Katy Trail Forum

Planning five days on the Katy. Are there services that will take luggage from one stop to another over a five day period of time? Is there anyone you'd recommend to set up a five day trip for us, including reservations and luggage transportation? In advance, thanks!

I'm not sure that there is a service to transport your luggage or plan your trip. However if you go the the FAQ on this website, there is a question about "I don't want to go it alone - how can I get support in planning my trip" that may help you. My 25 yr. old daughter and I just finished a ride from Rocheport to St.Charles (our first long distance bike ride) and my husband was our support. He drove the car from stop to stop, met us in between, transported our luggage, etc. For rookies it made all the difference. We ran into another group that had one of the husbands doing the same. If you could find a friend or family member that was willing to do that, it would take care of transporting your luggage. The support person also gets to drive around beautiful rural Missouri countrysides and can check out things you may want to do as side trips.

If you go to the home page of this website, on the left side of the page near the top you'll see a green ad for Katy Trail Tours from the Independent Tourist. Click that ad for details - they do exactly what you're asking about.

I am thinking of taking a day off while biking the Katy. Would Jefferson City be a good place to sight-see? I noticed there are a few hotels right downtown but there are more hotels out Rt. 54. I've been advised to take the Checker Cab from the north side of the river. Any comments?

Thanks

The museum in the Capital, and the building itself is a target as is the old penitentiary. I don't wish to ignite another storm, but riding across the bridge is not that bad. There are a couple of nice B&B's downtown that are worth checking out.

My girls (teen daughters) and I have stayed at the Ramada a couple of times - as they actually will come pick you up and you can take the bikes into your room.....but it is not that close to anything for sight seeing. I am thinking taxis might be an option.

I wouldn't want to try riding there from the trail head though.

Most of the posts mention the Best Value Inn, which is about 4-miles north of the trailhead on Hwy-54, or the motels downtown, like the DeVille, both which are slightly over 1-mile from the trailhead and close to the government and other sites.



Riders can take the trail 'spur' from the trailhead down to the Nutter/Airport road, and get onto Hwy-54/63 south there. Cross the bridge when the traffic looks do-able (there is a shoulder with small drainage grates on it), then turn east a block or two on Hwy-50, which is a short ways past the south side of the bridge. Also, one can take the streets east and south to H-50 to get away from the hwy traffic. See the maps associated with the Jefferson City map-point above. If you decide to stay, have a nice one.

I live in Jefferson City and bike the trail often. Just got back from a 4 day bike trip from Rocheport to St. Charles with my daughter. I would not recommend biking over the MO. River bridge in Jefferson City. Taking a cab is a good idea. I've met bikers at the Jefferson City trailhead waiting on rides from Briar Rose Inn, Cliff House B & B, Hotel DeVille (they did not wait long) - those are all great options. I've heard excellent feedback about all of them. See the museum at the capitol, open 8-5, 7 days a week. Go to Lincoln University and see the Soldiers Memorial Plaza - very moving. See the Lewis and Clark monument close to capitol - contact Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) about a docent for that one. CVB now has ipods with walking tours and a self directed historic architecture tour. Take a walk down East Capitol Ave. Eat at Prison Brews, O'Donohue's, Madison's, Hotel Deville, Das Stein Haus, Ecco Bar (great greasy spoon type place), go to Jefferson Landing, Elizabeth Rozier Museum, new art gallery at corner of Washington and Missouri Blvd., Oh my God, I almost forgot the most important thing you must do - have ice cream at Central Dairy. Call and get their hours, they may close at 5, but that is the most important thing for you to do in our capitol. Oh, and have pastries at Chez Monet. Her chocolate chip cookies are soooooooo good. Downtown is lovely. For crying out loud, spend a week here! Enjoy.

Taking the taxi would be your easiest option. Traffic speed along Rt 54 is at least 60MPH so you're not much better off than crossing the bridge into Jeff city.



If you are somewhat adventurous, then go with Arkie's recommendation. You can safely cross the bridge using the designated bike lane on the northbound traffic (going out of Jeff city). This means that you would be biking against N bound traffic on the bridge while heading into Jeff city. Although the bike lane doesn't have concrete barricade to separate bikers from normal traffic, it's at least 7 feet wide. See pictures of the lane from MO DNR 2009 ride (Pictures show bike traffic heading out of Jeff City in the early morning)



http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2009ride/day3pics.htm



During the 2009 DNR ride (there were about 400 riders), we had the option of whether taking the shuttle or riding in. About 50% of riders rode in. I rode in alone since I was one of the last riders. It's very doable especially if you're a roadie. Below is the DNR riding direction to cross the bridge.



From the Jeff TH, take the City Spur Trail (one mile) which will dump you to Cedar City Dr. Turn right on Cedar City Dr to Hwy. W. Turn left and cross over Hwy. 63. Turn right, against traffic, onto the off ramp. Travel south on the northbound bridge, within the bicycle lane.

This will be the first time riding the katy. I would like to know how many days it should take to complete the full ride. With time to stop at the different sites and see the views.

Thats a common, but tough question Charles. It all depends on you......what speed you normaly average and how much time you like to spend seeing the sights. If I were you, I'd use the "Plan a Ride" feature above to determine what there is that you like to do or see and then do some math on my own. Only you know what interests you have and what your speed and M.O. are for the trip.



Someone could easily say 4 days and you could do it in 3 and wonder why the extra day. At the same time, someone could say 4 days and it could take you 6 days finishing up wishing you had more time to see or do more.



Bad answer I know. But the truth is there are several factors that must be used to answer that question for each individual. And only you know what the specifics are to your ride style to help you do the math.

Three days seems to be a common time for serious riders who want to complete the length of the trail one-way with adequate stops, site seeing, and picture taking along the way. The length (hours) of the riding day depends on the number of stops made. :) That distance per day amounts to about 75-miles.



Yet, riders who are vacationing on the trail seem to do 40-to-50-miles/day while taking in the eating/watering spots, camping out, and enjoying the various wineries and b&b's along the trail, which is more like a five-to-six-day trip. Not sure this helps any? :)

I just got back from my first long ride on the Katy Trail. We started at Rocheport and went to St. Charles in 4 days of biking. That is a little over half way. We did not push ourselves. It got pretty hot a couple of days, and we had rain on 2 days, as well as a break down.



As others have commented, it depends on your strength and experience, how much time you want to spend enjoying the sights. I'm new at long distance biking so I planned accordingly. The next time I do this I plan on going around 30 miles a day, so that if I run into bad weather, and breakdowns, it won't be a problem. I will also have plenty of time to enjoy the little towns, wineries, historic sights and people along the way.

Three friends and I stayed at The Globe the night of July 13th, 2009.

After a ride that took rather longer than we expected, we got into

Hartsburg around 6:30 in the evening. After being greeted by

Jeanette, we pulled our bikes around back and went inside for two or

three glasses of fresh, real, not-from-a-mix lemonade--a nice

surprise! We learned quickly that *nothing* in Hartsburg is open on a

Monday night. If you want dinner on a Monday, the only way to be sure

you'll get it is to bring it with you from home. Jeanette, though,

going above and beyond the "terms" of our stay (without expecting

compensation), offered to make us some peanut butter sandwiches while

we showered. When we came down, "peanut butter sandwiches" had turned

into wheat bread, peanut butter, strawberry preserves, carrots,

celery, canned peaches, tuna salad, and more lemonade. Her

hospitality has convinced us that this is *the* place to stay along

the trail; we'll be back next year. While I can understand the

complaints about the cats (I believe she said there were a total of 9,

with around 4 living inside), the house both looked and smelled

spectacularly clean. Had I not seen the cats, I would have never

suspected that they lived there. Jeanette doesn't allow the cats in

the rooms, though this did not save one of my friend's allergy from

being irritated. Barring people with very sensitive allergies, I

would recommend everyone stay at The Globe.

Three friends and I stayed at The Globe the night of July 13th, 2009.

After a ride that took rather longer than we expected, we got into

Hartsburg around 6:30 in the evening. After being greeted by

Jeanette, we pulled our bikes around back and went inside for two or

three glasses of fresh, real, not-from-a-mix lemonade--a nice

surprise! We learned quickly that *nothing* in Hartsburg is open on a

Monday night. If you want dinner on a Monday, the only way to be sure

you'll get it is to bring it with you from home. Jeanette, though,

going above and beyond the "terms" of our stay (without expecting

compensation), offered to make us some peanut butter sandwiches while

we showered. When we came down, "peanut butter sandwiches" had turned

into wheat bread, peanut butter, strawberry preserves, carrots,

celery, canned peaches, tuna salad, and more lemonade. Her

hospitality has convinced us that this is *the* place to stay along

the trail; we'll be back next year. While I can understand the

complaints about the cats (I believe she said there were a total of 9,

with around 4 living inside), the house both looked and smelled

spectacularly clean. Had I not seen the cats, I would have never

suspected that they lived there. Jeanette doesn't allow the cats in

the rooms, though this did not save one of my friend's allergy from

being irritated. Barring people with very sensitive allergies, I

would recommend everyone stay at The Globe.

The Katy Trail Merchants and Communities organization will be hosting a Katy Trail Merchant Conference in Defiance, MO on August 11, 2009. We are in the process of starting a non-profit organization to help market the Katy Trail. Please go to our website katytrailmac.com for more information about the organization and the conference. Our thanks to Ray Scott of this website for being one of our sponsors.

Is a cue sheet required for the trip or does one just get on one end of the trail and take off for the other end?

Not required, but maps are available at the trailheads. Also, the Plan a Ride feature above can help you determine where food, lodging, etc. are located along the way.

We stayed at the Hartsburg Inn last week. The room was clean and cozy and you could not ask more of our hostess Cath. We arrived in town when Dotty's was closing and the Hitching Post has closed (as of a couple of weeks ago). We were starving and Cath most graciously offered her car to go to town and get something to eat. She was very accommodating. Would definitely stay there again.

We stayed at the Hartsburg Inn last week. The room was clean and cozy and you could not ask more of our hostess Cath. We arrived in town when Dotty's was closing and the Hitching Post has closed (as of a couple of weeks ago). We were starving and Cath most graciously offered her car to go to town and get something to eat. She was very accommodating. Would definitely stay there again.

Last year we biked the C&O Towpath trail and this year we are going to bike the Katy. We thought we knew everything last year and we were very wrong. Besides being fantastic the trail was quite isolated with minimal cell reception if needed. The trail itself was rutted, rocky and lots of large roots. That made for a very jarring ride. We had to be constantly on high alert to evade the larger debris for fear of going down. We can average 14 miles/hour on a paved path and assumed we would go 12 mph on a compacted path--we were lucky to go 10. We would finish the days both physically and mentally exhausted.

Is there anybody out there who can compare the two trail? What don't we know about the Katy?

Thanks

I have done both. I didn't find the C & O as bad as you described, but it did have its issues. You will find the Katy much better maintained. The towns seem to cater more to the cyclist on the Katy(more lodging,food,etc)than the C & 0. Many businesses are closed on Mondays. Cell phone service was a little spotty(I use Sprint)but it worked near most towns.



You've come to the right place for your research. Good people like Trek, Doug, MAH, and Rhona will bend over backward to help you out on here. Proper planning will make your trip much more enjoyable.



Enjoy the trail, Paulie

The KATY is almost always well maintained. The surface is crushed limestone, which packs hard and is very suitable for biking The limestone can be dusty, so you may want to bring along something to clean your chain. Except for the occasional soft spot, you won't have any of the surface issues you had on the C & O. The only problem you might have is, if there is a soaking rain for a day or two, the surface gets a little mushy, but it dries out quickly. Most of the towns are small, but almost all have somewhere you can buy snacks or a meal.

The C&O is also lacking in that it doesn't have a forum like this. Also, this is a much more comprehensive web sight!

Sometimes there are washout areas that create a possibly crash-inducing drop off. Sometimes there are deep cracks in the trail that could swallow a wheel. Sometimes the trail is repaired by dumping a pile of loose limestone that can cause handling problems.



And sometimes there are downed trees that required evasive action or dismounting and carrying the bike over and around.



Not all of the time, of course, but you do need to watch the trail.



Then there's the occasional stray cow or snake to avoid.

I have done the trail several times and plan to do so again in October. Other than the occasional body and odd meteorite impact you will find it to be a delightful experience. :)

although not having done the entire trail, i have done bits and pieces. even rode from columbia to rocheport and back after a mid missouri toad strangler of a rain storm the previous day and absolutely no problem on the trail whatsoever. trail was good, no rutting problems at all. only problem ever incured was a downed tree about 1-1 1/2 miles west of hartsburg. had to litterally crawl around the tree. fortunately, there was a trail maintanence man at hartsburg, told him, and he immediately drove up and cut it up. otherwise, no problems at all.



best advise, plan for anything, be careful, and enjoy the ride.

I rode the C&O several years ago in 3 days (Cumberland/Hancock/Harpers

ferry/DC). I found short sections rough as you described, but overall

OK. You might have hit it after some heavy rains/flooding.



We ride hybrid bikes (mountain bike, but with sit-up handle bars,

wider tires, smooth on the face, knobby on the sidewall)which give a

much better ride than a rode bike on unpaved trails like the KT and

C&O.



Last year my wife and I rode the Katy (we are 64 yrs old). The Katy is

much better condition. Our trip was on the "tailend" of two

hurricanes, and there was flooding, some areas closed, and some areas

washedout, but this is a rare situation. The state was out repairing

these areas the very next day. The Katy is not anything like as remote

as the C&O, although you will have to cross to the south side of the

river in some locations to find food/lodging (Washington, Hermann,

Jeffersonville)---about 1-3 miles roughly. Many other food/lodging

opportunities are located right on the trail. This website is the most

comprehensive source of information of any trail that I have ridden!



Don't miss the Globe at Hartsburg or Doug Randleman's B&B at Bluffton.



Cell phone service was spotty, but I have T-Mobile which probably has

the least coverage. I believe Verizon is probably the one with the

best coverage.



If you want more info on specifically where we stayed/etc. feel free

to email me direct: dgat1989@yahoo.com

We have ridden both the Katy and the C&O (as well as the Great Allegheny Passage). The surface of the Katy is FAR superior to the C&O, the latter being just natural dirt. It's hard, dries out quickly, and drains well. Some parts were so firm they were almost like pavement. Since it's not a national park like the C&O, there are more services too. They're both great rides, just different.

This place is awesome!!!!!! We were starving to death - ok - really hungry for real food - not energy bars - when we pulled in. There was no one around. We went in the store and there was a guy in there. He had about anything you might need in the store. We got some pop and ask him about the Thai food. He didn't think it was open on Mondays. Well, we went outside and Chim (I think that's her name) was there getting ready to do some cooking for that night. We know that because we ask. She agreed to cook us something, even though she really wasn't open. We chose a dish and she was able to make it for us. It was sooooooo good. We ate it all - bad idea as there was a lot and we still had a ways to go. We sure enjoyed it, though. We sat on the picnic benches eating that wonderful food and watching the river. The breeze was cooling, and it was a Zen moment.

This place is awesome!!!!!! We were starving to death - ok - really hungry for real food - not energy bars - when we pulled in. There was no one around. We went in the store and there was a guy in there. He had about anything you might need in the store. We got some pop and ask him about the Thai food. He didn't think it was open on Mondays. Well, we went outside and Chim (I think that's her name) was there getting ready to do some cooking for that night. We know that because we ask. She agreed to cook us something, even though she really wasn't open. We chose a dish and she was able to make it for us. It was sooooooo good. We ate it all - bad idea as there was a lot and we still had a ways to go. We sure enjoyed it, though. We sat on the picnic benches eating that wonderful food and watching the river. The breeze was cooling, and it was a Zen moment.

We have made the trip to Easley twice recently just to eat at Chim's Thai place(both times on a Saturday) and Chim's Thai Kitchen was closed. It was earlier than stated closed time (around 7:45pm or so) and she seemed upset and wouldn't give us a reason. She just said the kitchen is closed. Others were upset also because they rode there just to eat.

We have made the trip to Easley twice recently just to eat at Chim's Thai place(both times on a Saturday) and Chim's Thai Kitchen was closed. It was earlier than stated closed time (around 7:45pm or so) and she seemed upset and wouldn't give us a reason. She just said the kitchen is closed. Others were upset also because they rode there just to eat.

My boyfriend and another couple are planning on tackling the Katy Trail in October. We're so excited!! However, we have talked to others who have done it and they have mentioned that during the summer (of all seasons) the campgrounds along the trail are overgrown and unkempt. Is this common? Do we need to plan on staying someplace or can we bet on camping?

The State Campground Association monitors the grass height in Arkansas to determine when it should be cut in Missouri. All campgrounds are required by state law to be a member of the Association and may not by law cut, damage, remove, or deform any grass or grass product until instructed to do so or suffer consequences of the law. Wagering on camping is not allowed by Missouri state law. I think dog fights are on the way out too. You may still be able to do that across the border tho.

You can stay in the Volunteer Park in Hartsburg. It is mowed and next to a bathroom and there is a resturant right across the street. We would welcome you to our town.

I forgot to mention if you come to Hartsburg on October 10 and 11 there will be 55,000 other people here attending the 18th annual Pumpkin Festival so camping may be difficult.

We're planning our first trip to ride the KT in late September, camping most of the way from Clinton to St. Charles. What kind of "human traffic" can we expect during this time? Will finding an available camping spot be a problem?

Generally, the traffic is medium to light on the weekdays after school starts, except toward the east end (St Charles/St Louis) where the traffic is moderately heavier. You shouldn't have any trouble finding camping spots at that time. You might see a classroom or two of school kids on a nature hike somewhere along the trail. Of couse, the riders and hikers alike, like to see the October autumn colors about then, too.

You can sometimes go 20-40 miles on the katy without seeing anyone.



I'm nearly always surprised by how few people use the KATY trail.



You certainly will not be overwhelmed by other users in late September. In fact you will

probably feel pretty isolated at times.

Me and my sister are planning a trip on the Katy Trail and were wondering how far the shuttle will take you, what the rates are on mileage, and any other information on the shuttle service.

Me and my sister are planning a trip on the Katy Trail and were wondering how far the shuttle will take you, what the rates are on mileage, and any other information on the shuttle service.

Give them a call! They'll be GLAD to answer all your questions for you!

Give them a call! They'll be GLAD to answer all your questions for you!

Not sure about Rodney's service, but the mechanic at the bike shop at

Rocheport gave 4 of us a shuttle to Hartsburg (since the trail was

closed due to flooding), and it was $75. That's only about 25 trail

miles, but over 50 highway miles via Columbia and I-70, since the River

Road was flooded as well!

Not sure about Rodney's service, but the mechanic at the bike shop at

Rocheport gave 4 of us a shuttle to Hartsburg (since the trail was

closed due to flooding), and it was $75. That's only about 25 trail

miles, but over 50 highway miles via Columbia and I-70, since the River

Road was flooded as well!

When I arrived at the campground where I always camp I was amazed at how many giant

RV's were there. There were 550 ( I found out later) of them there and there was obviously

some kind of rally or convention going on. I found me a good spot under a tree and was

probably at least 50 yards from the nearest RV and not anywhere near a RV hookup spot

so I thought I was golden.



When I walked back to my tent at about 10:00 there was a security guy standing there. I

was REALLY surprised when he told me that I was going to have to move. Turns out that

the RV club had rented the entire campground and even though I was not in their way or

bothering them they were making me move. He apologized and said that there was

nothing he could do because they had complained. He said that they indicated that they

were afraid that I was going to "rob them or something." The security man said that they

were "Not being nice about it."



The security guard was just doing his job and I'm sure he was happy that I was not going

to argue with him. I asked him where I could camp and he said, "hop in" and I'll show you.

I rode with him to another part of the fairground. When he dropped me back off at my

tent he even offered to help me tear down and move but I declined his help.



After biking my things over to the new campground he came back out to collect his

$10.00 and apologized about 10 more times.



Then the RV'ers all started honking their horns. They honked and honked for 30 minutes.



The security man told that there were other RV groups coming it campground this

summer. My advice is to call ahead and specifically ask which campgrounds have been

completely rented by these groups. I would also expect at least 30 minutes of horn

honking in the evening.

I feel the need to point out a couple of things.



#1. The campground was not marked in anyway to show that I was not welcome there.

#2. The security guard was very professional and was certainly not mocking or making fun of

the RV group.

#3. I'm not really even bothered by this....just thought that my fellow trail users might not

want to have to tear down their tents after dark and bike them somewhere else. : )

I'm thinking of riding about 300 miles on the trail over the course of 5 or 6 days this coming March. I was wondering if anyone could help me compile a list of supplies that would be beneficial to have. Also, is the trail suited to a cyclocross bike, or would it just be better to bring the MTB? Thanks so much!

Either bike will work. Pick the one that is most comfortable for a long ride.



Bring a listing of places to stop for food, lodging, etc by using the Plan a Ride option at the top of the web page and printing it out.



Bring extras of basics since businesses aren't always open and towns can be over 10 miles apart.



Extra water. Don't expect a 20oz bottle to carry you through the day.



Extra food. Some kind of snacks like granola bars. Maybe something like GatorAde. Enough to get by in case of a close store or restaurant.



First aid - antibiotic creams, bandages, etc.



Sunblock.



Bug repellant. for the evenings when you are camping.



Clothes and camping supplies appropriate for the weather. It could be both warm and very cold in March.



Extra tire - not just an extra tube, but also an extra tire. The one time I didn't bring an extra tire on a multi-day trip is the only time I've ever had a blow-out. Also take extra tubes, patch kit, and whatever tools you usually carry.



Hand-wipes. To clean your face and hands of food, dust, bike grease, etc.



toilet paper - a small roll in case the trail-side toilets are out.



Also, if camping, bring soap/shampoo, towel. I use a mild soap that works as a shampoo, too. I also use it to wash clothes, since I only bring about 3 days of clothing with me.

Bring the right tools that will allow you to tighten every bolt on your bike. The trail is a little bumpy and you might find your water bottle cage or rear rack falling off.



If you are not used to doing multi-day rides, you should consider bringing something to soothe your "backside" in case of chafing. Some people use it before the start of the ride to help prevent chafing.

In March the trailheads will not be open.....don't expect running water there as you will be about a month early. I'd bring some warm clothes too!

A couple of other things in addition to the excellent suggestions above: A tire pump, the kind that attaches to the side of your water bottle bracket. You may work your arm off inflating a tire, but it's better than nothing when your 7 miles from nowhere. I carry a few extra chain links and a chain tool. Also, purely optional, a GPS can be kinda nice but obviously not necessary.

Has anyone rode the KATY on a CATRIKE. I'm planning on riding the trail in late September.

For journal entries on riding the Katy on a Catrike go to crazyguyonabike.com and search "Katy Trail Catrike." There is also an entire section of journal entries by those traveling by trike.

Recumbent (2 and 3 wheels) are very common on the Katy. You would fit right in.

I would like to get a group of people together to make this ride around the first weeked in October. The raw plan would be to take the train to St Louis and ride back to the KC area. Send me an email if you're interested or even if your just looking for a ride partner.

trobbins16@gmail.com



I forgot to add my email address.