Katy Trail Forum

just rode the entire trail west to east and wanted to share the info:

heres the report:



Friday: rode 111 miles from Clinton and camped in Hartsburg. Plenty of water at trailheads

and plenty of quick shops if you need a snack along the way. Hartsburg is the best town

on the trail. 104 people, 2 bars, a winery, and a diner. They even let me pitch my tent

inside the gazebo in the tiny park. this town rocks. Have a few drinks at the Big Muddy bar

and breakfast at Dotties.



Saturday 90 miles to klondike- easy riding from Hartsburg to Agusta just mind your water

as it becomes sparse in the middle. I gave about 10 bucks to a VFW hall for several bottles

when things started getting dangerous. Keeping 4 bottled topped up is not overkill is this

section. Again, the trail condition was great.



Sunday rode the last 20 or so into St Charles and went to the end of the trail for fun. Had

a nice lunch at the Trailhead brewery.



General info: I pulled a overloaded BOB trailer complete with all my food, tent, etc and the

trail was a bit soggy in places. This translated to a very casual 11 MPH average (including

water and lunch breaks of course) total ride time. It seems when I was going faster than

14 or 15 mph all I was seeing was the trail and I was missing the scenery. IMHO, the trail

rides great at this speed and it allows for full days of riding with perfect camping spots at

110 and 200 mile marks. You could do it faster but why.



Bike selection: I rode my CAAD 9 with 32 tires. The trail is in perfect shape and I would

have been fine on 25's. It was nice to have a little more tire to smooth the trail and it also

helped me float when it got squishy in spots.



Hope this helps anyone planning on riding the whole trail. I intend to do so again soon

Great update. I love me some Hartsburg. Cause.. In less than a 100 yards you can get great food, couple B&B's and be on the trail in the morning in about 30 seconds after leaving your room...

I called today Parks & Rec in Columbia today and they said the spur off Katy Trail to Columbia is open.

If you are planning on a bike trip in September, make sure that your plans include a stop in Boonville at The Historic Hotel Frederick. Located at High and Main Street across from the Trail where it crosses the Missouri River. There will be events in September that will make your trip memorable. September 11 will be the first annual KATY Bridge Wine Stroll featuring Missouri Wines. September 18 brings 3 time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson and her quartet performing wonderful music. Want to see the world famous Clydesdales at their new home, Warm Springs Ranch? Check out the Frederick on line and see the associated specials. Find us on the web at HotelFrederick.com

The Clydesdales are fantastic but make arrangements BEFORE you get to Boonville as its my understanding that only tour busses can tour the place. It costs about $10 each and is well worth it. You get to see the horses, the babies and their stalls etc AND the Tractor trailer trucks and the beer wagon. Its a real coup for our state.

I am planning two day bike trip in Sept. Looking for camping options on or near trail from Washington up to Boonville. Thanks

Easiest way to plan for your trip is to use the "Plan a ride" button above. You can click on each town along the way to see what services are available and adjust your daily mileage accordingly.

First real food stop on the trail after leaving Hartsburg. The double cheeseburger and service was excellent.

A great stop on the Katy Trail with excellent food and service.

Anyone have contact info for the "Caboose Inn" as my friends and I like to call it (somewhere near the middle of the trail)

I just finished riding the entire trail on Sunday. I think you are looking for Hartsburg, MO. There is a guy there who owns a retired caboose, and rents it out as a place to spend the night (I didn't go inside, but one of my riding partners was talking to the owner.). Anyway, call any of the businesses in Hartsburg, and they will know the guy. It's a great little town with super-friendly people.

I rode the trail out and back June 19th - June 26th. Hartsburg was one of my favorite stops. The gentleman with the Caboose is Bill. He's a great artist and if you go to Dotty's Cafe....which you should she can hook you up or just knock on his door, he enjoys people!! Food at Dotty's is wonderful, Dotty and her family are wonderful and all of her regulars are wonderful! Don't forget to try the homemade peach cobbler! and then.....stop over to The Summit Lake Winery....say hello to Julie and Linda for me! More great people in Hartsburg! I'll return in the fall for another adventure.

You are always welcome to stop at the Katyrest Caboose. I love cycling and visiting with riders on the KATY. Call for reservations at 573-289-6782.

My wife and I took an unscheduled trip on the trail and stayed in the caboose last night. It was a unique experience and Bill is a friendly host. We returned back to the caboose after 2:00 p.m. on a very hot day and Bill let us back in the caboose to cool off and shower before heading home. We are looking forward to a return visit with out 12 year old daughter, she will love it.

We found a diabetic test kit in a 3" x 4" black nylon case on the trail between MO Research Park and Greens Bottom. Please email with your contact info. I will mail it to you. cyndy.moneymaker@gmail.com

Sadly it closed about the second week in July

WOW! CLOSED!!! MY husband and I were just saying we wanted to go there to try out the burgers. I heard they were pretty good and we dont live that far away from there but had never heard of the place until a few weeks ago. Now I wished we would have made the trip a few weeks ago!!

Sedalia Depot is awesome! Take a look around at the museum and pick up some sovenirs! We stayed at the Best Western which is on a busy highway. If you can, take the trail to 32nd street up to the hotel; otherwise, it is hard to get to on the highway. It has the nicest pool and hot tub and the BEST hot breakfast buffet of any hotel I have ever stayed at! If you need cab, call Bob at Dial-A-Ride 1-660-619-8078. The fare is $5 locally.

We also stayed at the Best Western in Sedalia. You are right about that breakfast being awesome!

We traveled on the trail for the first time today. Had a wonderful day. Stopped at the Claysville store. Made the mistake of not bringing much cash. They don't take debit cards. Ended up splitting a #2 (white meat chicken), mashed potatos and gravy, green beans, coleslaw, applesauce and two biscuts. It was wonderful and after dinner was over, we agreed, it was the perfect amount for two people. The food was wonderful and the folks there were very nice to two sweaty people off the trail. We'll be back!

My husband and I are considering riding Amtrak from Sedalia to Kirkwood. We will have 2 bikes and our camping gear. We are concerned that we will not have enough time to get everything on board in the 3 minutes we were told (by Amtrak) we would have at the station. If you have had experience getting on the train at Sedalia, please let me know how it went. Did the bikes go on the same car as you? How easy was it to get them on/off? Thanks for any info that would relieve our anxieties. The Amtrak agent I spoke to was grumpy and not very helpful.

We used the service in May. The Amtrak folks were great to work with. True, they do not have a lot of time but they work with you. Just be out there with everything ready to go when the train comes in. If you work with them, they will help you. The bikes actually go in the passenger car fully intact in an open area and your gear just overhead. Enjoy your trip. We are glad we elected to use Amtrak.

Not to worry! Having used Amtrak several times, I know they move fast in helping you and your bike get on the train, but they have been courteous in doing so. My suggestion, have everything ready to put on the train, wait off to the side of the others getting on because you will get on last. (Example: I picked up two panniers, trunk and handlebar bags, and they grab the bike and off we went, the train was moving before I found a seat.) Check the literature you get with your tickets or read online, for the particulars on what you can take on the train, weight, size, etc.. No fuel for a stove, get it after the train ride. I have made a point to have a bungie cord at the ready in case it is needed, have used it once. No worries, it's a fun way to see the country side. Enjoy your ride on the Katy.

It's my experience in taking bikes on Amtrak regularly between Seattle and Portland and once from St. Louis to Sedalia that the phone and ticket window agents are more surly than the personnel on the train. True, Sedalia was a quick stop for the train but the conductor knew we were getting off there and even helped us get the bikes down the narrow steps. I wouldn't worry.

Ditto, the conductors on the train are great and very helpful!

Conductors were great from Kirkwood to Sedalia. We had three bikes with 3 or 4 bags each. You will need to carry your bike up half dozen steps on to train and down off the train at departure but I also rode Amtrak again from Hermann to Kirkwood and also had the same good experience.they will assist in guiding you on to train and off train.

I had a great experience on the train from Kirkwood to Sedalia. I had 4 panniers, a trunk bag and a handlebar bag. I used industrial velcro strips ($8 at Home Depot) to attach the panniers to make the 4 bags 2, left the trunk bag on the back rack and used the strap on the handlebar bag as a carry on. It all went great. I had plenty of time.

Thanks to everyone and their positive comments. We booked our Amtrak tickets yesterday. Now we're just waiting 'til Sept rolls around. We are so stoked about this trip as it is our first attempt at multi-day biking. We bought one of the Burley Nomad trailers and were amazed at how much "stuff" we are able to pack into it. Happy Trails!

I have taken the Amtrak before as well. You will be rushed, so have everything ready. It was pouring rain when we loaded, and the conductors did not want to be out there any longer than necessary. We struggled to get our bikes aboard, so the conductors literally through our bags on behind us. I was pretty salty about it at first, but after inspection, nothing was broken. Just be ready, and don't be surprised at the rush.

We took the Amtrak from Sedalia to Kirkwood with our two bikes. We had no trouble at all getting the bikes on, and the conductors were very helpful.

I would call Boonville "hillsville"! We stayed at Comfort Inn. There was no sign on the Katy Trail for the hotel, but we figured it out by looking at the trail sign. We rode in a thunderstorm for about 6 miles and both our bikes and we were muddy. When we arrived at Comfort Inn, we were given towels to wipe off our bikes, and then they were allowed in our rooms. Nice whirlpool and pool area, laundry facilities, COMFY BEDS and good breakfast.

Great stay after a long day of biking. Very clean accommodations! Cath the Inn Keeper was fabulous as she even through our cloths in the dryer. I will be sure to return when I ride again next summer.

We stayed at Hartfsford Inn after a long day of riding. It is conveniently located on the trail. Cath was very friendly and the Inn was exceptionally clean. We appreciated the homemade chocolate chip cookies Must check out Muddy Tavern for the very best french fries and onion rings. The Inn had a very lovely garden in the back yard and we enjoyed relaxing and watching the birds.

Hermann is 2 miles off the Katy Trail. You go over a large bridge overlooking the Missouri River. Hermann is a very nice town. We rode in after biking 66 miles and stayed at Harbor House, a very clean bed and breakfast. The breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m., with no exceptions. This was dissapointing because we were leaving at 6:00 a.m. the next day. There is no coffee available at any other time. The bikes must be chained to the porch and not allowed in the rooms. It rained that night on our bikes. We ate at Simon's, which had excellent catfish. There is a nice city park along the river.

We rode through Mokane on July 6th. We stopped to purchase gatorade at the restaurant/convenience store in town. After purchasing two large bottles of Gatorade I asked the clerk if I could fill up our water bottles. She was very unfriendly replying that she had water for sale. She did tell me that i could use her bathroom to refill bottles but the faucet was too low to get a bottle under it. Everyone in the town did not seem very friendly to bikers. Maybe it was an off day but this was the only town along the entire trail that left a bad taste in our mouths.

I'm sorry to hear that your experience in Mokane was so disappointing. e assured that most of the people of Mokane are good folks and appreciate bikers and hikers along the Katy Trail. The married I hope you give Mokane and its residents another try sometime.couple who own the Mokane Market are not at all reflective of the hospitality you'll find from most of the area residents. The wife particularly seems to have an on-going quarrel with the Trail and its rules: she persists in riding her horse on the Katy Trail and state park rangers have had to ask her to remove her horse from the Katy Trail. The husband owns the local car wash, which for years drained directly into a local creek rather than a sewer or septic system. They seem to have the notion that the rules that apply to the public at large do not apply to them.

Next time just go straight to the Mokane Bar and Grill. Friendly folks, good food and you will certainly feel wanted. Sorry to hear the store stop did not work out, but agree don't judge based on a couple of bad apples in the batch.

The Biking lane across the Missouri River bridge is now closed due to construction beginning on the new pedestrian and bicyclist attachment .
see: http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=487317

Excellent! I like it. Whom should we credit this to?

They are building a $6,000,000 bicylcle/pedestrian attachment to the bridge that will make it safe for bicylcles and pedestrians to cross the Missouri River bridge into Jefferson City. This is a good thing. Once this is built, no one will need to worry about whether it is safe to cross the bridge into Jefferson City on a bicyle.

Many thanks to Randy for his post. My husband and I are staying at his B&B in October and Randy was kind enough to call me yesterday with this information. What a nice guy!!

Mark Allchorn owner of the Hartsburg Cycle Depot in Jefferson City was a leader in getting the new pathway across the Missouri River in Jefferson City. Mark and Pam are good people to know, so drop in and say hello. He also really knows bikes and how to build or repair them.

I know this gets asked and answered periodically but does any one know when the trail will be finished from saint charles north to machens. I know the weather has been hard on construction but what is the latest schedule. Also can you and is it interesting to start near a trail head like black walnut and come back as far as you can to saint charles? is it an interesting piece of trail?

It depends on how you define "interesting." I've parked at Black Walnut and ridden to the Machens end and then as far back the other way to where the trail stops. Basically a lot of farmland. A huge It's something I'd recommend everyone to ride but hopefully the extension will allow it to become regularly used.sunflower field near the Machens trailhead is what I remember most. I've done this 3 times and I saw no other riders.

I liked what looked like patches of trailside wild dill in that area.

Want to ride in October or November staying at BandB's. Is this too late. Too Cold: Too wet? are taking novice riders and want them to have a good trip!!

You may want to check on when DNR (the state agency that oversees the trail, as it is a state park) turns the water off at the trailheads and locks the bathrooms for the winter season. I forget if they do that in November or later. But in October you will probably get some nice weather, and the bathrooms will be working. The earlier you go in October the better. Sometimes around Halloween we seem to get some cold rainy weather in Central Missouri.

The "Plan a Ride" link above is a good place to start. Towards the bottom of that page there is a link to the weather conditions you can expect during the year.

I agree with the earlier in October the better. I have ridden the Katy in mid to late October, early November, but one is always taking a chance to do so and since you have novice riders with you, why take a chance on it being cold and miserable. Also, the leaves should be turning by the first part of October; so that should make for an enjoyable and scenic adventure.

Some friends and I just rode from Clinton to StCharles this weekend, and started discussing the possibility of doing the entire trail in one 24 hour period (next year).
We are thinking that by riding Does anyone on this board have experience with riding on the KATY at night?on a clear night with a full or nearly full moon, and having some good lights, we should be able to keep moving all night long (albeit a little more slowly than in the daytime), and complete the whole ride in one 24 hour period.

You are a younger rider than many on this board I am assuming. Just a guess.

Possibly - I was born in the '60's.

Isn't the park closed at sundown?

It sure is.

It is very posible. Just bring your own water and food. Nothing is open.

Katy Trail State Park is a sunrise to sunset park, which means it closes at sunset. We ask that you do not ride at night, since it is considered trespassing. Thanks.

I'm in the process of a cross country trip and was interested in the base way by BICYLE to get to Clinton from Kansas City?

If you are camping, the campsite in Clinton is on the fairgrounds property behind the Clinton Community Center which is near the trailhead.

Sounds like you're taking a northern cross-country route. If so, you'll need to study the maps closely to get around or thru KC. Some riders want to spend time in KC (entertainment district; plaza, BBQ, 18th & Vine Jazz, art museusms etc), while others want to get to Clinton as soon as possible. Either way, one idea is to get to MO-7 on the south side of Harrisonville (south of KC) which goes directly to the Clinton trailhead by Hwy-52. That can be achieved by dropping south on either side of KC, or by gradually making your way thru the city. Good luck. Many cross-country riders enjoy the off-road Katy Trail ride.