Katy Trail Forum

My sister and I are planning on doing the Katy bike trail the first week of June. We do not

have a set milage for each day because we want the leisure to stop and explore. Will this

make it hard to find overnight lodging?/or/ should we set goals now and make reservations?

I'd say its always best to have some idea of where you'll end up by the end of the day. Even if that means setting very leisurely speed averages. June can be a busy time of yr on the trail & room availability may be a problem if you've decided to use the plan of "flying by the seat of our pants and see where it takes us". Best to be pre-booked I'd say, unless you're planning to camp out.

There is plenty of time to plan before June. I checked out everything on this site and made choices/options from there. If you have not read it yet... insect repellant is vital!

I'm a very slow cyclist compared to most and did the stop and take pictures and rest and eat and (well you know the drill), and made it from Clinton to Sedalia in 4-5 hours. So that should give you a decent idea on how long things take.



I was planning on getting the ride back before dark (this was in November), but got stopped in Windsor by darkness - the one thing I didn't realize going in was that the trees shade the trail pretty well in most spots and when the sun gets down below the trees, it's as good as dark.



Anyhow, you need to have accomodations reserved if you can help it. Otherwise, enjoy and have fun!

A little study and planning doesn’t hurt anything here. Unless one studies the trail information at this website well, one almost has to do the trail once or twice to learn how to do it. :) :)



Apparently, you’re planning an end-to-end ride with enough time to explore parts of it ad hoc while leaving your vehicle parked somewhere? That’s a good plan. The trail is safe to enjoy and explore as long as the riders stay within the corridor and public places.



Riders can also get out of the on-the-trail lodging jams with a good cell-phone, credit card, and a few supplies on hand. Most of the larger towns on the map above have hotels/motels as well as the well-liked B&B’s, which are located everywhere in all shapes and sizes.



The motels generally have last-minute space unless a convention or celebration is taking place, like, the Oktoberfest in Hermann. Thus, you might want to jot down several lodging and food-outlet phone numbers and their locations from the town descriptions above via the interactive map. That might be easier than checking several yellow pages found off the trail. :)

If I were going to try and ride the trail end to end without making reservations, I would make certain I had the most recent edition of The Katy Trail Guidebook somewhere on my bike.

Not knowing every convention, wedding, etc. that might make finding lodging difficult the first week in June, it is then difficult to predict if it will be hard to find a place to stay at the spur of the moment.



I most often operate with the following in mind: "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." For my own use then the phrase translates into: "Why create my own state of chaos when I could plan a trip and let the peace of the trail dictate the course of the day."



But if you are so inclined to whing it then this become applicable....as the French say: "When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." A viable option also, but not becoming in front of others on the trail.

Thank you for all your excellent experianced advice, especially skyguy. We are making plans and reservation after plenty of reading on everything we can find on the Katy Trail. Again, thank you for all your thoughtful comments.

One more small thing. Yes, the trail is busy during the spring and fall months. Any last-minute lodging is easier to find during the week (Sun-Thurs) than on the weekends (Fri-Sat) especially at the B&B’s in the wine country on the eastern half of the trail. People from the nearby cities come to those B&B’s in droves on the weekends to sample/visit the local wineries and their accompanying dinners then.



Unless you also have a support vehicle with you, be sure to carry extra tire tubes, plenty of drinking water, nonperishable energy snacks/food, and a camera! Enjoy.

As you already know, Monday's are good days to carry extra snacks on the trail since some (but not all) of the nearby cafes and bar-grilles are closed then...you-know, the ones that put out the whomping cheese-burgers, tenderloins, and huge amounts of fries.



Also if you haven't done so already, you can see extra photos of the KT on the Facebook page: "Katy Trail Riders Unite."

Wow, my husband and I were going to 'wing it' in June. Maybe I should make some lodging reservations. I'm glad I found this forum!

One more bit of advice: Carry the phone no. of a shuttle service with you just in case. Wouldn't hurt to call and establish a rapport with them so that both sides would know in advance what might become necessary as well as possible.

I am on the web site but not in the tour books. I usually have rooms during the week and some weekends, give me a call if you need me. Thanks Maxine's rooms for rent. Have a fun trip. Be sure to explore the Depot in Sedalia. Maxine

Of the bridge crossings available from St.Charles, which one(s) have provisions for bikes such as bike lanes or pedestrian/sidewalk area. Which ones, if any, are best avoided due to narrow shoulders or no sidewalks?

The only bridges that connect St Charles with St Louis county are interstate highway bridges. I would not recommend this to anyone as there are no bike paths or dedicated shoulders and what shoulders are there will be filled with glass and debris.

The Page Avenue Extension bridge at MM 42.8 has a wide bike/pedestrian lane that is separated from the highway by a concrete and fence divider. To be more exact, it is actually a separate bridge hung on the same supports as the highway bridge. It takes you to Creve Couer Park. Connects directly to the trail via a nice switchback climb on the St Charles side and a couple of miles of parkland on the other.

Bicycles are permitted to use the shoulder on the Discovery bridge north

of St. Charles.

Have the dates been set for the 2010 event? I missed the ride last year but would like to schedule it this year.

It seems that no it hasn't been set yet. But here is where you check to find out.



http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/index.html

I called DNR about the June ride and they said it going to be June 21-25 and it will start in St Charles and going west. DNR said they should know more around March first

We plan to ride the trail during the same time frame West to East

I believe Chris is correct for the dates and the direction. They alternate directions and it was west to east last year. Also it is the 20 year anniversary so there may be some type of celebration this year in late June.

Not sure if DNR i s doing anything for the 20th anniversary but the newly formed KTMac

(Katy Trail Merchants & Communities) organization is working on events to span the dates of

May 28 to June 20th. This would lead into this years DNR ride starting on the 21st of June.

More details will be finalized at the Feb 16th annual winter meeting of the KTMac. If any

business or chamber or community wants more information about this meeting please

e-mail me for details.

Adventure Cycling Association is also doing a supported tour from St. Charles to Sedalia. May 15th thru May 21st. Here is a link: http://www.adventurecycling.org/tours/tourdetail.cfm?t=EV10&id=195&p=1

The DNR has posted some info on their site including dates and the daily desinations. You can get on their mailing list for a registration packet. Applications should become available around March 1st. http://mostateparks.com/katytrail/index.html

I would like to invite all bikers to stop in and try the Big Muddy in Hartsburg. Right now it opens at 3 pm and goes until about 10 pm seven days a week. It has prime rib ($9.95) on Monday nights and .75 cent Tacos on Thursday evening. We're working on getting it open earlier for you early morning bikers. Also the Hitching Post has reopened under a previous owner (Andy) and it has been totally remodeled. We still have Dottys and the Winery too.

I would like to invite all bikers to stop in and try the Big Muddy in Hartsburg. Right now it opens at 3 pm and goes until about 10 pm seven days a week. It has prime rib ($9.95) on Monday nights and .75 cent Tacos on Thursday evening. We're working on getting it open earlier for you early morning bikers. Also the Hitching Post has reopened under a previous owner (Andy) and it has been totally remodeled. We still have Dottys and the Winery too.

Thanks Michael. I added this to the Hartsburg listings. Would you happen to have the address and/or phone number of the Big Muddy?

Thanks Michael. I added this to the Hartsburg listings. Would you happen to have the address and/or phone number of the Big Muddy?

... and I re-activated the listing for the Hitching Post, but I'm wondering if it is still the same phone number as before. Anybody know?

... and I re-activated the listing for the Hitching Post, but I'm wondering if it is still the same phone number as before. Anybody know?

I checked and the following are the contacts you asked for:

1) Big Muddy Tavern,Mark Barnes, 657-1455. on south 2nd Street next to the Globe B & B.

2) Hitching Post Tavern, Andy, 657-9797, across from the Hartsburg Post Office (may be different managers working when you call).

Thanks for your help.

I checked and the following are the contacts you asked for:

1) Big Muddy Tavern,Mark Barnes, 657-1455. on south 2nd Street next to the Globe B & B.

2) Hitching Post Tavern, Andy, 657-9797, across from the Hartsburg Post Office (may be different managers working when you call).

Thanks for your help.

Mayor Grant and I had the pleasure of attending the announcement, today, by Governor Nixon, that the MKT railroad bridge in Boonville has been deeded over to that city so hopefully that controversy is over.

Anyone have experience on the trail with kids? Our kids are young (1 and 3) and would ride

in a trailer. My main concern is safety. I am not too familiar with the trail (we used to live in

Columbia, and have ridden some on the MKT, but that's it), and we would like to ride from St.

Charles to Columbia or Rocheport this summer or fall. Of course we would take it slow and

make lots of stops with the kids. Are there kid friendly places to stop along the way? Is the

trail very crowded? Do you foresee any safety concerns? Thanks.

Done the trail many times, but only once with a little one. We did a 2 day with our 4 y/o grandson last Sept. We pulled him in his Buley trailer, but he was almost too big for it. Next time it will be a tag-a-long.

We parked in Calhoun and the first day went to Clinton and back (~18 miles round trip) as he loves RR related things and there is a caboose at the Clinton trailhead (cannot go in it thought). Second day was Calhoun to Windsor and back, about 15 miles (another caboose at the trailhead). This way is mostly wooded and farmland. We stayed overnight in Calhoun at Cruse's Cabooses (see the trend here...LOL). Cruse had 2 restored cabooses fixed as a B&B with outside grilling avail, hammock...very nice (a bit pricey, but we were glad we did and would do it again).

Windsor has a Dairy Queen a few block off the trail. Between Calhoun and Clinton not any stopping places for snacks...not even anything at the clinton trailhead so be prepared. That said, our grandson loved it as he thoroughly enjoyed the wildlife, snakes, turtles and of course anything train related.

For the best trip, not too many daily miles, plan ahead with snacks/fluids, frequent stops to enjoy the scenery, and of course lots of pictures.

The only safety concern I can think of outside the patently obvious (wildlife, etc) is the road intersections. Be careful with those (especially in Sedalia, there are many busy streets that cross the Katy in rapid-fire fashion), and lift the trailer and walk up if the drop off between the road and the trail looks too severe.

I take my granddaughter (2-3 year old) for short rides in a kid trailer– nothing like what you are talking about though. The longest I have done is about 20 miles from my house to Hartsburg. We would stop at the Jefferson City trail head, Carnahan rest area, Claysville, and maybe one more stop before reaching Hartsburg depending on how she was doing. We always carry some toys, extra water, and pull-ups in the trailer for her. I consider all the trail heads and trail benches as kid friendly, any place where they can get out and stretch their legs a little. As for the traffic, the heaviest traveled areas would probably be around St. Charles, Rocheport, Dutzow, Hermann, and Jefferson City especially on nice sunny weekends. If you do need to stop along the way between trailheads it is best to pull the trailer over as far as possible so you are not blocking the trail for other riders. There are spots along the river where you would want to watch the three year old and keep him/her away from the edge of the steep river bank. Some of the gates at road crossings can be narrow and you may want to walk your bike through them if you are not comfortable peddling in tight places.



If you have never been on the trail, there are several posts on YouTube (just search for Missouri Katy Trail) that will give you an idea of what to expect.



Hope you have a good trip.

Great suggestion to check YouTube!

Thanks for your suggestions. I had not thought of checking out youtube, I will do that.

Boonville is hosting the next KatyMaC (Katy Trail Merchants and

Communities) Conference on February 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the

Hotel Frederick. If you are rolling through that day, stop on in! If you

need more information, contact the Chamber at 660-882-2721.

Is there anyplace to store/lock a bicycle? we would like to store our bikes at Sedalia, drive to saint Louis and park the vehicles then take the train back to Sedalia. We would be a fairly large group, two families with a total of 9 bikes. any thoughts or suggestion?

Possibly leaving the bikes at a B&B you will be staying at. Although with 9 bikes its tough to say if there would be sufficient room for them all. I'm sure they would do you the favor, if you're coming back by train on the same day. Other than that, you'd have to just lock them to a tree or something & hope they'll be there. Maybe a bike shop would accommodate this for a small storage fee.

I'd ask at the Hotel Bothwell.....they have bike storage available. It may cost you a nights stay, but it's a nice bike friendly place and by far beats locking the herd to a tree on a hope and a prayer.

You might also try the trailhead depot/museum. They are right on the trail and very accommodating to bicyclists. I believe that I've noticed some storage area there when I have visited. See the entries under Sedalia for their phone number.

Mini warehouse, storage. I know they are typically 30 days minimum, but you could check!

The Bothwell would be a good choice, both from a storing standpoint and lodging. I've stayed there, they're very bike friendly and I highly recommend it.

I have room for your bike's and can pick you up at the Amtrak station. Thanks Maxine's rooms for Rent.

CEK

We would be happy to store your bikes while you take the Amtrac. Just let me know when

you will be arriving. We have two areas that could probably accommodate you. We have a

full basement in this building and then we have the old freight room that is secure and

locked at the end of the building. You can call me and arrange arrivals at 660-826-2932 ext

18. This puts you right into the Depot Store. Look forward to hearing from you.