauer at 07/13/2012 07:44 AM)Rich Lauer from Hermann on 07/04/2012 01:52 PM
Greetings all.I just wanted to let you know that I'll be opening The MERCK ON JULY 13TH 2012 at the Mckittrick Trailhead. The menu will include pizza, wraps, salads,and vegetarian foods. Low salt; no deep fry. Locally grown vege's and free range chicken and yes; eggs.
We will try to be open weekends: and weekdays for groups. We are applying for wine and beer license. Thanks for reading and we look forward to seeing you all real soon.
Hermann is just across the river from Mckittrick
Tess from OFallon, MO on 07/05/2012 04:01 PM
Sounds great!! See you soon!
Cathy from Jefferson City on 07/07/2012 08:16 AM
Glad to see another business opening on the trail. It has been a couple of years since I was on that Part of the trail, but I remember the cool old building that I think this is in. I think the more businesses that open directly on the trail the better it will be for people using the trail. Good luck with your business I hope to get to that part of the trail at least one time this summer or fall and will try to drop in.
Pam O from Independence on 07/07/2012 01:15 PM
Good luck Rich. Will stop and see ya next time when we are on that part of the trail.
Rich Lauer from Hermann on 07/07/2012 09:15 PM
Thanks Ladies;
The encouragement is nice
Rich Lauer from Hermann on 07/13/2012 07:44 AM
Sorry;
The Merck has to delay opening day! Air conditioner is too busy to install our system.
I have been placing water at the trail; look in the yellow cooler. If it is empty someone usually is around the store. Water is free this week. we will try to keep it supplied.
Charming, comfortable, historic!!
- + The Rivercene is delightful and very very bicycle friendly. The new owners and innkeepers, Donn, Joe, and Lisa are clearly enjoying meeting bicyclists, and renovating the Rivercene. Many of the post...
Discussion started 07/11/2012 08:18 AM by Ginnis and Rook - 0 repliesGinnis and Rook from Rochester Hills, Michigan on 07/11/2012 08:18 AM
The Rivercene is delightful and very very bicycle friendly. The new owners and innkeepers, Donn, Joe, and Lisa are clearly enjoying meeting bicyclists, and renovating the Rivercene. Many of the posts in this forum do not accuarately reflect the current situation at the Rivercene. And OMG, the breakfast was amazing -- We photographed it!!! And, easy to bike back over the bridge in Boonville for dinner or to the wine store!! The Rivercene was a highlight of our recent 2012 ride on the Katy!
First trip
- + My wife and I are planning our first trip to the trail this weekend. We will only have a day and just want to get familiar with the trail. Coming from Kansas City, I am looking for a trail section tha...
Discussion started 07/09/2012 09:23 AM by Bruce - 10 replies (last reply by savage24 at 07/10/2012 08:21 PM)Bruce from Raytown, MO on 07/09/2012 09:23 AM
My wife and I are planning our first trip to the trail this weekend. We will only have a day and just want to get familiar with the trail. Coming from Kansas City, I am looking for a trail section that would be cool and shady, with interesting attractions and views. I'll be running a 12-mile run and my wife biking along with me. Hills don't bother me much, but if we can stay relatively flat, that is probably better.
Planning to stay near Boonville. Is it better to go east, toward Rocheport, or west, toward Pilot Grove?
Thanks for your help.
robert from houston,mo on 07/09/2012 10:20 AM
For a 1st time I would suggest staying at Rocheport and ride to the east. Shady, flat and nice views. Rocheport is much more interesting than Boonville.
ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 07/09/2012 10:32 AM
Agree. Go to Rocheport and go east.
Bruce from Raytown, MO on 07/09/2012 11:11 AM
Thanks, Robert & Kenny. Sounds like good advice. I guess we'll miss the tunnel that way, but shady, flat and nice views are what we're looking for.
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 07/09/2012 12:14 PM
The train tunnel is just on the western edge of Rocheport. You could easily go there, then turn around and head east.
Dave from Holden on 07/09/2012 02:41 PM
is the trail flater out of Rocheport heading east?
ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 07/09/2012 05:07 PM
Yes, it is flat at Rocheport because the trail closely follows the Mo River and is on an old rail bed. It's flat everywhere as far as I'm concerned, but it is particularly flat along the river. Also, the river valley, the bluffs, and the canopy of trees are pretty good for blocking the wind, so you don't have that to worry about as much as compared to riding on a road.
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 07/09/2012 06:54 PM
Dave, it's not really any flater head east than west out of Rocheport but most people believe it is more scenic, especially true for Bruce's 6 mile out and back run.
Robin from Macon on 07/10/2012 11:42 AM
Although not all (yet) have biked most of the Katy and to me there is no better area to bike than from Rocheport east - to Huntsdale is 6.6 - the bluffs and the trees also keeps this section of the trail cooler. And FYI, all of the Katy is relatively flat...it's the side trips that are not! Enjoy your first ride!!!
Jharte from Raytown on 07/10/2012 03:03 PM
Hope you have a great weekend on the Katy this weekend! I've ridden it several times end to end. One of my favorite places to be. I agree with the above - Rocheport and East. An excellent place to ride AND/OR run. Enjoy!
savage24 from KC, MO on 07/10/2012 08:21 PM
The trail east of Rocheport is especially shady in the morning because of the bluffs (you will be going southeast, not directly east). Do the trail in the morning and when your done, have lunch at Les Bourgeois Bistro. If you feel you are to sweaty for the bistro there are other places to eat in Rocheport, including a nice new BBQ place.
Long surface cracks on the Katy Trail
- + Due to drought conditions, certain sections of the trail may contain long surface cracks. Trail users should exercise caution and proceed slowly when encountering cracks in the trail surface. In addit...
Discussion started 07/09/2012 02:26 PM by Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator - 7 replies (last reply by anonymous at 07/10/2012 06:54 PM)Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator on 07/09/2012 02:26 PM
Due to drought conditions, certain sections of the trail may contain long surface cracks. Trail users should exercise caution and proceed slowly when encountering cracks in the trail surface. In addition, watch out for our staff as they work to repair these cracks.
Jim from St. Thomas on 07/09/2012 06:50 PM
Hi Dawn - thanks for checking in here from time to time. Do you know if there is any thought being given to using the little piece of land DNR owns adjacent to the North Jefferson City trailhead for camping? Seems like we are getting more folks lately asking for info on where to camp.
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 07/09/2012 07:45 PM
Jim, did the Jeff City Parks & Rec open up some camp sites under the Missouri river bridge as planned for in early July? I haven't been down there recently.
Jim from St. Thomas on 07/09/2012 09:14 PM
I haven't checked yet. We're doing a short ride tomorrow morning so if I don't forget between now and then I'll swing by and check it out.
Jim from St. Thomas on 07/10/2012 10:49 AM
They still have the no camping sign up under the bridge and walking around I see no evidence of anything that looks like a campsite. Even when/if they complete the project they are only talking about having three sites with no services except the john in the parking lot. There is no running water down there.
Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator on 07/10/2012 11:50 AM
Jim, thanks for your question about camping at the N. Jefferson TH. Because the Katy is a day-use park and because we don't want to compete with communities and private businesses along the trail, we don't provide camping on the Katy. Our long range plans for the piece of property you mention are to expand parking, add picnic tables and plant native vegetation. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have other questions -- I can be reached at 573-449-7402.
Bike Rider from Kansas City on 07/10/2012 01:36 PM
I think the DNR should re-think their position on not providing camping along the trail. I believe they are missing a HUGE opportunity to provide safe, clean, well-kept campgrounds for many visitors. I believe you would see an increase in TOURISM DOLLARS spent in Missouri, especially in rural areas that could really use them, if more camping (and bathrooms and water) were available.
Anonymous on 07/10/2012 06:54 PM
I've camped at private campgrounds on the Katy just twice and once there was no one there but us and another time there were many empty camp sites. If private enterprise isn't booking full how would state run sites?