Katy Trail Forum

We are planning on riding the trail October 3-5 starting in Boonville ending in Hartsburg.

Trying to decide which bike to ride, flat bar road with hybrid tires or mountain?

Any flooded areas along this route?

We just rode that section last week. No flooded conditions at all. Our group included both hybrid and mountain bikes and no one had trouble. That section is well maintained. But there were lots of large fallen walnuts somewhat covered by leaves that you had to watch out for.

Hi, We are biking from Pilot Grove to St Charles and plan to take eight days to make the ride. We would like to pack just four days of clothes and then stop somewhere (probably between Hartsburg and Bluffton)and do laundry. Does anyone know of a laundry mat that's reasonably close to the trail around those parts?

If you stay at the Rendleman Home B&B there are laundry facilities available.

Wow, we actually ARE staying at the Rendleman B&B! Problem solved. Thanks so much!

Tell Honey all her friends say "Hey Honney!"

Honey lost a toenail the other day and is currently a rather sedate Tripod, however when I gave her your greetings she perked up markedly and bounded into my lap to receive her affection. Thanks!

Hey folks,

We'll be on the trail with our 3 middle school age kids in the next couple of weeks. I've paged thru as much of the comment section as I could reasonably before getting all computer googley-eyed but do not see too much on the availability of open grocery stores. I know where the stores are, but given some of the comments on eating establishments being unexpectedly closed I'm concerned the stores may not be open the day we need them. We are camping and preparing our own food the whole way. Certainly we'll carry most snacks and a lightweight dehydrated meal or two at the outset, but obviously we don't want to get too heavily loaded and not enjoy the trip. I can call each store to confirm hours but we'd like to be a bit flexbible too in where we'll stay each night so calling every place would be a drag thus my forum comment short cut.

So, general experiences re: grocery stores would be appreciated (hmmm, guess I could have started and ended with that sentence :))

Thanks

Woods Supermarket is only 1/2 block southeast of the Katy Depota nd the State Parking lot

and it is open 7am to 11pm. Excellent selection, deli and awesome coffee bar. It's only been

open 1 year in this location.

Loutre Market near McKittrick is about a block or so south of the trail on Hwy 19. Open 7:30 to 8 pm "I think" everyday.

Contact the Greater Saint Charles Convention -& Visitors Bureau. We have information on the Katy Trail as well. 1-800-366-2427.

Have a great ride and you'll want to spend sometime in Saint Charles too. kfraser.

If you use the Plan a Ride feature above and click on grocery stores you can generate a list of stores between whatever towns you are traveling between. From that list, click on the store that is in question and you will get info about it.....open hours, phone number, etc.

Snoddy's store is about 1/4 mile north of the Boonville bridge (across the Missouri river). They are open 7 days a week and have everything you would need.



I highly recommend the Loutre Market at McKittrick also.

Had 7 riders and 2 support vehicles. Great experience on the trail from Sedalia to Marthasville. Good weather helped. Becky's Burgers in Pilot Grove was good. Stayed at The Treehouse B&B in Rocheport which could accommodate our entire group. Dotty's for lunch in Hartsburg is great. Had originally planned on staying at the shelter in Tebbetts but opted for a motel in Fulton instead. Needed a bike shop and luckily found a little-known equip rental place that also sells & services bikes. Great guy. Eric at Mid-Mo Rental. Lunch at the tavern in Rhineland was good. Spent the last night at Concord Hill B&B east of Treloar. Good place. Could handle our entire group. Great hot breakfast unlike many B&B's now that offer only continental. The Katy Trail is terrific!

We live just north of Defiance. Taking our first KATY ride tomorrow...weather permitting. Please share any advice on which way to go from Defiance. Or, should we motor to another spot to start our ride? Thanks---

This comment is late. But, Defiance has a great bike shop to engage with.

We had the priviledge of staying at Heritage Lodging for 2 nights over Labor Day weekend. It was a wonderful place! Linda and Olen were very accomidating and kind people. I could go on and on and on about how fabulous the food was! I have never enjoyed such a wonderful breakfast (both mornings)!! We look forward to our next stay at Heritage Lodging and would highly recommend it to others. Have a great time!

And where in MO is it?

That would be in Hermann MO on 1st Street

The owners of the Brick Inn are bike friendly. They will do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable, including a free shuttle service from Dutzow across the bridge to Washington. That's a GREAT service at the end of a long, hard day on the trail. Plus Washington is a great town with lots of interesting shops & restaurants.

Just returned to Ohio after riding the Katy Trail from Clinton to Machens. Great trail, wonderful natural beauty, and friendly people all along the way. Only wish that we had more time to spend in the local towns along the trail. Timing was perfect: we were in Sedalia in time to see the Tour of Mossouri Time Trials. Had van support so we stayed in motels and ate at local restaurants, all were great picks especially Dottie's Cafe in Hartsburg.



Study this website and buy "The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook" by Brett Dufur. Both provide a wealth of information and made for an enjoyable trip.



Go Missouri! Hope to ride the Katy again.

Of course on a leash, but can I take my dog on the trail and just walk it? or do you think I would get run over by bikes?

Sure you can walk your dog. I think the chances are greater that your dog would get run over. Dogs seem to wander more than humans. Just know that there are others on the trail who may move faster than you and your dog....be aware and rein in the leash when bikes approach or pass.



A few weeks back we were riding down the hill from the Hotel Frederick in Boonville going toward the casino. A man was walking a dog with a rather long leash....we approached and did the customary "On you left" as the man stepped to his right and the dog went to the other side off the trail to the left. The leash across the trail made a nice clothesline to ride the tandem through as we skidded to a stop.



I made a comment about being carefull or the like and the response I got back was that he didn't have enough warning and that it wasn't his fault. Just like me......before you get on the trail and beings you know that it is not soley your trail and that others use it too.....you have warning to be cautious and mindfull of others who may be on the trail today.



It makes no sense to yell out "On you left" from a mile away. Nor does it make sense to walk a dog with a twelve foot leash as you strike out for your morning walk in Oblivian Land.

Thank you for your input! You know your the 2nd person today that has told me that people walk their dogs on VERY long leashes. That just amazes me how people could be so rude, then there is no control over the animal. I just have a normal leash and he is 6 months old and I am trying to get him used to seeing people and all sorts of things. I would never walk him on a extendable leash. How rude of that person to do that. I know it is normally used for bikes which is why I asked the question in the first place. My dog is learning his manners and I would never be rude like that. I am glad to know there are others that walk their dogs too. Thanks again.

Lots of people walk their dogs on the trail, every day. Most walkers rein them in close to themselves and/or step to the trail edge when bikes are coming from either direction. No problem!

Unlike so many places on the trail these folks were really nice. They wanted to know all about the trail and our ride. We even got the locals talking about the town and local events. It made for a pleasant evening. The food was suprisingly good and the service great.

Unlike so many places on the trail these folks were really nice. They wanted to know all about the trail and our ride. We even got the locals talking about the town and local events. It made for a pleasant evening. The food was suprisingly good and the service great.

We ended up going to Twin Gables when our afternoon lunch plans didn't work out for Dutzow. We weren't disappointed. The food is typical bar food (mostly fried), but was tasty. The staff kept our water pitcher topped off and was happy to restock our water bottles before we left. The only downside was the cigarette smoke...after all, it's a bar, too.

We ended up going to Twin Gables when our afternoon lunch plans didn't work out for Dutzow. We weren't disappointed. The food is typical bar food (mostly fried), but was tasty. The staff kept our water pitcher topped off and was happy to restock our water bottles before we left. The only downside was the cigarette smoke...after all, it's a bar, too.

Had a great burger at Twin Gables! Lots of cigarette smoke, but we were able to sit in the "side" room by the front door where it wasn't as bad.

Had a great burger at Twin Gables! Lots of cigarette smoke, but we were able to sit in the "side" room by the front door where it wasn't as bad.

Im planning to ride the entire Katy Trail. But Im confused, does it end at Machens or St. Charles??? Ive ridden the trail from Weldon to St. Charles before....whats the trail like beyond St. Charles, and should I go to Machens to consider that Ive done the whole trail? Please fill me in.



Jake

See the following post(s).



http://www.bikekatytrail.com/talk.aspx?thid=1353¬efmt=1&sortby=0&pg=2



The Katy continues about 3-miles north of the St Charles trailhead, where one encounters a grassy unfinished railroad bed, which appears to be the end of the trail. However, most of the Machens section is completed beyond that point except for that 3-mile section of grassy, cowpath like riding. Supposedly, that unfinished section is passable although not really open yet.

Can someone tell me about the MKT trail in Columbia. We are going to spend the night in Columbia and ride from there the next morning. I was looking at the map and we plan to get on the trail at the Flat Branch Park Access. It looks like that is where the trail starts. The 8.9 miles fits nicely with our mileage we plan to ride. What is the trail like going through town? Is it flat? If there are hills are they big hills? Any info would be appreciated.

From Flat Branch park you can take a tunnel under Providence Rd to access the MKT trail. It is very much like the KATY. It's smooth crushed limestone. Since it's also on an old railroad, it's pretty much flat as a board. There are a couple of minor ups and downs going under roads, but nothing too bad.

Thanks for the info Ken. Our wives will appreciate it being flat!

Actually, if you are riding FROM Columbia, part of the time it will be slightly downhill, making for very easy riding.

The MKT is a great trail, it is a nice ride, if you like the Katy then you'll like the MKT. When riding the MKT you barely notice that you are in a metro area. It is not a hard ride at all, the tunnels are pretty cool, really. One of my favorite rides is Rocheport to Flat Branch and back. Enjoy your trip.

Hi, My husband and I are planning a nine day trip on the trail in mid October to celebrate or 25th wedding anniversary. This will be our first time on the Katy, and our first on a multi day bike trip. We are planning to stay in B&B's along the way and travel between 25 - 32 miles per day. My question is, would it be ok to ride my Electra Townie 21 speed cruiser bike? (I love this bike and do ride it at home, several times a week, 15 - 20 miles at a time.) Has anyone had any experiences with these types of bikes on the Katy? Also any advise for us novices?

Taking 9 days and doing 25 miles a day you should be fine on that bike. Enjoy the trail.

The Townie is a tank(very heavy) and will be even heavier if your carrying 9 days of gear. Even with that said, if that's what your comfortable on I think that's what you should ride. Your bike will have no trouble with the terrain.



Have a safe trip,



Paulie

Thanks for the replies! I'm glad to hear that your think that my Townie will be able to handle the trail. Since buying a new bike isn't really in the picture right now, my choices are limited to the bikes I already won. (a Townie 21 and a Del Sol Lxi 6.1)

I really do prefer the townie for comfort. My wonderful hubby will be carrying the bulk of our gear, so I'm not too concerned about the aditional weight. :-)

Your Townie will be fine for the trail. I have ridden the complete trail twice on mine and as far as I'm concerned it is the perfect bike for it! Ron

Thanks Ron. I'm so glad to hear that!

My daughter and I went from Rocheport to St. Charles in July. My husband (who doesn't care for biking) was our support in our car. For us, going about 25 miles a day was ideal. You should do fine going 25-32 miles a day. I suggest you use this website to book your stays in B&Bs now. We enjoyed eating at places along the trail. If you plan your trip, and bring back-up food for when there is not a restaurant or place to eat, you'll do fine.

My wife and I rode the trail earlier this year on similar bikes for our 25th. It was great. You will have no problems.

This at one time was a great place to stop. They had a bike shop , ice cream shop and food. We were very disappointed to find everything closed down. Do not plan to get anything here

If you go south on 1st Street in Marthasville, out to Hwy 47/94, less than 1/4 mile from trail, there is the Twin Gables restaurant. If you go a little further west on Hwy. 47/94, then there is the S&R Convenience Store. However, the businesses that you were referring to and used to be right along the trail are all boarded up these days.

I stayed at the Rivers Edge on Saturday and again on Wednesday of this past week. This is a very nice campground for tent camping. There were about 8 tent sites, each with a fire pit. Several wooden picnic tables are next to the sites. The restroom/hot shower is within feet and is very, very clean. In fact, it is the cleanest I've seen on the Katy Trail for tent camping. The owners (Dave and Melody) and the nicest people you would ever want to meet. So in closing, if you want a nice tent camping place, I would certainly recommend the Rivers Edge. PS: I ate at the diner/bar next door, and it was fine....for what it is. The food was decent, the beer was cold, and the atmosphere was....well, relaxed and very casual.

I stayed at the Rivers Edge on Saturday and again on Wednesday of this past week. This is a very nice campground for tent camping. There were about 8 tent sites, each with a fire pit. Several wooden picnic tables are next to the sites. The restroom/hot shower is within feet and is very, very clean. In fact, it is the cleanest I've seen on the Katy Trail for tent camping. The owners (Dave and Melody) and the nicest people you would ever want to meet. So in closing, if you want a nice tent camping place, I would certainly recommend the Rivers Edge. PS: I ate at the diner/bar next door, and it was fine....for what it is. The food was decent, the beer was cold, and the atmosphere was....well, relaxed and very casual.

Good to know, thanks for the info.

Good to know, thanks for the info.

Is anyone familiar with the part of the trail that goes past the Missouri Reseach Park, near the hwy 40 bridge and Weldon Spring? It is listed on this site's mileage chart, and the chart shows that there is parking available, but the link to the amenities does not work, and no maps online seem to show any connection from a parking lot at the Research Park to the trail. Is this a viable put-in for the Katy or do I need to go somewhere else?



Thanks.

It''s definitely a nice access point for the Katy Trail. Sorry, I did not realize that the link from the mileage page was broken; I have fixed it.



Here''s the page with directions and additional info on the Mo Research Park Connector.



Bottom line is that it''s a scenic 3/4 mile trail down to the Katy. There was ample parking the day I was there a couple of weeks ago, but it''s not a huge lot and I can imagine it filling up on busy days. Very nice parking spot if you''re looking to get into the wooded section of trail between highway 40 and Weldon Spring/Defiance. And easy to get to from highway 40.



Happy trails!