Katy Trail Forum

Hope to ride 40-50 west to east this weekend somewhere on the st. Louis of jeff city.

Are any shuttles running that could get me back to wherever I leave my car Saturday

morning? Gary

Click on "Plan a Ride" above, fill out what you want including the shuttles box, click the submit button to get a list of them so you can contact them directly.

Call me at 573 236 4575 and I might be able to move your car up and ride my bike back depending on time.

Stopped here on our way back from Hermann...got some water for our bottles and had an amazing home grown apple! It was so sweet! Sat for a bit at the table and chairs right along the trail.

My buddy enjoyed some excellent pears here on Nov 1st. Would have loved to camp there.

Very warm welcome ... convinced us to sleep at the local campground. Great food. We stayed there on October 31st (Halloween) and loved seeing the local kids come around for candy. Highly recommend.

Great camping area. We stayed here October 30th. They had live music, showers, very friendly staff, and excellent Thai Food + various other options. Perfect stop.

If you have found a pager within the last month on the trail please contact me via e-mail at kevin.watson@va.gov



Thanks in advance

SGT. Kevin Watson

We stayed at the Globe over Halloween weekend. Jenette was a great host. She served a very tasty bicyclist breakfast. The old hotel is a very cool place to check out. And it is right next to the trail. I'd reccommend it to others.

Good Day, All! I just decided that I think I'd like to ride the Katy in a couple of weeks....no preparation or planning...I think I'll just drive down and then SAG myself....ride about 40 miles, turn-around, return to my car, and then "shuttle" myself to where I turn around each day. I guess restrooms and some trail amenities will be closed along the way, but can I count on no-reseration rooms being available wherever I opt to stop each night? Any other suggestions?

Probably, during the week. With a vehicle you'll be able to find lodging somewhere okay.

Hi Greg, If you have no problem with 70/80 miles per day consider this. Park in St. Charles, then ride or shuttle to the Amtrak station in Kirkwood. Catch the train to Sedalia, then take 3 days and ride almost the entire Katy back to your car. With a little planning, you can stay at B&Bs or motels along the way. Just a suggestion.



Paulie

Thanks for the suggestion, Paulie...I thought about doing that very thing....but I don't have Panniers on the bike I'm going to use, and I thought it might make sense to have the truck avail in case the weather takes a nasty turn.....gives me more options. Sounds like you've done the trail....any other lodging/dining/viewing suggestions are welcome!

I think your idea is a good one. The Katy is a good trail to do out-and-backs on. November should be a prime time to do it. One of my favorite times to ride the Katy is in the dead of winter when the ground is frozen. Things look very different than in the summer. Only problem is keeping your water bottles from freezing.

Fellow Cyclists

You have to stop in Pilot Grove for lunch at Becky's... the food is unbelievable and the people are great...you will not leave this place hungry!!!!

Thanks Becky for a great lunch last Friday!!! We WILL be back.

How many people ride road bikes on the Katy Trail? I'm looking at riding long distance on the Katy Trail and wondering how a road bike would hold up on the terrain? Please let me know for those of you that have used a road bike on the trail. Thanks so much!

Last year I did about 400-miles on this trail with a skinny-tire road bike. I made fairly good time on its hard surface when it was dry.

I was riding on the trail in late September 2010 pulling a Burley trailer. My bicycle has 700C

X 25 tires and I did all right with the hard surface crushed limestone. There are several

places where the trail is being worked on and it was tough getting through that. You'll do all

right.

I would recommend 700 X 28 as a minimum, especially following periods of wet weather. If no rain has fallen in the past week or more you could get by with 700 X 25, or during periods of real dry weather, 700 X 23 should get you by fine. In any case I would recommend Kevlar lined tires.

The trail is smooth enough in the tire paths that the integrity of a road bike is really non issue. What concerns me is the amount of dust, and limestone slurry when the trail is wet, that gets on the chain, gears, brakes and wheels. I don't really care for the sound of the grit between the brake pads and the rim when slowing down when the trail is wet. For that reason, if we know it's gonna rain, we just stay at home and avoid the clean up when the trail is wet. When the weather permits and the longbike gets to make a trip, it gets the chains cleaned are relubed often when riding limestone. When you can hear the shifting gears, the drive system needs attention.



Tires can be a greater issue than the bike. We ride 28's and they are fine....could ride narrower and stay in the tire paths and be okay. I think if you tend to weave around and find yourself in the loose stuff you can go down on about any tire. It's a matter of paying attention and not so much tire size to me. We've ridden Bontrager Hard Case for several miles on the Katy and the back tire is starting to get chewed up a bit. It's carrying the weight of two and usually rear panniers with a trunk bag. No flats, but it has several small cuts on it that may be from riding on the road too. I'll probably go with Continental before spring and see how they hold up.

If road bike tires aren't in good shape to start with, they are vulnerable to flats on the trail from small stones, thorns, and twigs, and from bumps and twists etc. Tuff-skin and Kevlar types work best; thorn liners help too.

I've been back and forth a few times on 700 x 35s and they have generally held up better than the tires used by my brethern who ride mountain/hybrid bikes.

The best ride I ever had on the Katy was with old cheapo 27" 28MM Tires. It was dry, and in July packed down pretty hard. The few sandy sections were no problem really. I coasted a lot while fatter tires had to keep pedaling. Another trip was part of a longer tour, in 1.5" 26" tires, with a wetter trail, and I found it kind of tireing. I kept wishing that I was back on the 27" wheels.

This winter I will be tackling it with 32mm 700c tires, mostly because that is what is on my tourer right now.

This spring I plan on hitting it with a vintage path racer type bike on 25mm tires, about as thin as I would want to try. If its wet, I expect a slog on those, but I will be going for speed that trip.



Regardless of the tire, it is best to realize that conditions change a lot, and bringing lots of patches/spare tubes is a good idea.

I rode a mountain bike....this past summer we rode from Clinton to St.Charles and the bike did well...make sure you have good tires!

As cyclists, the Dormitory at the School House B&B perfectly fit our needs. First of all, the rooms where immaculately clean and each room had a stocked refigerator where you can help yourself. Since we like to leave early in the morning, this was great -- no waiting around for breakfast. We were able to secure our bikes in the shed for the night. Each room had TV with video player with a number of movies to chose from. This is the third year I've biked the Katy Trail and this is the best accommodations I've found. I'll definitely will be back.

My friend and our two teenage boys stayed at Monette's Cabin one recent night in October. We could not have been more pleased with not only the accommodations, but the innkeepers themselves. The cabin is spacious and beautifully decorated, spotlessly clean and provided every comfort of home. The view from the front porch is fantastic--esp. with the colors of fall on display. Vicky and her husband are naturals at hospitality, both are warm, welcoming, and easy-going. Vicky is an incredible cook; she made the best Quiche Lorraine I've had, along with amazing sticky buns and a fruit cup that even my (devoted carnivore) son, devoured. Her husband happily picked us (and our 4 bikes) up from the trail and brought us back the next afternoon. This is a special place and we plan on visiting again!

Can't say enough much we liked Monette's Cabin, They treated me and my wife like

royalty and what a view, great food and some of the best hosts if we have had at a B

and B

We decided to eat in Rocheport after biking from New Franklin. We weren't sure where to eat on a Sunday for lunch but stopped by Abigail's and decided to try it. Waited about 15 mintues for a table and it was worth the wait! One man cooking the food FRESH!!! Service was great and the food was awesome! We will definitely be coming back again even if it is just for a Sunday drive 1.5 hours from home to eat here! Full tables is always a good sign!

My college roommates (from almost 40 years ago) are considering riding the Katy Trail for

three to five days, probably riding 50-80 miles a day, exploring the area as we go along. We'd

like to get some idea of the "best" areas, according to the opinions of others. We've already

ridden along the C&O Canal in West Virginia and Maryland (from Paw Paw to Harper's Ferry),

along the Raritan and Delaware Canal, in Joshua Tree National Park, and on Cape Cod. So

we've seen some good spots; we're just missing the Midwest! Any suggestions, friends?

80 miles a day in 3 days and you've seen it all with 2 days to spare.

Plan to spend a day in Jefferson City. Depending on when you come, you could book a spot on one of the tours of the old Prison (MSP). Go to www.missouripentours.com for more info. Tour the State Capitol. The most important thing to see in the Capitol is the Thomas Hart Benton Mural. The Capitol is open M-F, 8-5, ask about the mural at the information desk, or take one of the free tours, offered hourly I think. Ride your bike to Lincoln University and see the Soldiers Memorial Plaza. Have dinner on the east side at O'Dohohue's Steak and Seafood House, then go to our micro brewery, Prison Brews, and play Bocci Ball, if it's the season for it. If you're here on a weekend finish your night at The Mission for live music and dancing.



Since the entire trail is about 264 miles, the pace you are considering will cover it in about 3 days, as the previous poster pointed out. You sound like experienced bikers. Stop and smell the roses in the Showme state. Check out the wineries on the eastern part of the trail (Augusta, and that area). Rocheport and Hartsburg are 2 great little towns. Enjoy the bluffs and the river views between Rocheport and Hartsburg, and from Mokane to Portland, and on to Rhineland. Get Brett Dufur's book on the Katy Trail, if you haven't already, read up on things ahead of time, and have a great time.

We seem to migrate to a few sections of the Katy over and over.



Sedalia to Boonvile is scenic and the Hotel Bothwell in Sedalia and the Frederick Inn in Boonville are both historic and worthy of a nights stay.



Rocheport to McBaine has some very majestic limestone bluffs and nice river views. Some nice B&B's in Rocheport and eateries too. The bistro at the winery on top of the bluff has a good view as well as food and wine.



Hartsburg to Defiance is mostly all a good ride. The Hermann area is worth a stop.....good wine country here of course with community names like Rhineland and Portland. The tour of the Stonehill winery is a nice side trip. Some fantastic B&B's in Hermann also.



The Augusta area and east to Defiance is a good ride. East of Defiance is not one of our favorites. Historic St. Charles though, has some nice places to stay and eat to wind down after a day out.

I've done the entire trail, and my two favorite sections are from Sedalia to Boonesville, and from Rocheport to Hartsburg. I think the only section I would not bother doing again is from Defiance to St. Charles, but this is a short section of the trail. A person might as well ride it just to say you've covered the whole trail.

Joe picked us up at the Dutzow trailhead and shuttled us across the bridge to Washington. He was prompt and courteous and even took us to his shop to repair a flat ----- all in time to catch our 5:00 train. If you need a shuttle across the bridge or anything bike-related, give Joe a call.

Hi which trail has the best fall foliage color ?

Can someone please recommend the route to take ?

I think I would like to exit on the Weldon Spring trailhead; however, your map shows NO cross street with 94, so exactly where is this trailhead? Could someone please tell me...

I think I would like to exit on the Weldon Spring trailhead; however, your map shows NO cross street with 94, so exactly where is this trailhead? Could someone please tell me...

Kim - click on Towns & Services, then Weldon Springs....the page annotates that the trailhead is not well marked off of 94 but shows a picture of the sign to look for. enjoy the voyage....Mark of the Dalton Boys

Kim - click on Towns & Services, then Weldon Springs....the page annotates that the trailhead is not well marked off of 94 but shows a picture of the sign to look for. enjoy the voyage....Mark of the Dalton Boys

There is a dirt road leading off of Highway 94 to the acess point called Weldon Springs. It has no number to best of my recall because it is more or less a sort of driveway. mabe 100 yard long, slightly curving so you cannoy see the Trail and associated parking until you are upon it.. It crosses the Katy and than meanders down to the Missouri River where there is a concrete boat ramp for putting into the river. On highway 94 there is a very clearly marked sign. Brown in color because it is a State Park sign.I do believe it is labelled as the Weldon Spring boat ramp/Katy Trail access point ( something like that). It is the only such marker and the first access to the Katy Trail available as you come from Highway 40/64. From 40/64 it will be on the left side of 94.

When you arrive try pedaling down to the river, take off your shoes and socks and soak your tired tootsies in the river. Ahhh!

There is a dirt road leading off of Highway 94 to the acess point called Weldon Springs. It has no number to best of my recall because it is more or less a sort of driveway. mabe 100 yard long, slightly curving so you cannoy see the Trail and associated parking until you are upon it.. It crosses the Katy and than meanders down to the Missouri River where there is a concrete boat ramp for putting into the river. On highway 94 there is a very clearly marked sign. Brown in color because it is a State Park sign.I do believe it is labelled as the Weldon Spring boat ramp/Katy Trail access point ( something like that). It is the only such marker and the first access to the Katy Trail available as you come from Highway 40/64. From 40/64 it will be on the left side of 94.

When you arrive try pedaling down to the river, take off your shoes and socks and soak your tired tootsies in the river. Ahhh!

To add to my previous above: There are other marked pull off areas between Highway 40/64 and Weldon Spring access to Katy BUT they are parking for hiking trails only and will not take you directly to Trail. The access road I referred to above is, I estimate, roughly 2.5 miles from 40/64.

To add to my previous above: There are other marked pull off areas between Highway 40/64 and Weldon Spring access to Katy BUT they are parking for hiking trails only and will not take you directly to Trail. The access road I referred to above is, I estimate, roughly 2.5 miles from 40/64.

As you're headed west on 94, you will pass a water treatment plant of some sort on your right. Not far past that will be the road for the Weldon Spring access. It comes up on you quickly after a lefthand curve.

As you're headed west on 94, you will pass a water treatment plant of some sort on your right. Not far past that will be the road for the Weldon Spring access. It comes up on you quickly after a lefthand curve.

I recently talked to someone in State Parks and they stated they have ordered new signs to put up at the access road (on HWY 94) that say Katy Trail State Park Trailhead. They are just waiting for the Highway Department to produce the signs and get them up.

I recently talked to someone in State Parks and they stated they have ordered new signs to put up at the access road (on HWY 94) that say Katy Trail State Park Trailhead. They are just waiting for the Highway Department to produce the signs and get them up.

The new signs for this trail head are up on HWY 94. They must have just got them up, but you can't miss them.

The new signs for this trail head are up on HWY 94. They must have just got them up, but you can't miss them.

This is the turnoff:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.66172,+-90.74466&ie=UTF8&ll=38.661721,-90.744667&spn=0.025401,0.055618&t=h&z=15



or:

http://tinyurl.com/53jcc6



If you get to "Highway DD" (while going West), then you've gone too far.

This is the turnoff:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.66172,+-90.74466&ie=UTF8&ll=38.661721,-90.744667&spn=0.025401,0.055618&t=h&z=15



or:

http://tinyurl.com/53jcc6



If you get to "Highway DD" (while going West), then you've gone too far.

Thank you Jeff. This is what I was looking for.

Thank you Jeff. This is what I was looking for.

Birk's Gasthouse in Hermann. We recently stayed there and it was great. Richard takes excellent care of his guests. The breakfast was superb. The building is a gem; and the rooms large and beautifully decorated. Take time to stay here; you will love it.

We recently returned from a wonderful trip riding the Katy trail. We spent the first 2 nights at

the HSV and it was fantastic. Great hospitality, accommodations and of course the breakfasts

and snacks were highlights of the trip. We were lucky enough to be able to partake in the

pineapple boat, homemade cinnamon roll and quiche breakfast and even had fresh

homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie for desert one evening after dinner. Thoroughly

enjoyable and highly recommended by us for any traveler in the area.

We enjoyed our stay here very much. We called at the last minute during the afternoon and

she was able to accommodate 4 of us. The muffins were wonderful at breakfast. We had

special dietary requests and she handled it with no problem. Very comfortable beds! We will

definitely stay here again.

A stay at the Globe has always been a must if we're overnighting in Hartsburg. Jeanette and her hospitality can't be beat.

Great place to stay. Food was great, he had to accommodate 3 different dietary requests in

our group of 4 and managed to do it just fine. Nice rooms, very quiet, one block off of the

main road. Suggested a fun place for dinner--good food. Loved the limo, too. We will stay

there again.

To all the wonderful guests who rode the trail and stayed at The Hotel Frederick I want you to know that Parris Johnson is no longer the manager of the Frederick. I have stayed at the hotel for the last 3 years when riding the trail and so enjoyed the hospitality that she instilled in her staff. What a loss for the town and especially for the Frederick. You notice the change as soon as you walk in the door. THe place seems like it has lost its heart. I will stay in Rocheport next time.

I agree that Boonville lost a great Hotel Manager and promoter of hospitality when Paris left the Hotel Frederick. I would recommend you look at the bed and breakfasts in Boonville before going to Rocheport. We have lovely facilities and have hosted many Katy Trail cyclists who have enjoyed themselves and come back year after year. Please stay in Boonville on your next trip we don't want to lose you.

I ride trails for a profession and visit lots of trail websites, and this one is one of the very

best and most organized. Thank you for providing this wonderful service.

I hope to ride the Katy Trail in late March 2011. I plan to stay at b&b/hotels along the way.

I have 3 questions:

1. I realize many of the businesses are seasonal, but are most of the essential businesses

such as grocery stores, lodging, & restaurants still open?

2. What is the least expensive shuttle service available. I am open to either a professional

shuttle business or someone (retiree, student, etc.) who may just want to make a few bucks

and have a good conversation/drive. I would need shuttle for myself & my bike.

3. Is the Katy Trail good for recumbent bikes and if so, are there recumbent rentals near

either of the two ends of the trail?

If you would prefer to reply privately rather than on the comment forum, I can be reached

@ either www.trailsnet.com or www.trailsnet.blogspot.com

1. The towns were there before the trail and are not there because of it. Yes, people still eat, buy groceries, and outsiders still come to town. Kind of a no brainer, but glad to help a pro!



2. This is a good website. Maybe call the different shuttles and check on their off season prices.



3. Yes, many people ride their bent on the Katy. The Trailside in Rocheport will rent a bent. They are closed in March though. Perhaps use this site to get the phone number of rental shops and talk to them about bike type and off season rental.

The trailhead restrooms and water are turned on from April-1st thru October. Also, the springtime wetness (ice/snow melt, rains etc) can make the trail soft in March at times. Yet, the Turner-KT Shelter in Tebbetts will be open then. Also, the best nature photo op’s generally occur mid-April and later.



Most of the markets, quick stops, major cafes, and gas stations are open year round. Some cafes and bar-grills close one or two days a week, e.g., on Mondays.



The bike shop in Defiance offers some shuttling; check with them at http://www.katybikerental.com



Here’s a shuttle service listed on another Katy website: Show Me MO Tours, St. Louis, 314-781-0015

Great campground! Quiet and very clean. Only $6 for a single person tent camping and $5 for a good sized stack of firewood. The owner, John, was very friendly.

Drove into Boonville from New Franklin on Saturday night (Oct 16) to see if we could get something to eat. We walked along the main street and came across the Blind Ref...great food! The fried cheese curds were the best! This tavern was a non-smoking establishment which made it even nicer for those of us that do not smoke. Will definitely go here again, especially for the cheese curds!

Stayed at Katy Roundhouse for two nights....busy little campground with lots of Boy Scouts. Great place to stay! Bathrooms and showers were great! The owner was very nice in letting us leave our stuff at our campsite on Sunday past the check out time so that we could get an early jump on the Katy Trail. I would recommend this campground to all!

I lost my prescription glasses Oct 17, 2010. Somewhere between McKittrick and Treloar. Not sure if on the trail or the trailhead. Please email if found lovmyjob2@aol.com

What a great new B&B! This cabin has a great view from the front porch, with beautiful sunsets over the hills. The place was very comfortable, with lots of space and all kinds of amenities. This is the perfect place for friends or family to get away together. Vicky came each morning and cooked wonderful breakfasts for us.

Definitely a local place, but pretty good bar food. I was very surprised to find a veggie burger on the menu. Our server was very friendly.

My friend Wes and I had dinner there a few weeks ago while biking the Katy Trail. We stayed at the Globe and she refered us to eat there. The food was great. Very nice and clean place. Excellant service. I would go back.