Katy Trail Forum

We stayed at the Bothwell on April 29th, 2006 and it was just what we needed, having rode the last hour in pouring rain coming from Clinton. The hotel was easy to find too (even with my glassed covered with raindrops), with us leaving the trail on the Harrison Street crossing, going north till we met up with 4th Street then going east right to the hotel.



The front desk person was really helpful, telling us we could keep our bike in the room, but we explained we had a tandem recumbent and even though we could break it in two sections (it has S & S couplers) we really did not want to muck up a room with a wet bike. She then found us a storage area to the right of the lobby desk behind a freight elevator.



The front desk person also gave us a great room (701) on the top floor in a quiet corner. And while the in-hotel restuarant had recently closed, we called out for Italian food and had it delivered right to our room.



Also, the hotel has what to me was a good, no-charge-to-guests, breakfast with cereal, make-your-own waffles fruit and juice.



I would say the hotel is very Katy-rider friendly, having a Katy trail ad in the Katy trail guide and mentioning it on their website. Highly recommended.

I too had a great experience staying at the Bothwell, and highly recommend it to anyone biking the KATY and staying in Sedelia.

The restaurant had closed? Was this just for the weekend, or is it out of business? We always really enjoy a meal at del Amici's when staying at at the Bothwell, and in fact are planning a trip in June with Sedalia as a stop.

We enjoyed our stay here in June. The desk clerk hauled our tandem to the basement storage by herself! The new restaurant is open but it is closed on Monday so we didn't get to try it.

We stay there last year, it is the most elegant B&B. Great people, great service, They are the best and the home is beautiful.

We stay there last year, it is the most elegant B&B. Great people, great service, They are the best and the home is beautiful.

The pictures on the website are miss leading, not a real B&B. You are on your own.

The pictures on the website are miss leading, not a real B&B. You are on your own.

Nice place to stay and Frank is a very nice person. Good breakfast. Recommend.

Nice place to stay and Frank is a very nice person. Good breakfast. Recommend.

Oak Glen was great the first weekend! Frank and his place is exactly what Hermann is all about....fine place and great people. See you next year Frank!

Oak Glen was great the first weekend! Frank and his place is exactly what Hermann is all about....fine place and great people. See you next year Frank!

"Walmart" Harbor Haus Inn & Suites is a very old motel, not a Bed and Breakfast in the real sense. If you are looking for a gourmet breakfast, skip this one. Juice, powder coffee, and a couple items....that's it.

"Walmart" Harbor Haus Inn & Suites is a very old motel, not a Bed and Breakfast in the real sense. If you are looking for a gourmet breakfast, skip this one. Juice, powder coffee, and a couple items....that's it.

we are planning ride on katy trail. using amtrak from st. louis to sedalia, ride to jefferson city, then return train to st. louis. we understand that single bikes are allowed on train with nominal fee. has anyone tried to board train with tandem?

we are planning ride on katy trail. using amtrak from st. louis to sedalia, ride to jefferson city, then return train to st. louis. we understand that single bikes are allowed on train with nominal fee. has anyone tried to board train with tandem?

I did it once with success. The first conductor was giving us grief. The second conductor was much more accomodating. I felt bad because they put it along the handicap area and it was leaning against a lady in an electric wheelchair when we got off the train. Based upon this experience and other reports of issues with recumbants and trailers on this section of Amtrak, I'd recommend doing this on a non-holiday weekday (that means not Friday night too), tie wrap the wheels to the bike and rotate the captain handlebars down (try to make it not much longer than a single).

I did it once with success. The first conductor was giving us grief. The second conductor was much more accomodating. I felt bad because they put it along the handicap area and it was leaning against a lady in an electric wheelchair when we got off the train. Based upon this experience and other reports of issues with recumbants and trailers on this section of Amtrak, I'd recommend doing this on a non-holiday weekday (that means not Friday night too), tie wrap the wheels to the bike and rotate the captain handlebars down (try to make it not much longer than a single).

Be sure to check with Amtrak before making a trip this summer. There are track works that are causing delays, and when we were in Sedalia this weekend, the train had been replaced by a bus to Jefferson City. We weren't planning to use the train, but the couple we spoke to who were didn't know whether they would be able to put their bikes on the bus. Don't know what came of that, but I would be sure to find out before planning a trip that requires use of the train.

Be sure to check with Amtrak before making a trip this summer. There are track works that are causing delays, and when we were in Sedalia this weekend, the train had been replaced by a bus to Jefferson City. We weren't planning to use the train, but the couple we spoke to who were didn't know whether they would be able to put their bikes on the bus. Don't know what came of that, but I would be sure to find out before planning a trip that requires use of the train.

I'm planning a 2 day ride from Rocheport. Is there any problem with parking and leaving me car there overnight?

Overnight parking can be done at the trailhead(in town) or on public streets. I've not heard of vehicle breakins or damage from overnight parking but would encourage you to leave minimal gear/valuables in sight because you never know. If large numbers of overnight parkings occur, the town fathers might become concerned but I doubt that will become a problem. who will show up.us

Things to know about Klondike Campground:



1. This is NOT in the town of Augusta. It's three miles east of Augusta, look for a sign on the trail pointing up a steep hill.



2. Good luck making a reservation or getting a hold of any one at the listed phone number. Serious banker's hours service. However, you go, you find a campsite, you pitch, and then follow the signs to the shower facility. Next to the showers there is an "honor box" where you fill out your info, stick $7 in the envelope, and tear off the tag to use on your campsite post. (This will keep Ranger Friendly from rousting you at 2 a.m. and following behind you in her truck while you stumble two miles to the honor box. Fun, fun.)



3. The campground does not sell firewood any more. (Like there'd really be a human you could find with whom to exchange money if they did!) I had luck scaveging dead branches and some helpful neighbors who loaned me an axe to chop my deadwood small enough for the firepit. Your mileage may vary.



4. Maybe I was there on a bad night, but the hoosiers screaming and playing grab-@$$ through all hours of the night and early morning seemed to be endemic throughout the place. Rangers were too busy collecting their seven bucks to enforce the noise restrictions. I don't mean there were a few bad apples, I mean it was Animal-frickin'-House from one end to the other the night I was there.



5. Seven bucks. On the Katy Trail. You can't go wrong. Just bring ear plugs and don't waste your time asking other campers where the office is located. There isn't one.

Things to know about Klondike Campground:



1. This is NOT in the town of Augusta. It's three miles east of Augusta, look for a sign on the trail pointing up a steep hill.



2. Good luck making a reservation or getting a hold of any one at the listed phone number. Serious banker's hours service. However, you go, you find a campsite, you pitch, and then follow the signs to the shower facility. Next to the showers there is an "honor box" where you fill out your info, stick $7 in the envelope, and tear off the tag to use on your campsite post. (This will keep Ranger Friendly from rousting you at 2 a.m. and following behind you in her truck while you stumble two miles to the honor box. Fun, fun.)



3. The campground does not sell firewood any more. (Like there'd really be a human you could find with whom to exchange money if they did!) I had luck scaveging dead branches and some helpful neighbors who loaned me an axe to chop my deadwood small enough for the firepit. Your mileage may vary.



4. Maybe I was there on a bad night, but the hoosiers screaming and playing grab-@$$ through all hours of the night and early morning seemed to be endemic throughout the place. Rangers were too busy collecting their seven bucks to enforce the noise restrictions. I don't mean there were a few bad apples, I mean it was Animal-frickin'-House from one end to the other the night I was there.



5. Seven bucks. On the Katy Trail. You can't go wrong. Just bring ear plugs and don't waste your time asking other campers where the office is located. There isn't one.

My wife and I could not say enough about the hospitality of Maggie and Eldon, the owners of Meyers Hilltop Farm. They really make you feel at home and can't do enough to help you out.



While it is a little bit of a climb to the house up the driveway, the location only helps add to the peacefulness of the bed and breakfast. Also, the bird show out their dining area is fantastic. They fill their bird feeders all year and it pays off in that we saw a flock of goldfinches along with nuthatches, cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers. And out in the front area are the famous "guard donkeys" who love to eat crakers out of your hand.



One big reason we stayed at the Hilltop Farm is that it is so easy to get to off the trail, just about 1/4 mile to the north of it. The owners will also glady take you across the river in one of their vehicles to Herman, and then pick you up when you are done. They have a Herman restaurant menu selection in their house so you can get an idea of where you want to dine before you head over (we did Mexican food).



The morning of our departure, a cold front starting moving the area and was supposed to go stationary, with rain and thunderstorms for the next day or so. With this in mind, my wife and I decided to unfortunately end our Katy journey back east to St. Charles. In asking about about a shuttle service back to St. Charles, Maggie and Eldon recommended the bike shop in Herman, and with one call, we were set to have them pick us in a little over an hour from the time of our call and take us back to our van.



I would highly recommend the Meyers Hilltop Farm to anyone.

My wife and I could not say enough about the hospitality of Maggie and Eldon, the owners of Meyers Hilltop Farm. They really make you feel at home and can't do enough to help you out.



While it is a little bit of a climb to the house up the driveway, the location only helps add to the peacefulness of the bed and breakfast. Also, the bird show out their dining area is fantastic. They fill their bird feeders all year and it pays off in that we saw a flock of goldfinches along with nuthatches, cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers. And out in the front area are the famous "guard donkeys" who love to eat crakers out of your hand.



One big reason we stayed at the Hilltop Farm is that it is so easy to get to off the trail, just about 1/4 mile to the north of it. The owners will also glady take you across the river in one of their vehicles to Herman, and then pick you up when you are done. They have a Herman restaurant menu selection in their house so you can get an idea of where you want to dine before you head over (we did Mexican food).



The morning of our departure, a cold front starting moving the area and was supposed to go stationary, with rain and thunderstorms for the next day or so. With this in mind, my wife and I decided to unfortunately end our Katy journey back east to St. Charles. In asking about about a shuttle service back to St. Charles, Maggie and Eldon recommended the bike shop in Herman, and with one call, we were set to have them pick us in a little over an hour from the time of our call and take us back to our van.



I would highly recommend the Meyers Hilltop Farm to anyone.

We had a wonderful stay there as well. Very nice hosts. They drove us over to Hermann for dinner and picked us up after. We enjoyed our get-a-way there very much.

We had a wonderful stay there as well. Very nice hosts. They drove us over to Hermann for dinner and picked us up after. We enjoyed our get-a-way there very much.

Just returned from our first ride on the Katy Trail. We also enjoyed the accommodations, hospitality and certainly the wonderful breakfast at Meyer's Hilltop Farm.

Just returned from our first ride on the Katy Trail. We also enjoyed the accommodations, hospitality and certainly the wonderful breakfast at Meyer's Hilltop Farm.

What a wonderful couple. Meyer's Hilltop was a blessing after a long hot day on the trail. The hospitality was great, the breakfast was out of this world. Just what the doctor ordered.

What a wonderful couple. Meyer's Hilltop was a blessing after a long hot day on the trail. The hospitality was great, the breakfast was out of this world. Just what the doctor ordered.

We had the pleasure of staying two wonderful nights with Maggie and Eldon. It was an absolutely wonderful experience and we would recommend it highly to anyone in the Hermann or McKittrick area.

We had the pleasure of staying two wonderful nights with Maggie and Eldon. It was an absolutely wonderful experience and we would recommend it highly to anyone in the Hermann or McKittrick area.

We were impressed with Steamboat Junction's campground. We could tell that a lot of care went into keeping the area clean and neat. The fridg with food in it was very welcome especially when we rode in after dark. Thank you for the clean shower and the table and chairs at the campsites. The best place we camped during our trek across the state.

Steamboat Junction was a cute and relaxing place to stop for a snack!!! The owners are very friendly and helpful. We stopped there twice and would go back again. That piece of the trail does not have a lot of bikers, and the view from their swing was beautiful. Very well kept home and camping site.

Thank you for the ice cream!!

I'm flying in to do the Katy Trail, and other local rides (everything else will be paved). Here I commute on a Specialized Sirrus and ride a Felt F75 on the weekends. I'm looking at picking up a mid-level bike, like the Marin Kentfield or the Trek 7.2 FX or SU100. The big question is, will 700c x35 road tires handle the crushed limestone, or would I be better off with 26x1.5"s? Given that the rest of my riding in the area will be street or pave trail, and I'm used to riding road tires here, I'm inclined to go 700c, but if the Katy Trail will murder that rubber, I'll have to rethink... Thanks!

A few friends and I rode it with our road bikes with 700x25's and they worked fine. It even rained for half a day and that wasn't a problem for the tires.

chris, i have a raleigh bike with standard knobby tire bouts 1"--1 1/2" inch wide. have rode the katy when it is dry as a bone, and the day after a toad strangler of a rain storm, NO problems at all.

There are no shortage of opinions on tires on the trail. I'm fine on a tandem with 700x28s. Regardless of what you choose to ride, I have 3 rules:

1) You must carry a patch kit, spare tubes, and tire tools.

2) You must know how to use the items listed in number 1.

I'd like an Amen from everyone on what I consider a third thing we should all agree on.

3) Your tires should have a Kevlar belt. The weight penalty is neglibile for riding on the KATY trail. It won't save you from all flats, but if only saves you from a fraction of the flats, it's worth it.

You'll find plenty of opinions at:

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/talk.aspx?thid=682¬efmt=1&sortby=0&pg=4

I'm doing the DNR Katy Trail Ride next week and I've got Bontrager Invert 700 X 35 tires on my Gary Fisher hybred. Everyone I've talked with at bike stores and on group rides assures me I won't have any trouble with these tires......I'll be able to give first hand information in a week and a half......



Don

I rode from Sediala to McKittrick last week on a Specialized Sirrus and didn't have any problems. I changed to tires to 700x32 Specialized Bourough CX. They have a Kevlar belt and I had no flats.

Skinny or fat, slicks or knobby, 26" or 700, kevlar or not. The answer is tuffy liners, they will help prevent 90% of flats caused by the sharp limestone and locust thorns, except on the sidewalls there you are sol . I have seen picture nails peirce a kevlar tire, just the tiniest tip of the nail came through, it was enough to cause a puncture. Don't forget the weight of the rider plus packs, low tire presure and scrubbed (well used) tires will raised your percentage for flats. This will also affect your pocket book if repairs are needed. Make sure if you have a heavy load that you wheels are up to the weight, last thing you want is to replace spokes, anverage wheel will handle about 250 pounds.



I have a Amen for Nails but my Amen is for his first and second line on rules. I can not tell you how many times I have seen people out who do not know how to change a tire, carry spare tubes or even simply know how to use a pump or what size tire or type of valve they have. They wear all the coolest clothing and have cool gear but please...



The trail will chew up soft compound road tires causing slicing and chunking. Might I suggest a slightly harder compound like the PanaRacer T-Serve Messanger which come in a variety of widths, for both 26 and 700. This tire holds up very well on the trail and is a very competent road tire. Another one would be the Hutchinson Acrobat which also comes in a range of sizes.



Hope this helps.

Hartsburg Cycle Depot fixed me up with a set of Panaracer messenger tires and they are

great on the Trail. I have them on my mountain bike and they have served me well with no

problems. Even though I live in KC, I do my best to support the businesses along the Trail

because I want them to stay in business.

The run between Rocheport and Easley was a nature watch...we saw 2 snakes, 9 deer, groundhog, raccoon, rabbit...but no snapping turtles. We hear tell though from some Columbia regulars on the Katy that in 2-3 weeks, the snapping turles come out of the MO River to lay eggs...they said that the turtles are all over the place...sounds like a sight to behold!

The run between Rocheport and Easley was a nature watch...we saw 2 snakes, 9 deer, groundhog, raccoon, rabbit...but no snapping turtles. We hear tell though from some Columbia regulars on the Katy that in 2-3 weeks, the snapping turles come out of the MO River to lay eggs...they said that the turtles are all over the place...sounds like a sight to behold!

I love snakes a-lot and I would like to know what kind of snakes you saw. If you don't know, tell me what color they where and I could tell you what kind thay were if you would like. Thank you!

I love snakes a-lot and I would like to know what kind of snakes you saw. If you don't know, tell me what color they where and I could tell you what kind thay were if you would like. Thank you!

Adam...not sure what kind of snakes they were...very long...about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. We made sure we didn't roll over them...one we didn't get to before it exited the trail (stage left). I think they were black snakes.

Adam...not sure what kind of snakes they were...very long...about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. We made sure we didn't roll over them...one we didn't get to before it exited the trail (stage left). I think they were black snakes.

Copperheads, garter snakes and black snakes are the most common snakes I have seen on

the trail. I heard a rattlesnake once, but never seen one.

Copperheads, garter snakes and black snakes are the most common snakes I have seen on

the trail. I heard a rattlesnake once, but never seen one.

My family and I rode the trail between Boonville and McBaine over Memorial Weekend. Along the trail we found eye glasses and case and we were not able to find an appropriate "lost and found" area to leave them. If you are looking for them, please respond for more details.

Many years ago, sometime in the mid 1980's, I visited this very field, and this amazing tree. I have never forgotten this lovely tree and the field surrounding.



In a daydream this morning at work, it came back to me and the urge to FIND this tree somewhere on the Internet was nearly overwhelming. It's silly, I know, but the sense of peace and familiarity I felt when finally discovering this photograph was deep and great.



I attended Stephens College, graduated in 1984 and returned to NY - sadly. Since then, I attended a large Dawson family reunion downstate, with a quick day-trip to Columbia to walk the Stephen's campus with my then toddler daughter. That was nearly six years ago....



If you're near this lovely tree, say a quiet "hello" for me, and if you're in the mood, please say "thanks," too. We should all live to be so old and graceful and generous as this peaceful, strong tree.

Many years ago, sometime in the mid 1980's, I visited this very field, and this amazing tree. I have never forgotten this lovely tree and the field surrounding.



In a daydream this morning at work, it came back to me and the urge to FIND this tree somewhere on the Internet was nearly overwhelming. It's silly, I know, but the sense of peace and familiarity I felt when finally discovering this photograph was deep and great.



I attended Stephens College, graduated in 1984 and returned to NY - sadly. Since then, I attended a large Dawson family reunion downstate, with a quick day-trip to Columbia to walk the Stephen's campus with my then toddler daughter. That was nearly six years ago....



If you're near this lovely tree, say a quiet "hello" for me, and if you're in the mood, please say "thanks," too. We should all live to be so old and graceful and generous as this peaceful, strong tree.

A nice "touchstone" in your life. Nicely expressed, thank-you. Mark of the Dalton Boys

A nice "touchstone" in your life. Nicely expressed, thank-you. Mark of the Dalton Boys

what mark of the dalton boys said

what mark of the dalton boys said

Check out http://www.mdc.mo.gov/ Pick the ATLAS hyperlink and it will take you to the Missouri Department of Conservation's online Atlas. If you type in the name of a conservation area (CA) in the search section it will give you details of that area, including a map in .pdf format. The maps usually show where campsites are located.

Check out http://www.mdc.mo.gov/ Pick the ATLAS hyperlink and it will take you to the Missouri Department of Conservation's online Atlas. If you type in the name of a conservation area (CA) in the search section it will give you details of that area, including a map in .pdf format. The maps usually show where campsites are located.