Katy Trail Forum

Just home from my first overnight on the Katy Trail. What a gem you guys have here. Been wanting to do this for years, but things come up. This could be done with existing trails systems in our area, but the vision seems to be lacking. As I told my friend, I'm dirty, dusty, and completely satisfied. I'm already planning my thru ride for next fall. I need to see more. Everyone I met was friendly and welcoming. Wow. just an amazing trip. 400,000 visitors a year!

Perry, glad you got to enjoy "our little secret". I think about the potential that the Hennepin Canal / Illinois & Michigan trails have for your area, and it's a shame that they are not upgraded. The tourism could be very beneficial, especially when you consider that Starved Rock State Park is right in the middle and is Illinois' most popular state park.

Today on my daily training ride i discovered part of rock island spur in lees summit that will eventuality hook up with katy trail and connect the Kansas city metro area cant wait.

Globe Hotel Bed and Breakfast will remain closed this year. We plan to reopen in May 2021.

I stayed in the queen bed room while other friends stayed on the adjoining side on the evening of 9/19/20 near the end of a KC to STL bike trip. Joey was very accommodating to our group and went out of her way to tell us about the area and provided a lovely pre-prepared breakfast the following morning. Would highly recommend staying here as it is VERY close to the trail yet far enough off that you still have plenty of privacy.

The is a small building by the trail with a pay box and a refrigerator with pop, Gatorade, and snacks in it. The owner lives in the house in front. The camping is not visible from the trail. It is behind the house. A large area that several hundred could camp at. It has hookups, Tent camping for 1-2 people is $10. The cleanest porta potty i have ever seen. A separate shower building with a sink. Tables and fire rings.

We tent camped on 9-16-2020 at the park. There are three paths from the Katy trail to enter the park. Coming from the west the path is paved and very steep. The next path is unpaved and steep. I recommend riding past these and entering the next paved road by the boat ramp parking. It is Lewis and Clark trail to the park camping. A bit longer, some paved, some limestone. You can see the lake from the road. Pass the first campsites and continue to the basic sites. $10, They are across from the shower house. Which also has a camp kitchen. Leave the campground on the steep downhill.

We tent camped on 9-15-2020. The tent camping is close to other sites. It has hookups for RV’s, a combined shower and toilet building. Also has a bar & grill behind the camping with food. Not open for breakfast. The campground is behind the trailhead.

I'm struggling with the Mileage chart on the website. Is it possible to toggle the Mileage Chart for an eastbound ride - starting in Clinton and ending in St. Charles. Probably something obvious, but I can't figure it out.

If you click on the starting point it will adjust the mileage from there to each location.

Tried that. Only highlights the Clinton row, but doesn't flip the chart. Machens is at the top and Clinton at the bottom of the chart and chart only work in a "top down" direction for distance calculations....not "bottom up". There must be a way to plan a Clinton to Machens ride...ie: Clinton at the top and Machens at the bottom.

I can do the math and calculate distances, but seems like the chart should work in both directions.

The Mileage chart used to allow one to switch between East and West origins. Maybe that feature cannot work with the Rock Island spur complicating the layout? I am sure Ray will answer the question once he has his coffee this morning (or returns from a ride). :)

The Towns and Services tab does this for you once you pick the town and direction, so that is the tab that I like to use.

Yes. Thanks! The Towns and Services tab will do it. I hadn't tried that tab. I could swear the I used to be able to toggle the Mileage Chart from East to West....which was very handy.
Thanks for the tips!

you have to hit the refresh button after you flip it.

I have a few questions.
1. Can you park your vehicle at Lee's Summit Train Station while riding the Katy? Planning to return from St Louis to Lee's Summit. IF not any suggestions?
2. Does anyone know the most Bike friendly route to get from Lee's Summit to Rock Island Trail in Pleasant Hills?

Thank you for your input.

I just added a detailed description in another separate post of what I think is the best route from the Lee's Summit Amtrak station to the Rock Island Trail in Pleasant Hill. Hopefully my post description title can be easily searched because this questions comes up over and over.
As far as parking goes, street parking is limited in Downtown Lee's Summit so the businesses don't really want you using up all of those spots. Three blocks to the east is the parking garage for Lee's Summit City Hall and the downtown area (near 2nd Street and Green).
That garage parking is always free and they would prefer that you park there. I would also call the City of Lee's Summit Police and let them know that you are parking there just so they can keep an eye out on your vehicle, especially if it has out of state plates.

There are several other on street routes (like Hamblen, Ranson, or Smart Road), but if you are looking for the least amount of traffic then I would use this following route. Please note that you still have to be prepared to ride quite a bit on rural roads and through residential neighborhoods, so this isn't a route for little kids. Leave the Amtrak station by going NORTH (right) on Main Street for about 200' where you will then turn left before the bridge and take the ramp down to 2nd Street. Turn left onto 2nd Street (there is a small 3' wide striped mini shoulder next to the curb that the city loves to use as an unofficial traffic calming mini bike lane. Stay straight on 2nd Street for about a mile until you see a QT gas station where you will turn left onto Blue Parkway. Go past the QT and turn right onto 3rd Street. For about 800', you will have to ride in traffic along 3rd Street so you can go under the 50 Highway bridge and then turn left onto Oldham/Ward Road. Go straight on Ward Road for about 1000' and as you pass the Walgreens ride up onto the sidewalk because from there for another 4 miles the sidewalk becomes a wide bike/ped trail running straight south along the west side of Ward Road.
Take the trail south along Ward for 4 miles until you reach MO 150 where you will cross the road and turn left along the sidewalk (if you don't want to ride in the lane of traffic). Go east along the MO 150 south side sidewalk for about 1.25 miles where eventually you will have to use the wide shoulder to get across the 291 Highway interchange.
Now you have to make a choice to either ride for 1/2 mile along the busy two lane 150 Hwy. with no shoulders (in order to reach Doc Henry) or immediately turn right and take the east 291 outer road which has almost no traffic. If you take the outer road route , you will add another mile to your trip because of all the looping back that you will have to do inside the residential subdivisions.
If you look on a map, you will see that you are trying to get to Doc Henry Road/Cherokee Drive/20th Avenue/Allendale Drive and finally South Allendale Lake Road. The key is to weave through the subdivisions to get to South Allendale Lake Road which has a nice paved sidewalk trail heading south (for at least the first mile). Once you get past the residential area along South Allendale Lake Road please note that the pavement gets rougher, but that rough pavement also helps to limit the number of vehicles you will encounter. These last 5 miles will also have quite a few rolling hills that you get to enjoy before all of that flat, gradual railroad grade along the Rock Island and Katy trails.
You will take South Allendale Lake Road for 2 miles south where you will turn left onto County Road which eventually weaves around becoming 167th Street, Groll Road, 171st Street, and then South Gray Drive (just 1 mile total, but the street keeps changing names after each curve)...finally turn left (eastward) onto 175th Street for 3 miles until you reach the trail which is right past the railroad tracks. Turn right onto the trail and into Pleasant Hill. Once you get into the town of Pleasant Hill, follow the signs because they have to weave you around another active railroad line.

There are several other on street routes (like Hamblen, Ranson, or Smart Road), but if you are looking for the least amount of traffic then I would use this following route. Please note that you still have to be prepared to ride quite a bit on rural roads and through residential neighborhoods, so this isn't a route for little kids. Leave the Amtrak station by going NORTH (right) on Main Street for about 200' where you will then turn left before the bridge and take the ramp down to 2nd Street. Turn left onto 2nd Street (there is a small 3' wide striped mini shoulder next to the curb that the city loves to use as an unofficial traffic calming mini bike lane. Stay straight on 2nd Street for about a mile until you see a QT gas station where you will turn left onto Blue Parkway. Go past the QT and turn right onto 3rd Street. For about 800', you will have to ride in traffic along 3rd Street so you can go under the 50 Highway bridge and then turn left onto Oldham/Ward Road. Go straight on Ward Road for about 1000' and as you pass the Walgreens ride up onto the sidewalk because from there for another 4 miles the sidewalk becomes a wide bike/ped trail running straight south along the west side of Ward Road.
Take the trail south along Ward for 4 miles until you reach MO 150 where you will cross the road and turn left along the sidewalk (if you don't want to ride in the lane of traffic). Go east along the MO 150 south side sidewalk for about 1.25 miles where eventually you will have to use the wide shoulder to get across the 291 Highway interchange.
Now you have to make a choice to either ride for 1/2 mile along the busy two lane 150 Hwy. with no shoulders (in order to reach Doc Henry) or immediately turn right and take the east 291 outer road which has almost no traffic. If you take the outer road route , you will add another mile to your trip because of all the looping back that you will have to do inside the residential subdivisions.
If you look on a map, you will see that you are trying to get to Doc Henry Road/Cherokee Drive/20th Avenue/Allendale Drive and finally South Allendale Lake Road. The key is to weave through the subdivisions to get to South Allendale Lake Road which has a nice paved sidewalk trail heading south (for at least the first mile). Once you get past the residential area along South Allendale Lake Road please note that the pavement gets rougher, but that rough pavement also helps to limit the number of vehicles you will encounter. These last 5 miles will also have quite a few rolling hills that you get to enjoy before all of that flat, gradual railroad grade along the Rock Island and Katy trails.
You will take South Allendale Lake Road for 2 miles south where you will turn left onto County Road which eventually weaves around becoming 167th Street, Groll Road, 171st Street, and then South Gray Drive (just 1 mile total, but the street keeps changing names after each curve)...finally turn left (eastward) onto 175th Street for 3 miles until you reach the trail which is right past the railroad tracks. Turn right onto the trail and into Pleasant Hill. Once you get into the town of Pleasant Hill, follow the signs because they have to weave you around another active railroad line.

is the Capital Plaza hotel bike friendly? Can you take your bike to the room?

Best to call and speak with them about current policy.

A few years ago we left our tandem in a storeroom behind the front desk. That was much easier than taking it to our room. Their policy may have changed since then.

Best to call and speak with them about current policy.

A few years ago we left our tandem in a storeroom behind the front desk. That was much easier than taking it to our room. Their policy may have changed since then.

For the most up to date information on the year round/off-season camping at the Missouri State Fairgrounds, please visit www.mostatefairgrounds.com. Most questions can be answered under the Camping tab. We look forward to you staying with us!
660-530-5600
www.mostatefairgrounds.com

For the most up to date information on the year round/off-season camping at the Missouri State Fairgrounds, please visit www.mostatefairgrounds.com. Most questions can be answered under the Camping tab. We look forward to you staying with us!
660-530-5600
www.mostatefairgrounds.com

Someone had a good route from the Lees Summit train station to the PH trail head.
Can you post that route for us?

Theres 5 of us that will need to get from Jefferson City back to Clinton on Oct 12th in the afternoon. Having trouble finding a shuttle. One service is a maybe depending on how a repair goes to his van. It seems this area is a little harder to find a shuttle than some. Tips or advice?

We spoke to a rider heading East today and exchanged experiences along the trail regarding detours. We discussed the rock slide detour West of Portland and he mentioned a short closure West of Rocheport. Any one have details/info on that one?

Majmadmax, please go to the home page and scroll down until you see Trail Conditions toward the bottom of the page. Lots of good info there, including pictures and suggested detours. The Salt Creek bridge is still out. Some suggest walking your bike across the creek, but you really need to see how deep it is before committing!

The bridge wash out is about 3 miles west of Rocheport. You either walk your bikes through a shallow low water crossing just south of the washed out Katy Trail bridge or you take a hilly detour along 40 Hwy. with no shoulders. As long as it hasn't rained in a couple of days, most people are walking across the creek. You can see it clearly on Google Maps if you just look where Hwy. 40 crosses the Katy Trail by Salt Creek.

Just walked through washed out bridge area near Salt creek, 3 miles west of Rocheport tunnel. There is a concrete slab, probably low water crossing, that is dry this afternoon.
I was riding East from New Franklin to the washed out bridge. Walked up the path to the levee, turned right on the levee 50 yards, walked my bike down the levee, crossed the low water concrete crossing ( it was dry today) turned left after crossing the creek and right back on the trail, headed to the Rocheport tunnel.

Kathy was a wonderful host and made us feel extremely welcome coming off the Trail! She had fresh-baked cookies and breads as well as fruit, coffee, and soft drinks available for us. She accommodated our unique needs to store our luggage the day before and after our stay, which was so appreciated. She was friendly and engaging. The rooms were wonderful and extremely comfortable. The bed was very comfortable. We loved the spa tub and the outdoor hot tub! So relaxing!! Thanks for a great stay Kathy!

Looks like the normal shuttle by Todd runs west instead of east on 9/21. Looking for a transport from Herman to St Charles with one bike for one person.

Call Doug at the Bluffton Barn

Hello. For those that have ridden thru, looking to understand what restaurants may still be open in Pilot Grove (and I'll likely ask about other towns as well) along the way. I see that Deon's has closed. What about Katrina's Home style Cafe? Still open, or has it closed down? I see a Casey's, but would prefer something besides a gas station

Thanks!

Just rode to Pilot Grove this morning. If you are asking if Katrina's is still in business, they are.

https://www.facebook.com/katscafepg/

Family Dollar has an assortment of (cold) foods as well that you can bring back to trail head to eat if Katrina's is not open when you come through. Not much, but something.

Deron

It looks to me that Deon's is still open, just not on Mondays (according to their Facebook page). Maybe someone local can confirm?

Deon's is open for lunch tell 2 pm but they are closed Sunday Monday and Tuesday no evening dinners Casey's open tell midnight.

Thanks all for the updated info on what's open and when. Still planning a West > East Sedalia to St. Charles ride early October.

You can hear the music from the trail, too! We stopped on Sunday for lunch and enjoyed the views and the wine. Very good food.

I am planning on riding the Katy trail, east to west. Catching the train from Sedalia back to Kirkwood. Can you tell me what the ride is like from Kirkwood to St. Charles? Or do you know of any shuttles that would take me back to my car?

Also have read that there are some trail closures. Is there a place I can find what they are. I will be going in October. Will the reroutes be marked in any way? Thanks!

In order to ride from St. Charles to Kirkwood, you need to ride about 15 miles on roads or sidewalks. The question then is if you are comfortable riding in traffic or if you would rather go slow on city sidewalks and through residential subdivisions as much as possible. If you don't mind some city riding, I can help you map out what I think is the best route. The two main trail closures involve either taking a 4 mile hilly detour or walking your bike across a low water creek crossing (3" to 12" of water depending on rain) and a 2 mile flat road detour around a huge rock slide. These detours are not clearly marked so you need to plan them ahead of time. Octoberfest is also huge along the Katy Trail so bike tickets are hard to get unless you purchase the train tickets well in advance.

Thanks Mark,

Thanks for the info. I think we decided to do a shuttle back. Less aggravation and probably save us a little time

I did see someone's post about the detour he took through the stream. Our miles aren't too long, so I don't think we will mind the extra miles and hills. Though I will keep it in mind when I get there.

Looking forward to the ride. After my bike trip was cancelled because of COVID-19, this was the next trip I could think of.

mark is there a way to walk or carry bike over the rock slide instead taking the detour.

The rock slide is huge and you can see it clearly on google maps if you zoom in around 2 miles west of Portland, Missouri along Logan Creek. The road detour is also easily visible using Schmid Way and a short section of 94 Highway. There are a few videos posted of people climbing over the fence and boulders, but I would not recommend it.

ok thanks Mark

The detour on 94 around the rockslide is really easy. It’s very short - definitely closer to 1 mile than 2. I would ride on 94 before trying to negotiate a walk/bike around on the trail. It really is no big deal and I hate road biking.

On getting around the rock slide between MM 117 and 118, here's the method (recommended by a local!) I took recently: east of Steedman, stay on the trail and keep your eye out for a gravel road/driveway crossing the trail that has a green fencepost with an orange-painted top (on the south side of the trail - it's Schmid Way on Google Maps). Turn right here and go a short distance. At the next intersection (gravel & gravel, naturally), turn left and follow a curving gravel road that'll feel more like a farmer's tractor access road. Remain on this gravel until it ends on 94. Turn left on 94 - you can ride it, but walking your bike along the grass on the north side of 94 is also doable (and, to me, safer in terms of avoiding drivers traveling at speeds of 55+ mph on a shoulderless road). You'll probably collect tiny seeds in your shoes and grab tall grasses with your drivetrain, but to me, the tradeoff is more than worth it. Remain on/along 94 for just under a mile until you reach where it crosses a creek. 94's bridge over that creek has a walkable shoulder; stay on it and look to your left for more gravel (a road, a driveway, and the trail itself). At the travel road just east of the bridge, turn left, then turn left where the trail intersects it. The trail passes under the 94 bridge along Logan Creek.

I can also offer thoughts on the street routing and conditions between St. Charles and Kirkwood: take a look at Strava's heat map for that area. There are some streets that are heavily used by local cyclists, and there are sometimes ways to snake more slowly through densely-populated neighborhoods if you prefer to avoid busier streets. If you prefer to jump off the trail at the bridge over I-64 (in Chesterfield), it'd be a shorter ride to Kirkwood. Either way, I suggest that you cross-reference Google Maps on the Bicycling setting with Strava heat maps.

thanks for the input for directions im going from Kirkwood station heading west Ive been looking at google maps two different routes the 364 bridge or the 40 bridge by the spirit of Saint Lois bridge ill be riding on a Sunday afternoon hoping for less traffic.

If you don't care about visiting St. Charles, then I would take the route across the 40 Hwy. bridge that runs past the Spirit of St. Louis airport. The low traffic route that I prefer uses some roads that aren't shown on the Google maps bicycling layer. Let me know if you want any help figuring out a good route.

mark does that bridge have a separate bike lane.

Yes...the Missouri River bike crossing is completely separated from the interstate by a concrete barrier wall and fence on the west side of the bridge. You take the paved levee trail along northeast side of the bridge, curve under the bridge abutment, and loop up to the separated bike path on the west side of the bridge. Once across the river, the path loops right down onto the Katy Trail.
The one good thing about my preferred route from Kirkwood is that it mainly uses paved trails and bike shoulders, plus if you don't like riding in traffic, there is usually a four to five foot wide sidewalk available for use. I normally only use those sidewalk sections if there is a long uphill.

Are your bike paths in that part of the city marked with names like in Kansas City area all of the bike paths are named like for instance Indian creek park or trolley trail park usually with a sign with a map on it.If so what trail should i look for i have no problem riding in traffic but being in a city im not familiar with just soon ride a trail thanks again.

St. Louis has started working on an extensive greenway system that is marked and named, but virtually none of those trails connect well to the Katy Trail in either Kirkwood or west county. So that leaves you with having to know where the unmarked bike lanes and trails are.
The key to my route from the Kirkwood train station is to take side streets until you get to N. Ballas Road at Manchester (Route 100). North Ballas Road has a good marked bike lane/shoulder and even though it is hilly, you take that for 2 miles north to Clayton Road. Clayton Road has a really nice paved bike trail that you will take west for 4 miles to Old Woods Mill Road (right before Route 141). The last mile of the Clayton trail narrows to a standard sidewalk width, but it is in great shape and the route is really nice. Take Old Woods Mill Road north for a half mile and it appears that the road dead ends into a cul-de-sac, but there is a bike/ped cut through to continue north on Salt Mill Road. Turn left on South Outer Forty Road, go over Hwy. 40, and then continue west for 2 miles on North Outer Forty Road (it has a nice wide shoulder) until you reach Chesterfield Parkway. You take Chesterfield Parkway to a couple of sidestreets and eventually work your way to Baxter Road, Edison Road, through the mall parking area, over Hwy. 40 at Boone's Crossing, and the paved levee trail across the Missouri River to the Katy Trail is right there. I have an entire Google Map made up of the route, but this website usually flags web links like that as spam.

Here is the google map link that details my preferred route from the Kirkwood Amtrak station to the Katy Trail over the 40 Highway Missouri River bridge: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=13MbMW7SVJshGMiFx69kJUAGBtFcL7iuc&ll=38.64788317814115%2C-90.54855556438729&z=13

Are there any parts of the Katy trail that are paved I am pulling my youngest son behind my mountain bike and a paved section sounds amazing

There aren’t really any paved portions of the Katy except in Sedalia where there is a detour on roads. I’ve pulled my dog behind me though and it’s manageable since it’s pretty flat, especially depending how far you plan to go.

Brendan, as Kendra said, there are really no paved areas. And if you are pulling your son behind you in a child's trailer, keep in mind that the clear vinyl shield will need to be down most of the time, due to the dust and small pieces of gravel. Depending on how hot it is, that could be uncomfortable for him.

I’d say it’s like a bike and bunk sort of experience. We were just going to Hermann and back from St Louis county and stayed one night. Was easy to rent online, quick communication. We could check ourselves in with door codes. Place is very new, clean, and beds were super comfortable. Had a small fridge in our room and water and coffee in the hall. Even provided us with power bars and trail mix for our ride the next day. Trail was dusty and there was a bike wash set up to clean off bikes. Had a bike rack (floor to ceiling) in the room but we chose to store our bikes in their storage for the night (garage with a code). We’d definitely stay again.

Has anyone stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Booneville lately? How is it? Is the access to Katy Trail pretty easy? Thinking about staying there a few nights and doing down and back to Sedalia one day and Rockeport the next. Any suggestions? First time couple from Arkansas.

Planning a one direction mid October. Does it matter which direction to travel?

The trail is pretty flat. That being said - overall, there is a very slight decline from West to East once you get past Pilot Grove/Boonville area.

Also keep in mind that the wind typically blows West to East, so you would "probably" be riding with the wind if you start in Clinton and head East.

I'm wanting to ride from Booneville to McKittrick in the exit few weeks.. We won't be in any hurry . We both love exploring and photography . We have rode a few section a to b to a. We will be on MTB's and I'll be pulling a burly traile modified for gear. I'm want make it to Coopers landing to meet friends and camp .Im curious about what mileage pulling a trailer can I expect if anyone has inexperienced this situation. I just don't want to get stuck inbetween camping spots. We will have food tent clothes and small cooler. Plus other essential items.

Jason, I pulled a similar trailer when my wife and I did the whole trail a few years ago. It weighed about 50 pounds (off-topic, but it was all her stuff, and it took a lot to convince her to leave the hair dryer at home!).

It slowed me down by about 2 MPH, which made our speeds closer together. The problem with a trailer is that you end up taking way more than you need, and that (literally) becomes a drag.

If I had to do it again, I would not (and have not). I prefer fitting everything into panniers because it forces me to consider the weight.

If you can get by without the cooler, that will save you a lot of effort. If you are camping, the cooler will be obsolete after a day or two, so you're better off stopping at the little stores to get your cold drinks.

If you do take the trailer, definitely buy and bring along an extra inner tube that fits that size tire. Expect to have at least one flat between the two of you.

I've pulled a Burly cargo trailer several times while camping along the Katy and only noticed a slight reduction in mph. As BikerBoy mentioned, it did equalize the ride speeds somewhat. No big deal as I wasn't going to just pedal ahead and leave my wife anyway.

The biggest difference pulling a trailer for me is just simple logistics. It's a bit wider so it's easier to get a wheel off the trail or in a rut unintentionally. Like riding the tandem, it's a bit longer pulling it, so that must be kept in mind also. I'd be more concerned that I was riding a MTB and how that would slow me down than the effect of pulling the trailer.

I too have a small cooler that I've kept in the trailer when pulling it. If you are camping, you may need the cooler for food and not just for a cool drink. Ice is a good purchase to preserve those staples without thinking that your cooler is obsolete.

Dude, what a worthy adventure.

The good thing about a trailer is that if you do get stuck between places, you'll have all your stuff, and your kid can make puppy dog eyes, and any church or fire station or park will let you camp there.

As far as miles, I think the kid will tire out before you do. I think Boonville to Coopers landing is 29 miles. 29 miles is pretty far for a kid. Oh, plus the ridearound before Rocheport will add miles and hills. Maybe spend the night in Rocheport?

I pulled a trailer once and it was surprisingly uneventful. Watch the extra width, and don't go to fast on downhills.

Jason from Rolla, how did your adventure turn out?