Katy Trail Forum

I camped for free on two separate nights at the Volunteer Park on my out-and-back, it's to the right of the privately owned caboose visible from the trailhead and close to the trailhead restrooms. The American Legion Park is also available but a bit further away from the trail. You can just make it out to the south from the trailhead.

The Volunteer Park was great, nice grassy area with shade trees and picnic tables. There are signs designating the camping area. The pavilion has 'some' working electrical outlets around the outside for recharging.

Nice and quiet, no bright street lights. The owner of the caboose stopped by to chat and to offer some tomatoes out of his garden.

I couldn't tell if the Hitching Post was open (it didn't seem to be) but Dottie's is under new ownership and is reopening as "The Burg." It was not open early August but appeared to be close.

A comfortable place to camp!

Where is this? What town?

Dougt, if you look for the blue text saying "Volunteer Park", you'll find that it's a link that takes you to this siute's listing for the park.

Hartsburg

Thanks Jim!

I stayed here on 7/27, 8/2, and 8/4/21.

My ‘master’ plan was to find a safe place to park my vehicle and do an out-and-back on the Katy, essentially doing it twice. I picked Bluffton Barn because it was near the middle (in case I’d bitten off more than I could chew in the heat), and I was looking for a good place to park the vehicle with a reasonable place to camp and clean up after a long day. As for the trip itself, I was mainly looking to just ride, sweat, and ponder.

This worked out extraordinarily well! Not only was Doug very accommodating, he took great care of me. With all the trail work and reroutes due to the flooding damage in July, he called to give me updates, and I’m sure he would have lent a hand if I’d gotten stuck.

As it turns out, the evenings at Bluffton Barn were a real treat. Doug is an attentive host and a great conversationalist. We talked long into the evening all three nights. Spot and Freckles were fine company as well, with Freckles slowly warming up to me.

So I was able to do the Katy (twice) in the heat, and clear my head as I had hoped. But then Doug helped me fill my head with philosophical fodder and a new appreciation for the goodness in people. Like his black powder rifles, once you clear the barrel, you need to reload carefully and in the right order!

On a recent trip to Hawai’i, my wife and I saw a quote carved into a bench, “Unplanned turns taken, often lead to the most unexpected, wonderful places." My turn was kinda planned, but it did lead to a most unexpected, wonderful place. Kudos to Bluffton Barn!

Saw the big caboose and swung around while doing my Katy out-and-back. Excellent choice! Picked up a hand-made berry smoothie and and ice cream cone. Young John is a fine fellow and we had a nice chat. Nice restrooms and it sounds like he is providing camping space now too.

I didn't stay long but this is a fine stop and the food looked great. 8/3/21

Forget to mention the campsites had outlets, we were able to recharge our electronics.

Forgot to mention, plenty of outlets to charge electronics.

Camped here 7/15/21. No problem locating the park from the trailhead (look south down the hill for the ball diamonds). Called Don and he said to set up and he'd be by in about 20 minutes to collect the fee and turn on the lights in the shower/restroom. Several covered areas that looked very appealing in light of the forecast of rain all night, and when Don showed up he directed us to set up our tents in the walkway of the concession stand in case it rained during the night (and it did). Showered and walked to Cori's and had a great meal and a couple of cold beverages. In the morning walked to the gas station across the highway from Cori's and got a couple of good breakfast sandwiches and took them back to the ball field to eat and wait for the rain to stop. Nice stop.

Camped here on 7/13/21. Self registered and chose the campsite between the water spigot (where there's an outlet) and the shower building (which also had outlets). Set up the tents and rode to Caseys and got a pizza and some beer. As the evening advanced the mosquitos really got thick, but luckily we had some bug spray that worked well. Slept soundly.

Camped here on 7/12/21. Found the campground and about the time we finished setting up the tents the security personnel came by to collect the camping fee. Restrooms and hot showers were close by. Several food options (fast and otherwise) were within walking distance (1/2 to 3/4 of a mile). Rode 1.7 miles to Walmart and back to pick up a couple of forgotten items. The factory across the street did make some noise through the night, but I still slept well.

I stopped there in June 2021 to grab a bite. The owner is super friendly and the food was delicious. He has his own healthy creations. However, I opted for a delicious cheeseburger and ice cream.

He hadn't started the camping and showers yet when I was there, but he was in the process. I'm glad to see he's got it going now.

Every KATY rider should make this a stop.

I'm dropping my son off for a concert at the Hollywood Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights in a couple of weeks. Do any of you St. Louis people know if there is a trail head anywhere close for the trail?

He can go a few miles south on Maryland Heights Parkway to Creve Coeur Park. The path around the lake has a connector that goes to the Katy.

.

Hi there my boyfriend and I and our 11 year old son are looking to do the whole trail with an average of 40-50 miles per day and we need your help. We want to pack as minimal as possible while still having the things we need and don't want to spend a fortune just to sleep at night. Any help is appreciated while we plan our trip.

1) Thinking of May or June...what is the better month?

2) What are your must haves for food/drink etc?

3? Favorite brand of saddle and/or bike shorts?

4) What food travels best? We are thinking of once we leave each morning of just having snack food along the way and our dinner when we stop to rest.

5) Tools/accessories that are a must?

6) Best places to rest for the night in/near Marthasville, Rochport, Sedalia, Clinton that are not crazy high priced?

7) Any other tips/advice you have...

We appreciate it very much!

We will be riding the trail in four weeks. But we have ridden multiple long trails and here are some of my answers:

If you want to save money, buy bike liners/cycling underwear to wear under normal athletic shorts. Maybe not as nice as bike shorts but at $20/pair a lot cheaper.

We take a Mio Sport additive for water. There are a bunch of other ones but a little flavor is nice and electrolites are nice. We normally carry two bike bottles on the frames and 1-2 liter bottles in the panniers to get us from point to point on hot days.

Carry a good first aid kit. I carry a backwoods version which is a little more complete for if you are in the middle of nowhere. At my age I supplement it with lots of Advil.

Tire levers and several spare tubes. We also carry a patch kit but changing out the tube is easier. Have a pump. Folding bike tool. We debate carrying a folding tire. We do not carry an extra spoke but some do.

Backpacking hint: Clothes in plastic ziplocks keep them dry

Snacks are an assortment of powerbars. Trail mix is good also. I like a long stop for lunch to recover from the morning where we usually ride 60-70 of the day's miles.

Battery packs to recharge phones, headphones, lights, etc. on long days.

I used AirBnB for reservations along with this site's recommendations. Use "bunk houses" to save money and it can be fun. Sometimes the rougher places are the more memorable. I didn't find the prices along the trail all that bad. Just make sure they are easy to get to, I remember staying at the top of the hill in Harper's Ferry... I will post my review of housing after our ride.

40-50 miles a day on the Katy might be like doing 55-70 on a flat, smooth surface. Is your son up to that level for multiple days? May and June are about the same, but you are likely to run into more people on the trail in June (one of the big annual rides is in June). Dry, room-temp foods travel best. My philosophy is to "rough it" during the day with protein bars and jerky, and then to have a nice dinner.

Thank you Jack. All of your tips are very much appreciated!!!


BikerBoy we ride a lot but are def working him up to that point. We plan to do a few shorter trips...1 and 2 days then work up to that point but are wanting to. I meant to say April or June...didn't know if April would be too much of a risk for rain. Also thinking maybe October. I was thinking the same concept as far as roughing it during the day with protein, jerky etc and a good dinner at night. We fish a lot as well so we do the same thing in that aspect. Appreciate the tips.

All of this is just my opinion, so take it all however you like.

Make sure to do some 2 day trips to see if you're even having fun. Enjoying a 20 mile ride, and riding 50 miles on gravel with 30 pounds of gear on back-to-back days are very very different concepts, no matter how similar they may seem.

The only bunkhouse/hostel I know of is in Tebbetts. You'll need to either camp or get a BnB everywhere else. We got BnBs , because if you camp and get bad sleep, the next day will be really bad. But, the BnBs are pretty pricey, in my opinion.

Riding 50 miles a day on gravel will require real food, and plenty of it. It's not the same as fishing. Some people love PowerBars and trail mix and can eat huge amounts of it every day, but I'm a big fan of getting off the bike, having real food, and recharging myself. Bagels, tortillas, peanut butter, salami, cheese, boiled eggs, dried fruit, can seem enough like real food to keep you from burning out. If one of you gets tired of the food and stops eating enough, you are on the fast train to Bonkville, and that's a bad place for a riding family to be.

Drink lots of calories. Kool-aid travels well.

Having three of you, and one being smaller, you might think about pulling a trailer for your stuff. Making the strongest rider pull the trailer helps prevent him/her from giving the others a beatdown.

The best saddle is the one that fits your rear. Very individual. My wife uses a saddle that most "real cyclists" say is terrible, but she outrides most of them, so we don't care too much what they say.

April is nice weather, unless it rains. And the plants are all blooming, and it's really pretty.

Bring a really good multitool, a patch kit, a pump, and three spare tubes. But have a plan for what to do if something more major happens, like a broken chain or derailleur.

If you can all stay fed and rested and don't try too many miles, you are going to have a really really great time, and make amazing memories.

October is the best month for the trail. No bugs, minimal tourist, easier to find a camp ground.

We're at the point of making the decision whether to ride the KATY from Clinton to St. Charles during the 2nd week of September. Between the trail damage that I've been reading about here and the Delta variant situation, I just don't know if this is a smart thing to do or if we should wait until next year. Opinions?

Trail conditions - who knows what they will be next year.

Covid conditions - who knows what they will be next year. Sure, there is a Delta variant and a new Lambda variant that you may not have heard about coming in the U.S. from South America through the southern border.

Bottom line is, it’s your decision if riding your bike on the Katy is worth it. Nobody else’s opinion really matters.

Happy Trails

I'd do it. You'll find that people in small towns don't worry too much about the virus.

Personally I would do it now, just because:

- You have almost zero chance of picking up the virus while out on the trail

- You have to interact with people to get food, but if that makes you nervous, it can be minimized

- if you're just worried about whether businesses are open during times of COVID, most of them ARE still open and would truly appreciate your business. But I would call ahead to be sure about hours of operation, etc.

- MO DNR has been working to repair trail damage, and it should be in decent shape well before mid-September. An exception is the detour by Rocheport, but that might still be an issue even next year.

- every few years we have a big flood resulting in closure of trail sections; the last one was two years ago. If you postpone until next year, and then next year turns out to be a big flood year, you'll wish you hadn't postponed.

But like Gary said, every person has to make their own personal decision - weighing their own goals and concerns. Good luck with making your decision and good luck with your trip, whenever you decide to do it.

We are riding in four weeks. I have the same thoughts. We are both vaccinated so if we do catch COVID it may wreck the ride but not us and we will carry masks to use indoors.

My concern is more trail conditions. We wanted to go in 2019 but that was when everything was flooded. So I guess if you want to ride the Katy you deal with trail conditions. We are hoping for decent weather between now and then so they can do more repairs and not have more damage.

Missouri has one of the highest rates of new covid cases in the last few months. It is among the hottest of the hot spots for covid because many in Missouri don't believe covid is real and they have one of the lowest immunization rates in the country.

I am going to wait until next year.

Thanks for your input - of course, we have to make our own decision and I'm still working that out. Like someone else on this board, we originally planned for 2019 and got flooded out. Last year was a no-go with the COVID. This year, COVID again and trail damage with nasty detours that I've been reading about here. It's not like we don't have plenty of great rail-trails here in the east...but, KATY has been on my list for over 5 years. If it has to wait another year, I can deal with that.

Hi there my boyfriend and I and our 11 year old son are looking to do the whole trail with an average of 40-50 miles per day and we need your help. We want to pack as minimal as possible while still having the things we need and don't want to spend a fortune just to sleep at night. Any help is appreciated while we plan our trip.

1) Thinking of May or June...what is the better month?

2) What are your must haves for food/drink etc?

3? Favorite brand of saddle and/or bike shorts?

4) What food travels best? We are thinking of once we leave each morning of just having snack food along the way and our dinner when we stop to rest.

5) Tools/accessories that are a must?

6) Best places to rest for the night in/near Marthasville, Rochport, Sedalia, Clinton that are not crazy high priced?

7) Any other tips/advice you have...

We appreciate it very much!

I have been thinking of ordering the new edition of this great resource. Since I already have 2 previous editions, I am a bit hesitant. Does anyone know what the updates will be? I have looked for information everywhere but most web-based information is about older editions. I will most likely end up buying it anyway, but just want a push to pull the trigger.

I don't know, but I was photographed at the Clinton trailhead in June by someone doing the update and said I'd likely be in it. :)

Stopped for the night on 7/14 after a long hot day on the trail, and felt lucky to find a place like this to spend the night.

Pop machine on the porch worked and the drinks were ice cold. Fridge, microwave, hot plate, coffee machine, a room to store the bikes, hot shower, a bed to sleep on, etc. All that and we had the place to ourselves.

That was my experience, yours may differ but I'd recommend this place as a stop for the night. The recommended donation is $5, but in my opinion it's worth more. Bring some food to heat up (seriously, there's not much in Tebbetts), have a cold pop and relax.

I agree! I stayed for night in June. I had the place to myself. Very quiet. Clean. Incredible bargain at $5.

I agree as well. The only thing that would make it better would be some Square Donuts from Terre Haute!

With what I will call a reasonable pace, is it reasonable, given the trail surface, the desire to stop for necessities, pictures, rest, water, selfies, etc... to say average 10 miles per hour? For a middle aged human, average but regular bike rider, is that a reasonable expectation, 10 mph?

We average 10-10.5 WHILE ROLLING. So then add stops on top of that. I consider us average humans.

We averaged about 12.0 mph while rolling; it worked out to 11.2 mph total including breaks. Including lunch stops, it'll probably take one hour per 10 miles of riding.
This was over 5 days, doing 45 miles per day with high temps at 75-80 degrees, with good roads. We carried about 12 lbs of gear on gravel bikes.
We usually roll at 14.0-14.5 mph on paved roads.
Good luck.

11.7 with 40lbs of camping gear last october kirkwood to kansas city.noramly 14 on the road unloaded.

That's great input; PERFECT, thank you...

I am 58 and did the entire trail in June. I averaged 11 mph on pavement on my converted mountain bike before the trail (no weight other than the normal stuff carried on a ride). I don't care one bit about speed; I just enjoy being out.

I didn't use Strava or any other apps on my ride, but with the weight (I was totally self sufficient) and the surface, I probably rode around 9-10 mph, tops. I went from Clinton to Sedalia; Sedalia to Rocheport; Rocheport to Tebbits; Tebbits to Marthasville; and Marthasville to St. Charles. It was between 92-98 degrees each day. I had no problem at all covering the distance and was at each destination well before 5:00 pm, usually by 3 pm.

DNR posted on FaceBook today:

ATTENTION: The Katy Trail will be closed daily starting Monday, August 2 through Thursday, August 5 from 7 am to 4 pm from MM 144.34 near Claysville to MM 149.55 near Nickle Rd. There will be dump trucks and heavy equipment working to repair an area of trail that was damaged from flooding. Please avoid this area while work is underway.

I just finished the MR340. I was wondering if their is a group ride or race for the entire Katy trail each year? Im looking for something in 2022.

What's MR340?

And, nope. There's a shorter one that the state puts on, but it's not what you're looking for.

FYI, perhaps they will reschedule
https://mostateparks.com/page/90626/2021-bicentennial-ride?fbclid=IwAR3q4SGrlH9NbG5wK0kQZtH2mddQ1DgfSXIauculiFFAG0B7vtuVUQxrnco

Congratulations on finishing the M340 - lots of heat this year on the river. There are no "races" on the Trail - but, the DNR sponsors a whole trail ride every year (well, except for years when there is a plague, or severe storms and tornados that cause crazy damage to the Trail). I would not expect the DNR rides to resume until they have the bridge replaced at Salt Creek near Rocheport as there is just no really safe work sound for as many riders as they have on the DNR ride unless they can figure out a way to just shuttle riders from New Franklin to Rocheport. But, that's just my opinion.

We come in one week prices we’re OK we come in weeks later price is raised again ridiculously overpriced and then waitress wants 20% off the computer what a joke that’s an obligation not to be forced your food is over price how could anybody leave a A tip good luck in the future

You're comment is really difficult to decipher, but as far as prices go; have you bought groceries lately? The price goes up daily. The waitress wanted 20% of the computer? You mean your bill? I can't believe ANYONE in there told you that unless you were a HUGE amount of work. Now, judging from your post, THAT I believe. I eat there often and NONE of what you posted makes any sense. The food is very good and reasonably priced and they treat you well. Unless you're a jerk.

I have been eating there for years and they have always been Wonderful to me - the food has been great and very reasonably priced. I will continue to eat there every chance I get!! I am sorry you had a bad expericen there - I suggest you give them another try.

Are towels and bed linens supplied? Thanks.

You need to ask them directly. It's extremely unlikely that they will see this here.

I am a road bike rider with multiple Ragbri’s. Looking for something new. What kind of tires work best on the Katy Trail.?

The condition of the trail varies with the weather and the repairs being done by the state.

If it has rained a lot, then it can be soft enough that narrow tires will sink in.

Steady rains can also lead to ruts and washouts.

If it has been very dry, sometimes the trail will develop cracks large enough to swallow a narrow tire.

If the state has laid down new gravel, you will encounter several inches of loose gravel.

Then there is debris like branches, downed trees, rocks, and ruts created by tractors and other vehicles.

And on some occasions the trail will be smooth and hard packed for miles and miles. Can't really rely on that.

People also report nasty, tire-piercing thorns in some places.

I recommend riding a 700x35c/650x1.5 tires or larger (or its equivalent for your tire setup).
Generally there is no need for knobs.

I've done several trips in the conditions listed above with 650x2.0 smooth tires and it has worked well for me. I think I'll go. down to 1.5 tires when this set wears out.

A friend of mine with a gravel bike rode with me using 700x37 semi-knobby tires.

I always use tires with a kevlar belt. Aside from the thorns, there are times when small pieces of sharp gravel can work into the tread, and kevlar seems to prevent punctures.

Thank you Brad Wilson.

MTB tires. A little cushion for the bumps, and a little float for the squishy places, and never get a flat. It ain't a race.

What are options to transport ourselves and 2 bicycles from Clinton to St. Charles?

Several posts about this topic, try using the search feature with key word shuttle. Another option is instead of riding to Clinton, take the turn onto the Rock Island trail in Windsor, ride to Lees Summit and Amtrak to Washington...ride to St Charles from there...or shuttle. Amtrak only takes four bikes per train and must be reserved in advance.

I have cycled the Katy Trail about 8 times and just completed my latest ride. The trail this year is in the worst condition of any ride I've taken. There were hundreds of washouts that seem to occur because the ditches have not been maintained or cleaned out and when filled up with dirt and debris, the water backs up and can't drain and then, spills over the trail and damages the trail. I have never seen it so bad. Many cuts in the trail were a foot deep. The bridge 3 miles east of Rocheport is so washed out you should not count and ANY work around other than to take Highway 40 to get to Rocheport. Trust me, I tried and it's impossible. There is one long hill to climb but once on top, it is not a bad ride into Rocheport. I recommend the School House B&B in Rocheport. The new owner, Andy, was a great host. And IF you ike some nice dinning, go to Abigails for dinner. Reservations are required and Andy can make them for you. Hotel Frederick in Boonville and the Globe Inn at Hartsburg I also recommend. And IF, you like adventure and want to meet the "old man on the trail" you need to stay in Bluffton with Doug at the Old Barn. Doug is a very interesting guy and you will never forget him. He'll take good care of you.

The Katy Trail was actually in great shape until two weeks ago. Torrential downpour brought us _over_ 12 inches of rain. We actually had bricks in the middle of our gravel road which had been washed out of the ditch (who knew we had bricks in the ditch!) and pushed into the road. We had leaks (plural) in our roof, standing water in the basement and in ponds in the yard that we have never seen hold water before.

Karen C (another local) posted a photo of the bridge near McBaine after the storm. The bridge had sticks poking through the guard rail (yes, the water had been over the bridge) and the gravel up to the bridge had been washed such she had to climb nearly 3 feet to get on the bridge.

Obviously these serious problems are being addressed first. Sorry for them because they had just come through and brought in gravel even in places that didn't really need it and cleaned out ditches etc. The sections along the Missouri river are beautiful, but they are a nightmare to maintain.

We would all like to see the bridge replaced east of Rocheport, but supposedly it requires engineering and special budget bill from the state. If you get a chance, leave a nice note with them and prod them on the bridge. Hope we see you on trip number 9!

Mark: Is this the route you took? I copied this from a post after yours. Looks like a nice gravel ride despite the elevation.
https://goo.gl/maps/JWgKXBqu7tZ4QASW6

Thanks Mark! Good to know the youngsters still appreciate me.

We rode to Rocheport yesterday via the MKT Tail from Columbia. A bit rough and messy right when we joined the Katy at the trailhead but otherwise smooth going and gorgeous. The bridge is out WEST of Rocheport so if you are coming from the east, Rocheport is accessible as is that cute Merriweather Cafe and bike shop for a good meal! Oh, one warning: the mosquitoes are fierce! Bring bug spray!!

We rode to Rocheport yesterday via the MKT Tail from Columbia. A bit rough and messy right when we joined the Katy at the trailhead but otherwise smooth going and gorgeous. The bridge is out WEST of Rocheport so if you are coming from the east, Rocheport is accessible as is that cute Merriweather Cafe and bike shop for a good meal! Oh, one warning: the mosquitoes are fierce! Bring bug spray!!

From Boonville to Jefferson City,how is the rehabilitation of the trail progressing? Are the crews in the midst of repairs?
We are planning on riding through in mid August and hoping to get your all’s insights.
Thank you

I’m planning to do the entire trail with my dog. Trying to understand how many lodging opportunities there are available that are pet friendly. Has anyone done this with their pet? Suggestions and ideas?