Katy Trail Forum

I just rode from St. Charles to Sedalia this week, taking the train back to St. Louis Saturday morning. I camped out at Mokane, right at the trail head on 5/4, rode through the rain on 5/5 and stayed at the Comfort Inn in Boonville to recover that night, and then camped at the Sedalia Fairgrounds 5/6.

It was a great trip. My only advice is to be careful crossing the bridge immediately west of Providence. Someone had smashed a beer bottle on this bridge, and caused me a flat front tire--which I had to change in the rain! I tried to push some of the broken glass to the sides of the bridge, but I didn't get all of the tiny shards before I decided to keep riding. Be careful!

-John

I'm planning a trip the week of Mem Day and some of our fellow bikers are bailing. We were going to use a sag van along the route, but with 3 people riding now, that seems silly. Can you give me more info about taking the train? Where did you pick it up? Is there a website I could look at? I'm new to this site and apologize if it's listed here, but any information about getting a ride back for 3 adults/1 toddler from Sedalia back to St Charles would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Sandy,

Amtrak has a station in Sedalia, and they usually have a morning and an evening train heading to St. Louis. I would suggest using the Amtrak website to get the current schedules and phone number for reservations. Have a credit/debit card with you to pay on the train if you have to. With three bikes, you may want to book in advance to make sure there is space for them. They just stuck my bike in the dining car in a wheelchair space--which suggests to me that you can't count on space for three bikes being perpetually available. However, I get the sense that most people ride the trail from West to East to avoid headwind and the slight incline, so you might benefit from not having too much company riding West to East on Amtrak. Memorial Day weekend is apt to be busier though. My ticket cost $51 (Sedalia to St. Louis) including a $10 surcharge for the bike.

I think a nice trip would be to start in St. Charles, push West to Sedalia or further, and then double back to pick up the train in Sedalia. There is abundant, comfortable camping space at the Sedalia Fairgrounds.

I parked my car in St. Charles, but Amtrak only stops in Kirkwood and St. Louis city, so my wife had to shuttle me out to get my car. You might have to pay a taxi $20-$30 to go get your car(s) after you arrive back in Kirkwood or St. Louis, but that's the worst of it.

We decided to ride our bikes there today - September 12, 2010. We had not made reservations, our bad, but there were several empty tables inside and outside, yet we were told we could get in between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. I understand that people who have made reservations may be coming, but inquired about the tables outside...beautiful day, would rather eat outside anyway. The staff (looked to be late teens) had no clue about the outside seating or seating us outside....we would just have to wait. So we waited...and waited..and waited. Another pair of bike riders showed up for just a glass of water and were turned away.?.? Lots of people leaving, a few showing up...still a few tables outside and inside....still waiting... 2:54 p.m. we FINALLY get seated. We were waited on right away, but did wait twenty minutes for our food, the # 1 Dinner...Fried Chicken (1 White Meat - 2 Dark Meat, Mashed potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans, applesauce, cole slaw and biscuits. The Biscuits, though not homemade were the best I HAVE EVER EATEN. The green beans were also good. Mashed potatoes and chicken were the same as I could get anywhere. Not real impressed..except with the biscuits. Due to the lack of knowledge by the staff, I will probably not go back.

We went there one Saturday evening and were told we would have to wait because we had not made reservations. I did not blame anyone at the Claysville Store for my failure to plan ahead. I met Mark Hooibrink working on his sign on the trail one day and talked with him for a while, he struck me as an honest and sincere individual. I have read articles on the Hooibrinks and the Claysville Store, never would I believe that bike riders were denied water. Empty tables? Maybe they were handling all the guests that they could at the time.

I rode thru Claysville about this same time Sunshine. There were two bikes parked on the trail. Was that you? All I can remember was "cars", parked everywhere. This place must have something. In any case this was my first pass thru the Clay when this store/restaurant was actually open. I happened by recently at 3:30 on a Sunday and the joint was locked up tight, so much for the 12:30 to 4 posted hours. I am glad you finally got in and had a decent meal at least. Apparently reservations are advised. Cheers.

Except for the highly traveled areas on the trail, like, Rocheport, Hartsburg, St Charles etc, us trail users looking for grub could remember that most of the bar-grills, cafes, campgrounds, and other eateries there depend mostly on their local/regional clients rather than on traffic from the trail itself, especially year round.



Some of these places will protect their regular clients by keeping their tables open as long as they can as tacit reservations from being regular often. Us bicyclists especially are not their main clients even tho they don’t mind our extra business if they have enough food and supplies on hand beforehand.

I wasn't planning to post a comment about the Claysville Store until I saw some of the comments suggesting that the restaraunt was hostile to bikers. Last Saturday afternoon I had a flat tire near the store. I was without a spare tube and it was about 95 degrees and I was exhausted. The store was not yet open for the day, but the owner let me, a total stranger, come in, gave me a cold coke, offered to let me borrow his bike to ride back to Jefferson City, allowed me to use the phone to call my wife, and allowed me to wait in the air conditioned dinning room. So don't try to tell me that Claysville Store sucks. By the way the food is great.

We went there for Mother's Day, yesterday, and even though we got flowers, I thought it was over priced. For four of us, it was over $60. The service was awful. Most the time the staff, which were teens, were gathered at the front desk talking. The chicken wasn't freshly cooked. We had to ask for refills on tea. They didn't bring biscuits, applesauce or cole slaw until we asked for it. Just not a good experience. Won't be going back.

We are heading to MO May 23rd to ride the Katy Trail. Is the flooding effecting the trail and Hermann, MO?? Or Boonville?

Check the Mo. state park website. Go to the Katy Trail State Park link, then click on "Advisory". As of 5/2, the only closure listed is due to construction, not flooding. Try this link:
http://mostateparks.com/park/katy-trail-state-park

Check the Missouri state park website. Go to the Katy Trail state park website, then click on "Advisory". As of 5/2, the only closure was due to construction, not flooding.

THANK U so much for the accurate assistance and have a great day. We will look at the links.

Missouri weather can change quickly and often doesn't follow the weatherman. We started in Boonville a few years ago to do a Century with 30% chance of rain. It rained all day and we were forced to calling it quits at 70 miles with a flat tire. As stated on another thread sometimes you just have to make the best of the time you've chosen to ride.

I am a 76 yr old man who just finished the entire trail, Machens to Clinton, with 2 men in their 40s, staying in B&Bs about every 40 miles. We had rain 2 days, but the trail was still in near-perfect condition & we kept going wearing our raingear. There was no flooding, & no mud, even with the rain. The trail has good drainage almost everywhere.

As mentioned in another thread, there does not appear to be any flooding affecting the Katy Trail. If flooding were to occur, you would almost certainly see people posting here pretty quickly.

But if you are planning a trip and want o keep an eye on conditions, here's another usefule resources, NOAA's current and predicted flood stages: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lsx&view=1,1,1,1,1,1

Note that Boonville, Hermann, Jeff City, Washington, and St Charles are all a nice green "no flooding" color. If you see them turn yellow, it's time to worry. It hasn't rained for several days, so it looks like we will escape any flooding on the trail this time.

Just finished riding the entire trail (May 5, 2011) and had no trouble - no flooding or adverse trail conditions. Besides the well-known detour outside of Rocheport due to bridge re-construction, everything was A-OK.

Great very helpful!! Enjoy your Spring

Fiester from Orlando...thanks for the update AND I AM JEALOUS. I want to ride across the KATY again this spring and cannot find the time. Hope you had a fabulous time.

We are 3 guys who finished the entire trail, Machens to Clinton day before yesterday. The entire trail was in near-perfect condition, even with the 2 days we experienced rain. There was NO flooding. The worst part of the trip was the detour west of Rocheport on 40 Highway, which was unmarked, had lots of car traffic, & 3 hills. The detour should be gone in a week or 2, though.

Thank you, Doug, for hosting us so marvelously last Monday night. We enjoyed the dinner & the breakfast & the visiting. Most of all, we appreciated that you saved our trip when you loaned us the bikes for Rick & Matt when Rick came in that evening lame & couldn't have run any farther. I expect to be back to you in Bluffton someday.

FYI, there is a vault toilet located at the trailhead/depot.

Is there trailhead parking at Machens?

Yes, there are a few spots. Plus the toilet. Plus the informative shelter trailhead. And that's it.

I don't think Machens is an designated trailhead, but there is one at Black Walnut, which is 3 miles from Machens.

At http://mostateparks.com Machens is listed on the "Trailhead Mileage Chart."

Either way, there is NO toilet at Black Walnut, just the informative sign.

When planning a long distance trip on the Katy, how many miles should one figure to ride per day?

Depends upon how much time do you have an d how far you can ride in a day. I have done the trail in 3, 4 and 5 day trips. What is your comfort level? Trying to space your daily destinations in accordance to accommodations along the way you are wanting to use. Example of three day was Clinton to Boonville with accommodations in Boonville. 2nd day Boonville to McKittrick and stayed in Hermann, then finished short ride the last day. Check the Dept Natural Resources Annual Katy Trail Ride to get an idea of a 5 day ride.

We did Sedalia to St. Charles last year with a group of very average riders. We found 40 to 50 miles per day with a nice break for lunch was about right. Wouldn't wanted to have done more but it's all based on your skill level and conditioning, of course. Was a great experience!

It's a bit slower going on the Katy trail than riding on paved asphalt. I'd say 40 miles a day is probably a good average, but it depends a lot upon conditions such as wind and/or heat, and how often you plan to stop to read historical markers and take photos.

Hello! A group of us are riding the trail from end to end on Friday for charity. Can anyone help with the following?
- Are there any adverse conditions? (Flooding, trees down, etc...)
- Does the detour for the closed section cause any major delays or does it put you on major/dangerous roadways?

Any insight on these questions is greatly appreciated!

Are you planning to ride the entire trail (end-to-end) on Friday, or start on Friday, end on Sat or Sun? In order to complete the entire trail in 1 day, you need almost perfect conditions and a lot of sunlight.

I'm sure it's a good cause and all, but I don't think you can fairly claim to be the first to ride the entire length of the KATY trail if you use the detour.

Hey"just sayin" Where did they claim to be the first?
To the O.P. I don't know about the entire trail but from weldon springs to Machens your all right. Post what charity you are involved with maybe some of us could help.

North Jefferson to Treloar was in fine shape last weekend. Lots of waterfalls to see along the trail

I only completed 175 of the 240 miles last Friday, April 29th, thanks to an unrelenting headwind (from the east, of all days!!!) and dehydration. Am considering taking a nighttime run in a few weeks to avoid the sun and wind. @ I.M. Puupenhaddah, thanks for asking about the charity. Following is a link with a ride summary and to make a donation for those who wish: http://www.bridgetsbrigade.net/ben-dumont-ride-for-the-cure.html

From Ben's own link:
"He will again take on the challenge to complete the now 240-mile crushed limestone trail on April 29th in one day. He aims to become the first to complete the feat and help end cancer by raising money for Bridget's Brigade."

Sounds like a great charity. The first poster that sounds like a group of people was signed by michael, another post by Ben Dumont honestly tells what he does and his link does say he is trying to be the first(The trail has only been 240 miles officially since 4/2/11 so I can't dispute)and he is going to try again. I think I am going to contribute both my encouragement and some cash. And I'm not "just sayin" but I am puupenhaddah!

So if you attempt to ride the trail end to end (either in one day or several) and it has flooding or bridge work and you leave the trail and in most cases ride further, you could not claim to have ridden it end to end? So then the 300 people who rode the trail last June who had to briefly leave it due to flooding near Rocheport can't claim to have ridden it end to end?

I think it's safe to say you rode it end to end...and I think "Just sayin'" is "Just naysayin'".

Hello, can any one JUST answer the question(s) and forget the smart remarks!! Some of us need to have accurate info before treking to the trail for WHATEVER reason. This is suppose to b a constructive section.

there is a link on this website for trail conditions and advisories that may be helpful. the Dnr also has a list of trail " trail adopters" (My terminology ) who volunteer to care for sections of the trail. maybe they can be contacted some way thru the DNR.

Hope this was helpful. I think poopenharder was trying to diffuse the anal "just sayin or wondering too" guy (same guy I'll bet). Hope you were the first and hope your trip is swell.

I was not the same person. Was just wondering about the record setters an how people consider end to end with special conditions. Nan, there are very reliable ways to gauge the condition of the trail (even remotely from Milwaukee) as was noted by the very good resources provided on this website. Maybe some need a primer in this website? Also NOAA and other weather services identify river and creek flood levels effecting the trail. I have ridden the trail end to end three times and many shorter sections separately in the rain, big head winds and 90/90 hot days an conditions change on an hourly basis. We all have to make best planned judgements and go with it. That's what makes life so much fun.

Once again thank you for adding your snotty comments to a less than useful note. Enjoy your ride and may we not c u

One of the hidden gems on the trail is Eagle Bluff. I biked by it last year and didn't know if it was worth the time, but it is! I had admired the towering bluffs east of Rocheport, and just past McBaine the sign announced the Eagle Bluff overlook. The climb was a bit steep, but then you are at the top on a nice boardwalk that juts over the top of one of the high sheer cliffs. You Eagle's eye view of the river and wetlands is incredible, and I wish I could post one of the pictures I took.

My daughter and I want a 10-15 mile ride on Mother's Day. Any suggestions for a pretty, short ride? If we like it, and I am sure we will, we will be back for longer rides. We will leave KC in the morning.

From Lawrence, I would drive to Rocheport, ride east to Huntsdale, treat yourself to an ice cream at Katfish Katy's, then return to Rocheport. Should be a little over 13 miles.

I 2nd that Rocheport riding South suggestion. Nice small town atmosphere and the ride along the river is beautiful.

I was planning to take the Riverfront and Confluence Trails out of St Louis towards the Machens trailhead this Monday morning. I see that the Mississippi is at flood stage or above currently. Does this mean that the these trails may be impassable? Any local information would be GREATLY appreciated.

Are you going to cross on the bridge or take the ferry? Bridge should be ok. The ferry schedule is iffy when the river rises.

You may want to call Great Rivers Greenway. Part of the Riverfront Trail is on the river side of the floodwall. If the the flood gates are closed you won't have access to it.

To be a successful father there's one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don't look at it for the first two years.
Ernest Hemingway