Katy Trail Forum

Update on the trail conditions from Boonville to Rocheport, apx mile marker 189-178 heading east.
Just after leaving boonville, at mm 189, there’s a yellow sign that says use caution for debris and flooding. For the next 10 miles the trail is nearly destroyed from cleanup and reconstruction, but it is possible to slowly and safely pass. In many places the trail is unrideable on a road or hybrid bike. At mm 180-178, the trail is closed due to flooding and bridge being out. There is a detour into rocheport, but it is about 4 miles of very hilly highway riding. Detour likely adds a few miles to the ride. Would recommend getting a lift or hiring an Uber from boonville to rocheport.

Thanks for this report. Iif we get a shuttle to Rouchport is it rideable all the way to Jeff City?

Planning on riding sedila to Herman first week in August, any forecast on the trail conditions then.
Is the state working on repairs currently?
Thank you

Planning on riding sedila to Herman first week in August, any forecast on the trail conditions then.
Is the state working on repairs currently?
Thank you

So double checking… From Boonville to Rocheport you were able to ride the whole way… On the trail or did you have to take about 4 miles on the road? Were there markers for this? Planning on riding this coming weekend so want to make sure I know where I’m going in that I can get through

7/4/21 I road out of Boonville towards Rocheport and the trail is in miserable condition. Completely washed out in places that I could ride just 3 weeks ago. The bike bridge has been down for a couple of years and requires riding on a winding highway with traffic soaring by and narrow shoulders. Use caution.

Doing the trail out and back starting just after Labor day. Any updates on the area between Boonville and Rocheport? Basically I guess can it be ridden other than the area where the bridge is out and is that detour marked to get to the highway and back onto the trail?
Any other information as to trail conditions along the route is appreciated!

Doug, I'd really suggest fording Salt Creek rather than riding the highway. Pack some crocs, and carry your bike across if needed. That highway looks wicked. Do a search for Salt in here and you'll find notes on how to do it.

Or, if the water is too high, use this ridearound.
https://goo.gl/maps/JkYTb4E1BfqZ9dgJA

Either way, stay off that highway. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary, you get what you pay for, caveat emptor.

I too would recommend, fording Salt Creek in lieu of taking the road detour. It would be a shame to miss out on any part of the trail. However it would also be nice to have a visual aide at the creek that shows the water level. When I crossed it the first time it was only ankle deep and quite manageable. On my return trip the water was knee deep and the current was stronger. this gave me the choice of removing my gear from the bike and making several trips across the creek, or just back track and take the road route. Since I wear bright neon colors and use flashing lights on my bike I had no problems with road traffic on a rainy day. By the way my return trip was east bound so you start off with an up hill climb. But as I have found out on many trails that follow rivers it is always up hill leaving the trail.

What you need to remember about fording Salt Creek is that this is not part of the Katy Trail. You are trespassing on private property to do it. Apparently the land owner is tolerating it but it’s a little much to ask him/her to put up a depth gauge.

I appreciate the updates! I have tons of road riding experience, but if I'm going to ride a trail I'd rather experience the whole trail if possible. It sounds like I'll try to watch the weather in the next couple of weeks down there to see if rain may have raised the creek and try for the fording options. Thanks again!

We rode the KATY East-to-West about a month ago and rolled into Rocheport late in the day as a fast-moving thunderstorm hit. We stopped for dinner at the General Store (very good meal) and asked several folks about the trail vs. dirt road route mentioned above vs. highways 240 and 40 into New Franklin and the KATY Roundhouse Camp Ground (very nice campground) where we planned to camp that night. We couldn't get recent info on Salt Creek or the dirt road (but it had rained that day and previous days) and we didn't have enough daylight to double back to the highway if either was too difficult for our fully-loaded bikes so we took the paved route. This was a Friday and we left Rocheport about 45 minutes before sunset not ideal, but we didn't have much choice. We set our bike lights to blink for maximum visibility to others and headed out. Traffic was non-existent on 240 between Rocheport and Highway 40. There is no paved shoulder on 240, but no traffic meant no concern. Turning West-bound onto Highway 40 you hit a few miles of big hills with no paved shoulder meaning that you have about six inches of pavement between the white stripe and the grass. Hold your line on the edge of the road and pedal hard. Traffic on 40 at this time of day was very light and everyone that passed us gave us plenty of space. Once you roll out of the hills near Davisdale and into the river bottom the paved shoulder widens to three-or-four feet which makes things much more comfortable compared to the hills and if you ride comfortably close to the grass cars can stay in their lane while they pass and still be well away from you. We know we were very fortunate with light traffic and courteous drivers, but the detour is doable and if you go early or late in the day when traffic is light, all the better.

this is just ANOTHER reason the Katy needs to be paved. For safty reasons alone it needs to be paved. The tax money it will bring will be astronomical. The DONATION will go up; but ONLY if they get the word out on HOW to donate to the cause of paving. IT can be done one section at a time. This is easy. Lets do this!!! Madison COunty Transit makes the trails FUNCTIONAL by paving them. it makes it EASIER To clean of all the dangerous debris like the Katy has.

How does a DANGEROUS detour on PAVED roads due to a bridge being out, make a limestone trail less safe than a paved one? How are you going to get $1 from everyone that rides the trail when NO ONE agrees with you about paving it? Why would a paved trail be any easier to clean of debris? There would not be any less. How would the POSSIBLITY of a FEW more riders, this not being a given with the response so far, equate to astronomical increases in tax revenue? Lastly, why does the Katy Trail need to be changed to suit YOUR preferences? Enjoy it for what it is or go to the ones you like better.

Being detoured onto HWY 40, even for a short distance, is unbelievably dangerous. No shoulder, so you are dependent on the courtesy of traffic traveling at high rates of speed...give me a "break". No excuse for the long delayed replacement of the washed out bridge. Bikers beware!

Is the RIS open from Pleasant Hill Lake to the town on Pleasant Hill?

No...the Rock Island Trail extension (called the MOPAC trail for a 2 mile section north of Pleasant Hill) from Pleasant Hill is scheduled for construction in late 2022 and early 2023. Currently it is one mile on a gravel road between the trail and Pleasant Hill Lake. Then there is still another 7 mile gap north of Pleasant Hill Lake if you are trying to reach Lee's Summit where the Rock Island Trail continues into Kansas City (ending right next to the baseball/football stadium complex).

We stopped here for lunch the other day. The food was great and very heathy. He was working by himself but got the food ready in a reasonable amount of time. We also enjoyed the conversation with the nice gentleman who was running the place.

We just stayed with Kathy at the Lindenhoff bed and breakfast in Augusta. She and her place are fabulous. Great place, great breakfasts, snacks, and drinks. She has thought of everything.
I highly recommend the Lindenhoff.

I posted back in June about our planning. The only change is we are planning to push on into Hermann from Rocheport which is a long day. Sorry Doug for not staying with you but we wanted to see Hermann. I am taking your contact info for shuttle if the weather kills the day.

So the housing plan is Kim's Cabins, School House B&B Dorm building, Vinchester Inn. Will do a trip report after.

Questions:
1) Water - I know people have said there is water at all the trail heads. Can we count on water at least every 30 miles? We usually ride with two water bottles and a 1 liter Nalgene but wondering if we should add a second Nalgene to the panniers? Running out of water vs. extra weight.

2) Wading the creek at the washed out bridge. Is there any indication from shore about the depth? We also backpack so we are used to wading through creeks but really don't want to end up above our knees. The back up is to take the detour but seems wading is preferred.

3) What is the current condition of the trail? Sounds like crews have been at work on repairs. Are we still going to run into multi-mile patches of rough trail or walking? Is there much that is going to slow us down? The trail advisory has 50+ miles on the Rock Island which doesn't sound good but not much on the Katy itself.

To answer your question about wading Salt creek. the last time I went through there (May) there was a line of stones showing where the ford was. If you see the stones then it is ok to wade. If not it is worth your time to try and walk across with out your bike to test the water level. Then you can judge whether or not it is safe to take your bike across as well. One work of note the concrete slab that makes up the ford is slippery due to algae growth.

There is not water at every trailhead. Do not count on water every 30 miles or at any distance for that matter. There is always the possibility that it is under repair for whatever reason. We always fill up when we reach a trailhead with water or any opportunity to fill up. Take the extra bootle if you feel you may need it and don’t pass on filling up when you can.

There was a list of places with water on this forum some time ago….not sure how current it is. Search “water” to find it and look at the Towns and Services above for locations.

This needs to b e paved; then you have a real national treasure. Cant we start a go fund me? any type of donation system? Even a dollar from everyone who rides it would help. Donors would get together to pave sections for naming rights along the trail. There can be events to fund the paving. Its nice; its shaded, but its dirty.

Recent article about the Katy Trail in stltoday.
If link not working search katy trail stl today

https://www.stltoday.com/travel/trials-along-the-trails-biking-131-miles-of-the-rock-island-and-katy/article_b1a435ef-e8c6-5256-8121-c44f05ac58bb.html

Lots of good info in this forum. Looking forward to riding the trail in Sept.

That was...sad. Hopefully real riders will be able to figure out which issues were due to him, and which were truly due to the trail.

Thanks Bill. Glad to hear it wasn't just me that thought the article sounded like Debbie Downer goes to town.

The whole thing reeks of downer noob.
Nothing special? Compared to what? All those other amazing multi-hundred, completely separated from traffic trails in the US?
Difficult signage? Get on the gravel and stay on it.

Peace and love, KT fam.

I did appreciate the article for its historical look at the Katy.

But come on Tim!! Because you break out into the world, there will not be signs everywhere just for you. And at every whim, you won't find a vendo machine fully stocked in the middle of nowhere just waiting for you to complain about the cost.

I stopped for a light dinner on 8/17/2021; Marthasville was my overnight stop while touring the Katy Trail. I had the ALT sandwich (avocado, lettuce, tomato) and some tasty fresh watermelon. The best part was the hour or so of convivial conversation with John and a couple of other patrons.

This from a Jean Meyers post on the Fans of the Katy Trail Facebook page.

Good news in the paper this morning! The Burg is opening in Hartsburg this week (formerly Dottie’s).
Taken from the article:
A portion of the front has been revamped as a convenience store area primarily meant to serve cyclists looking for a quick cold drink or snack before heading back out on the trail.
To start, the Burg will be open 3-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.

The Globe Hotel Bed and Breakfast in Hartsburg is very happy to have a restaurant back in business in Hartsburg!

If you are looking for that old time hospitality this is the place. Beautiful and quite place where the Trails End Rider's hang out pond the day of the state fair parade. Very comfortable and very great people who make sure your every need is meant. If you are looking for a place that shares your love of horses just load them up and bring them along. Just over the field and past the tree line is the Katy trail. Love this place and the owners, we will be booking our next stay early.

The questions of tire width often appears here. What should go along with that is “tire pressure.” Current theory is to use softer tires/lower pressure as the surface gets rougher. The softer tire rolls over the rough gravel, bumps, etc while the hard inflated tire is slowed a bit on these surfaces and gives a harsher, more fatiguing ride. There is a good tire pressure page on the Silca site. (Silca.cc) The “Pro” version gives the most complete result. As an example, the bike I usually use on the trails has 38mm wide tires (Compass Barlow Pass). On standard paved surfaces the recommended inflation for the total weight of me, the bike, and the load (260#, full camping gear included) is 50 PSI. On the trail, which in the Silca chart would be category 3 gravel, the recommendation is 38 PSI. Note: Some tires have stiffer sidewalls than others and the effect may not be as pronounced. Play with it and see what works for you. i.e., my Schwalbe Marathons have a sidewall so stiff they would probably hold up even without air. My Compass Barlow Pass supple sidewall tires are like riding on Jell-O at low pressures. But they are definitely faster and more comfortable. YMMV.

Good reminder.

Just watch out for chunky sections and pinch flats.

Are e bikes allowed on the Katy trail?

https://www.google.com/search?q=ebikes&sitesearch=BikeKatyTrail.com

I'd be embarrassed to be seen riding an e-bike.

Ive ridden the trail on both a bike and a trike and would have loved to had an e-assist. To each his own.

Yes e-bikes are allowed on the KT.

Not Lazy- I ride an e-bike because I have a physical condition that otherwise renders me unable to ride a bike. I got my bike last year and cried like a baby as I haven't ridden a bike in 20 years. I have now ridden on the Katy Trail, the George Mickelson Trail in the black hills of SD, and lots of local trails. Nothing embarrassing about that.

Shay – what type/brand of ebike do you ride? And, why that particular one? Will probably be in the market for one at some point.

I ride a Rad e-bike. They have several models, I use the base model (Mission 1), which is also their cheapest ($999). It seems like there are several reputable e-bike companies nowadays- I went with Rad because I have a friend in Seattle who worked for them (they are HQ there).

How can an e-bike permit you to ride now when you couldn't ride a regular bike before? You still have to pedal.

I know; it's none of my business. You ride what you want to ride. It just seems that nearly every e-bike rider claims the same excuse. When the real reason is that they're just too lazy to get in to shape to ride a non-assist bike.

But, whatever makes your ride a pleasant one.

Not Lazy- I'm happy to explain it to anyone because it's incredibly frustrating to hear things like I'm lazy or not willing to get into shape. I was a college athlete and developed exercise-induced compartment syndrome in my calves. This means the muscles in my calves are "too big" for the spots they are in and exercise creates IMMENSE pain. Talk to anyone in the medical field (especially the ER) and they will tell you horror stories about compartment syndrome (usually due to a trauma- mine is exercise induced). So, I had surgery, which allowed me to get back on the soccer field, but it only lasted a year. So for 20+ years, I am unable to engage in repetitive exercise that involves my calves- cycling being the #1 offender- as well as running or even squatting (say, to look at various items on the lowest shelf at the grocery store). It impacts my life in so many ways. The e-bike allows me to ride freely- I am still pedaling 99% of the time- but it provides just enough boost that I am able to do so without straining my calf muscles. It has truly given me a new lease on life.

Also, just for the record, I am nothing but lazy. I have a doctorate in my field of study, practice yoga daily, and have made multi-day backpacking trips (eg Grand Canyon and other national parks).

I hope this helps you to understand why someone like myself can benefit from an e-bike, and more importantly, extend some grace to all those who do. :)

You can’t do repetitive exercise like pedaling a non-assist bike, but you can pedal an e-bike? Ohhhhh kay. Makes total sense.

Whatever. I’m glad it works for you.

Peace.

Your response is ignorant and disappointing.

I hope this post helps someone later when reading about e-bikes.

No one should ever be expected to be a "purist" when enjoying an activity. We all pay taxes and should be able to enjoy the Katy Trail with whatever bike that is safe and comfortable and meets our own needs.

Thank you Shay. I have done some research, but have gotten only a few endorsements from e-riders.

We too have ridden the Mickelson. The Route of the Hiawatha is also a grand trail in northern Idaho. The Elroy Sparta in Wisconsin is worth the trip as well as the Tunnel Hill in Illinois.

Happy Trails!

I just added those trails to my bucket list! Thanks so much!

Not lazy, have you ever ridden with a 10 - 15 mph tailwind? If so you were riding “assisted” by the tailwind. It was much easier wasn’t it. Same principle it’s just an electric motor providing the assist instead of the wind.

Well Shay, don't forget that Ray admonishes us all to keep our comments family friendly as children read, and apparently, respond to these posts. Will Rogers once said "Any fool can criticize condemn and complain; and most of 'em do." I wonder if NL owns a car? Nah, that would be lazy.

I'm a few weeks shy of 72 and I ride a 1st gen Trek mid drive e-bike. After doing a supported e-bike ride in France I gave my Trek Duel Sport peddle bike to my son and bought my own Trek Duel Sport e-bike. I ride more often, I ride longer, and I ride further. Riding my bike provides as much needed exercise but with way more fun in the process. Now I go bike camping, go on group rides, and in May rode 250+ miles of the Oregon coast route self supported. Bike did fine, I did fine, but my knee didn't do so well. Theres no shame in riding an e-bike and you get just as much exercise.

So to you cycling watt weenies, purists, and e-bike haters your day is comming and your e-bike is waiting.

I ride an e-assist recumbent trike.. The e-assist helps keep my knees from hurting so bad.. It allows me to ride farther while being more comfortable on my body.. Whats wrong with that? NOTHING
It doesnt matter what you ride.. JUST RIDE

We rode the Hiawatha Trail in July and the Coeur d'Alene Trail from Harrison to Plummer RT on a second day with e-bikes. They were fantastic, especially for us senior citizens. We don't ride e-bikes when we ride at home and feel like we are in pretty good bike riding shape but always rent them on our bike trips. On the Hiawatha, the trip was down hill to start and we didn't use the electric assist but most people took a bus back up to the starting point. We used the electric assist and rode all the way back up. Great trip-highly recommended.

What is the small building being built at this trailhead?

Does Research Park Inn St. Louis - West Chesterfield allow you to take bikes to your room?

I'm going to be doing multi days on the Katy and I worry a little about hand numbness. I have profile bars on my road bike for that reason. I'm thinking about transferring them to my trail bike, but wondering if I'm asking for trouble as far as bike stability on that rougher terrain. I also wonder if the bars might loosen up on a non paved surface. Go? Or no?

I really like that alternate position too, but on gravel, and even on the Katy Trail's forgiving surface, I wouldn't use them.
There's too many places where you might get surprised by a washout and being on the Profile bars might cause you to lose control. I could see your bolts loosening and your profile slipping too.
I think there's enough interesting stops to give your hands periodic relief.
Have fun!

Hand numbness can be minimized with a little practice. Watch your knuckles when you ride -- if they are often white, you may be gripping the handlebars too tightly. This not only affects your hands, but can make your arms and neck tighten up as well. It's good to mention to your riding partner to look over at your hands occasionally to remind you to "loosen up a bit".

Riding gloves can help a lot, but I realize that you may not want the extra warmth on your hands.

Another trick is to take thin foam and wrap it around your handlebars with electrical tape. That will dampen the vibrations fairly well.

I ride a Fugi Touring bike that I added Profile Design aerobars to several years ago for the same reason you mentioned. I've used them on the C&O Towpath/GAP and the Katy (several times) without any problems. You just need to keep an eye out for trail conditions, which are much worse on the C&O than the Katy. You'll be doing that anyway. I highly recommend aerobars for long distance touring.

You might also want to look into getting a nerve test for carpal tunnel. I had carpal tunnel release surgery on both hands last year and it practically eliminated my hand numbness while riding.

I've used Profile aerobars on my road bike since 1990. They are great for my hands when doing things like century rides. The Katy is rougher than most roads for one thing plus it's easier to lose control on gravel.

I'm impressed that John did the C&O using aerobars as it's much more difficult than the Katy with puddles, mud, and narrow sections. I'm sure that he was off of the aerobars than on them. My wife and I did the C&O on a tandem in June and that was quite an adventure. The GAP was nicer with a surface much like the Katy.

I added “bar end extensions” to my handlebars for additional hand positions. I also switched to a “North Road” style bar. These have a 45° sweep back. They also go forward before the sweep back. Much more comfy than a straight bar but similar control. Raise your arm from alongside your body and you will see that when it is in normal riding position the hand/wrist is at 45°, same as the North Road sweepback. I rode 2000 miles in Scotland with this setup with no issues. The late Sheldon Brown on his site, still active, wrote that the real reason for the curved drop handlebars is to offer 6 different hand position options to relieve stress.

I camped here 7/30/21.

Another great (and free) place to camp along the Katy. Open grass, some shade trees, two pavilions with electrical power and shelter in a storm, and decent restrooms.

As a bonus, the pool was open! So for $3 you can get a cold shower and a dip in the pool. Live large and buy a Dr. Pepper and a bag of Fritos from the concession stand!

There are streetlights, they didn't bother me, but you might want to evaluate your tent location accordingly. Also, the park is not obvious from the trail, turn on the Hall St, then Centre St and you'll see it.

One in my group hung his hammock from posts in the pavilion. Good bar and grill in the town. Good food. Camping in the park is $10 if someone comes by to collect, which is rare.