Katy Trail Forum

What is the best shuttle service for transporting bicyclists from St. Louis to Clinton? Any recommendations?

We are Lococo House ll B&B, we shuttle to Clinton ------ you can call 636-946-0619 or e-mail us a Rhonaloc@charter.net for prices and availabity

I am not seeing this ride listed for 2009. What's up?

Thanks for pointing that out - I have added it.

On Oct 28 I inquired at the bank about the location of the B&B and Flower Shop and was told it was out of business.

On Oct 28 I inquired at the bank about the location of the B&B and Flower Shop and was told it was out of business.

The Pilot Grove B&B is open for the 2009 season. Only the flower shop has been closed. I apologize for any misunderstanding about closing.There are 3 rooms available at $60.00/room/night. I would enjoy hearing from you.

The Pilot Grove B&B is open for the 2009 season. Only the flower shop has been closed. I apologize for any misunderstanding about closing.There are 3 rooms available at $60.00/room/night. I would enjoy hearing from you.

Machens to Alton - Any word on a connection?

I don't know if it's a dream or a plan, but The Confluence has a word or two on the matter.

http://www.confluencegreenway.org/

information on the 2009 MS Life ride has changed- please look the next event entered below this one thanks- James Hodshon

Any Questions contact me at: lopfoot88@yahoo.com or 573-434-1195

What ride is it that you keep posting here about? Is it a National MS Society’s Bike MS ride? Is it something other than that?



Is the ride on the Katy Trail? Why do we need to be informed about it without an explanation of what it even is?

Trek, The MS Life Ride is a national Multiple Sclerosis Society bike ride on the katy Trail from Jefferson City to Rochport - 71 miles (round- trip) if you want more information contact me @ lopfoot88@yahoo.com or call 573-434-1195 thanks, sorry for the missunderstanding

Okay....thanks, but if you explain it here or on the events page (is there a website?) then others will know whats going on too. Or you can just tell me. Thanks....

My wife and I biked the Katy this past fall and stayed a night in Rocheport at the Girls Night Inn. They were extremely friendly and went above and beyond to make our stay in Rocheport very memorable! The house is gorgous and so comfortable to unwind in after a long day out on the trail! Great Job guys and keep up the great work! You made our stay in Rocheport so much fun!

I am thinking of staying in St. Charles the night of July 21 and spending the next three days

riding the length of the Katy Trail. Do the various lodgings (B&Bs and the like) along the trail

tend to be booked in advance? I'd like to make reservations, but I'd also like to not

necessarily be committed to certain distances each day if I find myself feeling I can go more

or less distance between stops.

In general, you probably will be able to find a room in some of the bigger towns (ie. Sedalia, Boonville, Hermann, etc.). I would guess that if you work the phones the evening before you start out to your next destination that you will find a place to stay. However, you have to keep in mind that some B&B’s and most hotels will want Credit Card deposits anyway, so if you don’t make it there it will still be your loss.



In addition, there are some shuttle services available if you get in a bind. I suppose you could also contact the various County police agencies http://www.bikekatytrail.com/emergency.asp), as they would probably let you spend a night in jail rather than sleeping on a park bench somewhere.

There is a motel in Hermann and there are motel/hotels in Jefferson City, Columbia, Boonville, and Sedalia. The hostel in Tebbetts is always an option too. Columbia has loding options too, if you are up for a ride across town. For all of the B&B's along the way, use the Plan a Ride feature of this website to discover options that may be in your distance range and give them a call about availability.

Although I haven't tried it myself, may I suggest another alternative? There are a lot of people commenting on the harrowing aspect of Marine and I would totally concur. Instead of taking Marine, go to Olive after getting to Creve Coeur Park. The ride is reasonable and short. Then go right instead of left and approach 141/WoodsMill Road. True, it's hard to take a left there. But it is possible. If you want to go even farther out of your way (!), keep going on Olive until you reach Ladue. Then take a left. That is safer. After you have taken a left on 141/Woodsmill Road, then go all the way to Ladue or Conway and take a left. If you want to get to Clayton instead of staying north on Ladue, go right at Ballas, as the Spoede overpass is now being destroyed! Don't try to go right on Spoede to get to Clayton anymore! I found this out in my car a couple of days ago on my way west.



After you go right on Ballas, take a left on Clayton. Or, if you prefer, go all the way to Lindbergh and take a right on Clayton. Spoede was much more civil and I hope they redo that overpass.



As for the other suggestion of going to Ladue from Olive, just bike down Ladue as long as you want and follow the suggestions from the other routes.



Take care,

Ruth

The Spoede Road bridge has been completed and is now open.

I took a hike west out of Hartsburg today, the trail is a little wet in a few spots, and a little soft overall, as you would expect for a 65 degree day in February, but certainly ridable. I saw several riders and walkers. I topped off a beautiful day on the trail with a stop at Dotty's Cafe for a late lunch. As always, it was excellent. Dotty told me the cafe is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the winter months.

Great photos We would to visit someday, to research why the name for the town. We would just like to say we have been there. Thanks for

the photos

The town of McKittrick was named after Thomas H. McKittrick. He was a St. Louisan who helped finance the building of the Katy during the early 1890s. The tower in the photo is (or was) a grain elevator.

First visit last weekend. Food was wonderful, service superb,and the sherbet/champagne was a nice finish. Can't wait to go back! Beef tips with horseradish sauce was to dream of... We were there 3+ hours and it seemed like minutes.

First visit last weekend. Food was wonderful, service superb,and the sherbet/champagne was a nice finish. Can't wait to go back! Beef tips with horseradish sauce was to dream of... We were there 3+ hours and it seemed like minutes.

Is the katy open all the way or are some spots closed for repair?

From the DNR website 2/5:



Trail Conditions

No closures to report.



Thats a good thing with these nice winter days ahead....time to hit it!

I plan on riding tommorow afernoon from Jeff City to Hartsburg and back hopefully trail conditions are OK!

I plan on riding tommorow afternoon from Jeff City to Hartsburg and back hopefully trail conditions are OK!

I've never been on the Katy Trail but plan to ride it this spring.

Can anyone tell me if it has a lot of hills, especially around the

Hermann area. Also, are there bike trails leading to the different wineries in that area.



Thanks!!

Ruth

The Katy is what was once rail bed, so for all practical purpose it is flat. Hermann on the other hand has some hills, but is very doable on bike. Hermannoff and Stone Hill can both be reached in absence of hills that would prevent the novice from visiting. There are also several B&B's that can be reached by bike. To my knowledge there are no bike trails, but the Hermann streets are quiet and easy to ride with little traffic.

Adam Puchta Winery is a short ride past Hermann and well worth the trip http://www.adampuchtawine.com/

Puchta's Vignoles and Adam's Choice are worth seeking out. While you are in the area, Swiss Meats in Swiss is worth the drive for some good sausage and cheese to go with the wine. The best wine deals seem to be at Loutre's Market just south of McKittrick. Swiss brats cost less there too actually....but the store in Swiss is worth the drive.

My pedalin' feet are getting itchy. Anyone got the inside track on the DNR's Katy Ride for 2009? I'm hearing June 21-26, starting in Clinton. Am wondering where the stops will be....

They are going from West to East this year. I'll check with the coordinator David Kelly to see about the dates. If your feet are really itchy I have a friend that organizes rides from St Louis to Oregon (in three weeks). Are your feet that itchy??

Zounds, St. Louis to Oregon. Not that itchy. More like, tingly maybe. If you could check with Mr. Kelly, that'd be groovy to the 10th power. Thanks!

You are correct about the dates and the direction. We haven't set the overnight stops or chosen a theme yet. Any suggestions?

Wow, theme ideas. Where to start? Crazy on the Katy. Katy Fever. Cuckoo for Katy. Katy Konvoy (give us trucker's hats instead of T-shirts, hee hee hee). Bike Power. Katy Power. Pedalin' Power. East or Bust. Coming Down the Katy. Crossing the Katy. Cruisin' on the Katy. Show-Me Katy. Katy-Did, Katy-Done-It (a bug theme!). I (Heart) the Katy. All Aboard the Katy. Doin' the Locomotion. Green Getaway. Feet-Powered Fun. Katy Track-Attack.



And of course....Ride to Live, Live to Ride. A biker's theme. We could even get (temporary) tattoos! Hey!

I'd like to know more about the Oregon ride, Mr. Rodemeyer. Can you put me in touch with your friend? Thanks.

Sorry to take so long on this. The name of the person who had the Oregon Trail ride is Tom Armstrong, Historical Trail Cycling, tastrongarm@hotmailcom, 402-499-0874. Maybe this has slowed down since the Lewis and Clark thing is over but he probably is working on new rides. Mayor Grant thinks highly of him as he has stayed in Hartsburg 3 or 4 times and has always left with a good impression. They camp in town and we provide showers etc for them. good luck!!

We're meeting this week to decide on the overnight stops and the theme. I will keep you posted.

Hello. My neighbors rode the Katy Trail with a group last June and told me about this site. Is

your June group ride open to the public? How do I join and/or sign up? Any information will

be most appreciated. Thanks, -Sergio.

Sergio.....check out the MO Dept. of Natural Resources site at:



www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2009ride.htm

Any updates on stops along the 2009 way, please? Getting antsy, really looking forward to the ride!

Any updates on stops along the 2009 way, please? March is a looooong time to wait....

I feel the same way. I keep checking the DNR website everyday (sometimes every hour.)

Check out http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2009ride.htm It has the overnight stops listed.

Thanks! Pilot Grove seems interesting....Wonder where they're going to shuttle the hotel-stayers to...Sedalia, maybe? I salute the DNR for sorting out the logistics of the trip each year. They're to be commended. Still....March seems a loooong way away to get the rest of the info (although I'm sure they need every bit of that time)! A good opportunity for practicing patience, I guess.

I'd hope they'd conserve a few miles and go to Boonville

The hotel service for Pilot Grove will be in Boonville. For Augusta, it's in Washington.

Rude. Tried to make reservations two weeks in advance, they said they were booked up and that there were no other dining opportunities in town. Basically they said we were screwed. Don't know if the food was any good. Never got to try it.

Rude. Tried to make reservations two weeks in advance, they said they were booked up and that there were no other dining opportunities in town. Basically they said we were screwed. Don't know if the food was any good. Never got to try it.

Yep, had the same experience a couple years ago. Several years before, I'd tried it, and it was pretty good, but not good enough to warrant the attitude they serve for free. Les Bourgeois has a very nice menu though, and the general-store place near Abigail's had great munchies, as well.

Yep, had the same experience a couple years ago. Several years before, I'd tried it, and it was pretty good, but not good enough to warrant the attitude they serve for free. Les Bourgeois has a very nice menu though, and the general-store place near Abigail's had great munchies, as well.

I grew up eating 5-cent Griff's burgers in Riverside Mo. I am so happy to relive my younger days through Griff"S/..... It is better now than ever. This is the last Griff's in Missouri...I Love Griff's.

samenus@yahoo.com

I grew up eating 5-cent Griff's burgers in Riverside Mo. I am so happy to relive my younger days through Griff"S/..... It is better now than ever. This is the last Griff's in Missouri...I Love Griff's.

samenus@yahoo.com

I have been bitten by the Katy Trail bug, and am trying to plan a thru-ride. I bought the Katy Trail Guide book, and have been reading about each stop as I attempt to map out the trip.



My question to those who are experienced KT riders: when is a reasonable time to expect to be able to ride it? I have seen comments which note that facilities are closed for the season. When exactly does the season start and end? Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

David, I would suggest calling the phone numbers for any place you are interested in checking out.

Thanks Randy.



I am actually looking for two things specifically:

1. Realistically, when can one expect to ride the trail? In other words, when is is safe to plan a trip without snow? Should I wait until April, for example?

2. When do the facilities on the trail itself open? When are the water fountains turned back on?



Again, thanks for your reply.



I am really getting excited at the prospect of riding the whole trail this year.

In regards to water or restrooms, the Katy Trail is not any different than any other Missouri Park, the water is “scheduled” to be on April 1, off at Nov. 1. Key word here is “scheduled”.



I have ridden a zillion miles on the Katy and have never drank DNR’s water as I would rather buy bottled water, but that is just my personal preference. There are a lot of businesses that are not seasonal on the trail as you would go bust trying to make a living off of Katy Trail bikers or hikers.



The trail also tends to be soft early spring and fall(and winter if the groud is not frozen), which makes riding more difficult. It is very possible to do the whole trail any time of year, it is just a matter of what you can stand as far the weather and other elements.

Take a few weekends as soon as it gets warm enough for you and just ride from one trailhead near you to the next and back. You'll get a good idea of the condition of the trail.

Dates have been set for the week-long Katy Trail Pedal & Paddle Bike Tours that I am leading this year. Spring Trip: May 10 - 16th. Fall Trip: Sept 20 - 26th. There is still room available on both tours. We will be spending three of our nights at the Katy Trail Bed & Bikefest in Rocheport (www.katytrailbb.com), to minimize the need to pack/unpack and move luggage every day. We will be shuttled to our starting point several mornings in our 15-passenger van with bike racks. If you'd like to read more about the canoe/kayak float that is offered as an option on the rest day in Rocheport, please visit www.mighty-mo.com.

Dates have been set for the week-long Katy Trail Pedal & Paddle Bike Tours that I am leading this year. Spring Trip: May 10 - 16th. Fall Trip: Sept 20 - 26th. There is still room available on both tours. We will be spending three of our nights at the Katy Trail Bed & Bikefest in Rocheport (www.katytrailbb.com), to minimize the need to pack/unpack and move luggage every day. We will be shuttled to our starting point several mornings in our 15-passenger van with bike racks. If you'd like to read more about the canoe/kayak float that is offered as an option on the rest day in Rocheport, please visit www.mighty-mo.com.

Dates have been set for the Katy Trail Pedal & Paddle Bike Tours. Spring Trip: May 10 - 16th. Fall Trip: Sept 20 - 26th. There is still room available on both tours. It would be easiest to fly in to KC (MCI is the airport code), and either do that roundtrip, or fly out of St. Louis (STL). I will email you on how to get from the airport to our starting and departure points. We will be spending three of our nights at the Katy Trail Bed & Bikefest in Rocheport (www.katytrailbb.com), to minimize the need to pack/unpack and move luggage every day. We will be shuttled to our starting point several mornings in our 15-passenger van with bike racks. If you'd like to read more about the canoe/kayak float that is offered as an option on the rest day in Rocheport, please visit www.mighty-mo.com.