Katy Trail Forum

First time to Katy Trail in June. Where is a safe spot to park for three or four nites at a trail head? Would like to start in St Charles MO

There's several parking area near the trailhead going west. A friend and I parked our trucks there two years ago but we let the St Charles Police know our vehicles' location and license numbers. Have a good trip.

I would park at the casino. in the parking garage. i did no troubles.

I just finished the Trail, and wanted to offer a couple suggestions regarding one of the more logistically challenging parts of the trip for me - getting to and from the Trail.

I was going to be in St. Louis anyway for other reasons, so when I decided to tack this ride onto my trip, I decided the best way was to (1) rent a bike in St. Louis (from Big Shark, $100 for the week, including helmet and lock), (2) take the Amtrak (around $30, including the bike and AAA discount) to the closest stop to Clinton, which is Warrensburg, and (3) hire a shuttle to pick me up from the depot in Warrensburg to take me to the Clinton trailhead ($45).

Things went smoothly until I arrived at the Warrensburg depot and my shuttle (which I'd booked several weeks in advance, and confirmed via email and phone) wasn't there. I called, and the guy answering said they had no record of me on the schedule for the day, so it was going to be about 3 hours before they could get there. I was a little annoyed, but at least it gave me time to rearrange my gear and find a local grocery store to stock up with a few final things before getting on the trail.

But after 3 1/2 hours, I still hadn't heard anything from them. When I called, the guy said, "Oh yeah, I was just about to look for your number. Sorry, it's probably going to be at least another 2-3 hours." Obviously I didn't wait around any longer - I found the number of a local cab company on the wall of the station, and they were there within 3 minutes. They charged the same amount ($45) for the trip to Clinton as the other guy, and the driver was also friendly, knowledgeable, and fun to talk to -- I'd highly recommend them: Central Cab in Warrensburg, 660-429-5523.

The funny thing was that the Central driver, when I told him about why half my day had already been wasted and who was responsible for it, said that they hear stories about that other company all the time from customers left abandon

Too bad about your shuttle Boston, and thanks for the info on both companies, bad and good duly noted. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip on the Katy!

The original post got cut off; here is the rest:
...they hear stories about that other company all the time from customers left abandoned. I won't go into all the stories he told me, but I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST a company called Victory Shuttle & Taxi, based in Sedalia and owned by a guy named Jerry Grable. Victory also goes by the names "B & L", "Spirit", and "A+", among others. A company that has so many aliases indicates to me either (1) they have to keep changing because with every new entity, they quickly establish a terrible reputation for themselves, or (2) they're unlicensed, and are working some sort of tax evasion scam. Either way, it's shady behavior. I noticed that "B & L" and "Victory" are both listed in the Trip Planner section of this website, so just be careful.Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I can say that the rest of the trip was awesome -- weather was mostly 70s in the days, 50s at night. Beautiful scenery, interesting history, and really friendly people. I did have to make one side trip into Columbia for a mechanical issue that couldn't be fixed on the Trail, but the guys at Tryathletics took care of it for me right away, and hardly charged anything at all. When I got to St. Louis, the only issue was how to get across the river from St. Charles back to the city, since the 370 route is no longer open to bicycles or pedestrians. Google recommended taking 374, but that was way out of the way for my somewhat tight time schedule, so I ended up just getting a ride from one of the local bike shops. The guys at the 2nd Street shop said they couldn't take me, but they called Lococo for me and set it up. Again, the people at both places were awesome, and the fee to go into town from there with the bike and gear was $20 - well worth the cost given my situation.So I guess the moral is that there are a ton of friendly, helpful people along the trail, but a few sketchy ones as well - so just be sure to do your research before

When the parking is available shown by the "P" at a trailhead such as Dutzow, can the auto be left over night?

Yes you can leave your car overnight at the park trailheads.

We now have a way to categorize forum discussions, and to view discussions by topic. You'll notice a new feature here in the forum: tags. You may have seen the "tag" concept in social media or news websites. A tag is simply a topic, and each forum discussion has tags assigned to it. For example, a discussion about the State Fair campground might have three tags assigned to it: Camping, Sedalia, and State Fair Campground.

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Happy trails!

I searched this site for a shuttle company to take us from St. Charles to Kirkwood Station. No luck. Any suggestions?

Using the Trip Planner there are several listed for the St. Charles and St. Louis area. Are none of those still in business?

Thank you for your reply. Who is in business and who will transport a bike are both unanswered questions after visiting several of the listed shuttle service sites. The best info I found was on the Show me MO Tours Shuttle site. I hope they will tranport bikes too. There are several cab companies listed, but I'm having a hard time trusting that a cab is going to have room for one bike let alone two. Based on your experience, please let me know if I'm missing something? Thanks again!

I used a cab company out of Boonville when I had to do a shuttle during the flood two years ago. He had a bike rack, no problem transporting two bikes and a BOB trailer. Sorry, can't recall the name of the company.

Last year we stayed at a great B&B, Lococo House in St. Charles, and found that they shuttled their guests. We used a different shuttle service getting into St. Charles, but after the experience we had, we will definitely use Lococo on our next Katy trip. Check out their website and consider a stay there and arrange for their shuttle.

I used a St. Charles cab company to transport me and my bike to the Kirkwood Station. They brought a ford mini van, my bike fit inside fully assembled. It was 42.00. Worked out very well.

Good food. Good beer. Great service. I won't ride the Katy again without stopping here.

I have a 6 day trip planned from May 14-19 if anyone would like to ride along. Plan to camp each night unless the weather changes my mind.

Sedalia > Huntsdale = 57.3 miles
Huntsdale > Portland = 55.8 miles
Portland > Augusta = 49.5 miles
Augusta > Portland = 49.5 miles
Portland > Huntsdale = 55.8 miles
Huntsdale > Sedalia = 57.3 miles

I ate a pretty good breakfast at the tavern next to the market in 2008. Is it defunct?

We had a great lunch on Saturday at Terry & Kathy's Tavern in Defiance! In fact, I had the best grilled turkey burger I've ever had! Who knew you could find such a great turkey burger in a tavern? They were busy and the waitress told us she couldn't serve us outside. So we ordered at the bar and waited for the food to come out of the kitchen. Then walked it outside to sit on a picnic table. Great spot for lunch! There is alot more options on the menu than what is listed above. My friend had a BLT sandwich, others had regular burgers. The toasted buns were a great addition! We will stop here again on our next Katy Trail trip!

I'm considering staying here in late May. Is this campground still open? What are the facilities like? Do you feel it's safe?

You didn't mention which campground??

riverport bar is the best place to eat on the trail, tell tony and darlene hello. they own the bar. the campground is safer than any place you would ever camp

Do you offer shuttle from Hermann to St. Charles and what is latest pm pick up time available?

Kara, I think you will get a better response if you contact the various Shuttle providers directly by phone. There are variables that will need to be discussed before they can quote you a price, such as number in your party, number and type of bikes, day of week, time of day, etc.

Regarding bridge access: The JC bridge has a separate bike lane that does not require the cyclist to share the road with motorized traffic.

Old news.

Just wanted to let you wonderful riders know, the High Street Victorian B&B, in Boonville, is running a special for the remainder of April and through May!
15% off a one night stay, Friday or Saturday
30% off a one night stay, Sunday - Thursday
30% off two nights stay, Friday & Saturday
40% off two nights stay, Sunday - Thursday
Visit our webiste, or give us a call!
Have a great and safe ride!
Your Innkeepers, Gene & Kriss at the High Street Victorian Bed & Breakfast!

We had a great weekend of riding on the Katy Trail! Our group of 15 overnighted in Washington, MO both Friday and Saturday nights. On Saturday we rode east from Dutzow to Weldon Springs and returned. We enjoyed a stop at Augusta Brewing on the way back! A perfect afternoon for a few beers and pretzels! Sunday was a little chilly, and rain was threatening, but we rode west from Dutzow to a point past Treloar. Really enjoyed the bridges! The Super 8 in Washington worked out great for our group. The rooms are not fancy, but they are clean and the rooms have refrigerators and microwaves. The continental breakfast is standard fare, but can be healthy (Raisin Bran and yogurt!). Even though we had some seasoned road riders in our group, we decided against riding across the bridge to Washington. Once you see it, you will know why! Much safer for everyone to just drive your car to the trailhead in Dutzow! Hopefully, when they have to replace that brige they will do it right and add a protected bike lane! We are looking forward to the next trip on the Katy -- we will definitely do it again!

How much do you charge for shuttle from Hermann to St. Charles in the evening and what is latest pick up time?

Was hiking the trail with a buddy. Got here in a rain storm. They were awesome and really helped us out. Good music to boot from Univibe. Definite worth a stop. Very good people. Good vibes

Thanks, Lonnie. We're glad you enjoyed your visit. Come back soon!

Do you shuttle from Hermann to St. Charles? We would leave st. charles and need service back at the end of our long day. Also what type of cost is involved?

My husband and I are going to ride the Katy over Memorial Day weekend and will end in Sedalia where we are taking Amtrak to Jeff City. Where would be the safest place to park our car for 2 nights near Jeff City? I saw someone mention Hartsburg, but I was wondering about Tebbetts trailhead also. How is the parking in Tebbetts?

Near the Jeff City bike bridge (north side) they have a big parking lot.

The lot at the North Jefferson trailhead is kind of remote and has not got good reviews. I would not leave my car there other than for an out and back for the day.

I have left my car several times at both Hartsburg and Tebbetts for several nights and never had any problems doing so.

There are more than one place in Jeff City to park your car. Like the above post says,I have heard complaints about the parking area by the North Jefferson Trail head that is on the north side of the river, and directly on the Katy Trail. I have not heard good or bad reports about the parking lot by the Jeff City bike bridge (north side)that DSD mentioned. But, I think there may be safer parking by the Amtrak Station, which is on the south side of the river. The Amtrak website shows 5 long-term parking spaces available for overnight parking. I think I used that once. It's free and in a lot that is just west of the station. It's possible the Capitol Police patrol the area (drive in the area 2-4 times a day) since it is so close to the Capitol, and there is a parking garage right there for staff that work at the Capitol. I don't know how you can confirm that or make sure there's a spot for your car. I don't see a phone number for the station. It is run by volunteers that probably are only there from 30 minutes or so before to 30 minutes after trains are scheduled. But, if you don't need to be near the train station, Hartsburg seems very safe (in the heart of the village) and the Tebbetts lot is also in the heart of "greater downtown Tebbetts" so it should be safe also. Enjoy your ride.

Everyone on this post seems to have the "Perfect Katy Bike". Lots of opinions out there, so it sounds like it would be fun to hear why yours is perfect. I'd love to hear about your "Perfect Katy bike" and why it is so perfect for your Katy experience.

My perfect Katy bike is a hardtail aluminum mountain bike with a rigid steel fork. To that I added drop handlbars and 8 speed Sora road bike shifters (Shimano's most reliable combo shifter). It has a high quality 26" sealed bearing wheelset and 1.5" wide semi-slick Specialized Nimbus flak jacket tires that have large grooves in the tread pattern, but pick up very little dirt, and have no place for the little limestone shards to get stuck in the tread. I run them at about 60# for smooth, but fast riding. There is also a good rear rack for my panniers.

I started out with this bike because it was either that or the road bike. I have since come to realize that it is the perfect Katy bike for me. The 26's a) have never gone flat, b) give me great standover height (important when rack and panniers are full of camping gear), c) gives me a lower profile in the wind, d) are lighter than 29er or even touring wheel/tires. New this year is fenders: We'll see how that works out.

I've thought about touring bikes, and Cyclocross bikes, but what I have is the perfect Katy bike (for me). What makes your bike exactly what you need?

My dream bike would be a Titanum mountain bike frame with 700c wheels. Shimano XTR drivetrain and lightweight componets all around. It would probably cost around 4-5 G when complete. But my budget for my rail trail bike was only about a $1000 so I purchased a Gary Fisher Montaire and made a few modifications. New seat, riser bar, cyclo-cross tires and a rear cargo rack. I absolutely love this bike !

Have two bikes that are perfect for the Katy Trail. If I plan to ride 20, 30, 40 or so miles my perfect bike is a ten year old Raleigh hybrid, love that bike! But if going longer distances and loaded for camping, it's the Fuji Touring, love that bike too.

But really, in my opinion, "the perfect" bike for the Katy is the one you're riding!

Having difficulty contacting someone at the MO State fair grounds for camping reservation on May 27 any ideas?

I wouldn't worry about reservations. It is a big area and north of the National Guard Armory. Exit at the Katy West Trail head, turn left on the road for a few hundred yards+/-, then enter the campground. If you set your tent at the lower part of the hill, the restrooms are the red and white buildings through the gate. Someone will collect $10 for camping.

We're planning to go West to East. Where is the train station on the east end of the trail? How far west (on the trail) will it take us?

The site has great Amtrak linked from the home page: http://www.bikekatytrail.com/amtrak-katy-trail.aspx. Good luck on your trip!

Because of my love of the Katy, I did an out and back on the 35 mile Frisco Highline Trail (FHT)from Springfield, Mo to Bolivar, Mo and back today. It was nice. Parts of it are a little rough, but if you are looking for a change, try it. Katy is still my #1.

I'm glad you were able to experience the FHT. I ride the paved section and part of the gravel quite often. I have only ridden the entire trail once. You are indeed lucky to ride the Katy as much as you do. I love that trail. BTW, I see alot of your posts. Thanks for all of the information you provide folks.

Happy trails!!

I ride the Frisco almost every Saturday and Sunday and love the rougher up section on my mountain bike. Will be spending a week on the Katy in May and my wife and I will be up for the Pedaler's Jamboree over Memorial day weekend.

Does anyone have any recommendations on B&Bs in Jefferson City, Herman, and Augusta? I'd love for them to have a laundry room as we'll be packing light.

In Jefferson City the Briar Rose inn on Dunklin St. and The Cliff Manor which I think is on Cliff St. get very good reviews on this site. I live in Jefferson City so I have never stayed ar either, but I have good reports on both. I don't know about laundry facilities.

Rendleman Home at Bluffton has w/d in camping shower house and will let you run a load or throw something in with a load of clothers. Bluffton is about 10 miles west of Hermann. B&B and camping available.

Does anyone know if the ride is filled yet? They take 300 right?

I'm sorry that no one has commented on your post. I don't know the answer. You might check with the DNR. I know that I'm signed up and looking forward to it.

Interested in doing the entire trail. Any suggestions on where to leave your car in Clinton & Machens?

We've ridden the trail a number of times and have found that leaving a car at the Clinton rec center worked very well. They ask you to leave a vehicle plate number so that they can keep track of folks. Nice to have a shower at the end of the trip too if you get a shuttle and start at the east end.

Previous post says park at the Rec Center in Clnton: I know it as the Community Center. In any case, it's only a block or so from the trailhead and I've found it to be safe. Machens really doesn't have an easy way or place to park your car. If you want to park east and go west, in St. Charles on the river, there is a Lewis and Clark museum on the river with a big parking lot there, and I've left my car there several times and not had any problem. From there, you can do an out and back to Machens just to say you did the whole trail. You should also consider riding the train part of the way to or coming home from your destination. Techinically "Downhill" is west to easy, but it really doesn't matter much because the whole thing is flat--that can be negated by winds, but generally, they are from the southwest: If I am only going one way, I prefer to go west to east, and usually park in Clinton, and ride the train back to Sedalia so I can enjoy the rough and rugged (not really, just not very many people) west side of the trail.

Thank you for your posts and help.

had a good night of camping. Good view of river. Hot showers. Store had limited resources but it was enough.

Have to see it to believe it. Definitely interesting and worth a stop for a drink. Relax. It's an experience.

had a great night here even though we called at the very last minute. Good place to rest up after a long day of hiking.

We biked through Prairie Lick twice and saw no trailhead and, more importantly, no restrooms.

I live right by "Prairie Lick" and there is nothing there. Not sure why it is even on here as a stop.

never saw one myself? I was wondering maybe it has been built?

I rode it a couple weeks ago, have ridden that area for years. Never has been water there - not sure where the info came from. There is a very small parking spot where the road crosses the trail

Sorry - meant restrooms.

Ray
I think they are trying to tell you to remove the restroom icon on the Prairie Lick entry in the Towns and Services link.

Not sure whether maybe there was a johnny-on-the-spot there long ago, or if we've just always had the wrong info, but it's gone now. Thanks for passing this along!

I rolled into Herman yesterday an I couldn't believe 15 to pitch a tent. So I ended up stopping in Murphys Bar in Treloar and after a couple of pitchers of beer and fries I was able to camp in the back. So I would highly recommend that town for the night. Just spend the money on some good food and beer.

IS THE KATY TRAIL BRIDGE AT BOONVILLE OPENING SOON IT IS SO COOL LOOKING

No, but there is a pleasant bike-ped crossing of the MO river using the US-40 bridge.

And you don't need to shout.

It has been a very long process trying to save the bridge from demolition. As of now, that has been accomplished. Now there is a long process to take ownership of it,and convert it so that hikers/bikers can cross it. A non-profit has been organized to accomplish that. follow this link for more information - http://savethekatybridge.org/

Will the Machens trail hook up with the river trail in Illinois??

Paul, let me first say I do not know of any plans to make the connection. The old MKT line continued from Machens southeast to St. Louis. Currently, the trail dead-ends in Machens at the BNSF line (which is still operating). I do not know if that means that BNSF now has the rights-of-way, but it looks like there is no room for a trail. Most people connect to the Riverfront trail by ending the Katy at Machens, then following MO-94 (or its side roads) to the Clark Bridge in Alton. From there they pick up the Confluence Trail, which connects to the Riverfront Trail.