Katy Trail Forum

I may be crazy, but my three children and I are planning to do the stretch either between Bluffton and Jefferson City or Rocheport and Jefferson City sometime in October. They are between the ages of 8 and 14 and we aren't avid cyclists but want to begin somewhere. What is a reasonable amount of distance one could expect to cover given reasonable weather and relatively happy children in a "light" day? Is there a particular stretch of the trail that is best for a family ride? I noticed several B&Bs aren't particularly accommodating to the under 10 set. . .Any suggestions for one such as myself??

We'd love to have you come visit Missouri, but I highly suggest that you first try out some trail riding closer to home. This gives you an idea how far your kids can ride before they run out of gas. Best to find out while you're still close to home. I'd hate for you to be stuck on a remote part of the Katy and discover that your 8-year-old can't ride any more after 10 miles. You might try the Rails-Trails Conservancy's trail finder at www.traillink.com. You can search for trails by state (try IL & KY too) and probably find something near Evansville.
Having said all that, the Katy is great for kids - it's flat and scenic (esp the sections you mentioned), and you can usually spot some wildlife.

If you plan to split your trip into 2 days, your kids probably will easily handle the distance: Bluffton to Jeff City is 32 miles, so 16 miles / day; Rocheport to JC is 35 miles. The big problem might be finding lodging around the halfway point. As you mentioned, B&B's often do not accomodate kids, but some do. The Tebbets Hostel is midway between Bluffton & JC, but some people don't like the no-frills atmosphere of a hostel (and we heard of one guest who had problems with noise there). Then again, your kids might like the novelty of bunkhouse style lodging. If you come from Rochport, the Globe Hotel is in Hartsburg, 25 miles from Rocheport and 10 miles from Jeff City - not exactly in the middle. There are lots of hotels in JC, though I don't have a list (try www.jcchamber.org).
If you haven't already, you might try the Plan a Ride page - put in a start and end town, select the types of services you're interested in (e.g. Lodging), and you get a customized list. Experiment with changing the start/end towns, to figure out what works best for you.
One more catch - the trail is busy in October (foliage time) so make lodging reservations ahead of time.
Good luck, and have fun!

Thank you so much for your ideas. I do realize that I'm taking a risk not to have done any other "trips" so far (actually, I'm far less worried about my 8 year old petering out than I am the 44 year old). But, I think we're still game and I will check out the hostel you mentioned. I was wondering if you could give me some idea of how the shuttling works. I was hoping to arrange something via Amtrak (I'd read they allow some bikes to be put on) but it's rather far between stops and it sounds as if that fills fast. Can you give me a rough idea what we should expect to pay if we go that route? Thank you so much!

Amtrak travels to Washington, Hermann, and Jeff City, which are near the Marthasville, McKittrick, & N Jefferson trailheads, respectively (it also goes to Sedalia, but that's beyond the section of trail you mentioned). Unfortunately, the train stations are on the south side of the river and the Katy Trail is on north side of the river, and you won't want to attempt any of those bridges by bike - some experienced cyclists tackle the Hermann or Jeff City bridges, but it can be harrowing with cars rushing past just inches away.

Which brings up shuttles: the shuttle services carry people and/or bikes from point A to Point B along the trail. As far as I know, they will go to the Amtrak stations, so they could probably get you across the bridge. Or if you decide the train is too much hassle, a shuttle service can simply pick you up wherever you end your ride, and drive you & the bikes back to wherever you left your car at the start. This link has a list of the shuttle services along the Katy Trail. Honestly I don't know the cost; but if you contact them I'm sure they'll give you an idea.

I also don't know the cost of Amtrak, but this FAQ question has Amtrak's 800 number, and a link to their website so you can contact them for details. You'll need advance reservations, because fall is a busy time for this Amtrak route. Especially October - Hermann hosts a big Oktoberfest and tourists love to ride the train there from St Louis & Kansas City. And like you said, there are a limited number of bike spaces available.

If all the planning gets to be too much, another option is to use a tour service, which arranges all the transportation and lodging issues for you. It's a more expensive option, but it frees you to just ride and not worry about the details. Right now I'm only aware of one touring company on the Katy Trail.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my questions. We'll see how this goes!

My family (H&W and 3 kids) ride the Jefferson City stretch regularly. I have a 6 and 8 y.o., and they usually are ready to give it up after about 10 miles.

Our B & B is located in Rhineland, and we are happy to accomodate children any age. You can check out our website at www.thedollhousebandb.com

Thanks,

Amanda Schaefer

The Doll House B & B

201 Lewis Street

Rhineland, MO 65069

573-619-9623

www.thedollhousebandb.com

I took my 8.5 year old nephew biking. He lasted about 15 miles twice, took around 2.5 to 3 hours. It was 7 miles of flat paved trail and 8 miles of street conditions including a couple of small hills. Good Luck!

I have the Katy junction B&B in pilot Grove between Sedalia and Boonville I do handle kids with parents had them as young as 7 months great time that they had with her. Trail as of now is in good shape heading west.

when is the best time to start a bike ride? I have a 7 speed bike. wanting to try riding a trail. need input about gear, costs, riding time, anything that would help me prepare. I am an amateur. also I a 63 years young.

Julia, so glad to hear you are interested in starting riding. I'd suggest taking your bike to your local shop (Cyclery in O'Fallon) and have them check things over for you. It's essential that your bike fits you properly, otherwise you can do serious damage to your knees, hips, etc.

As for where to ride, start out on the local trails. I'd suggest making use of the new trail going from O'Fallon up to Edwardsville, where you will connect with 130 miles of paved, off-road trails. You will never be too far from home if you practice on those trails. Go to mcttrails.org to see the map.

Once you build up enough strength and confidence, you can tackle parts or all of the Katy and other long-distance trails.

There are quite a few Metro East riders on this board who can offer you more tips.

BikerBoy provided some excellent advice. I'll add that the Nickel Plate Trail from Edwardsville towards Alhambra has the same kind of limestone surface as the Katy Trail. That would be good practice.

I’m 61 and have done it twice. Going this summer end to end. But this will be my first time unsupported. You’ll be fine. Ride a lot before you go and train some hills so you can handle the uphill grade part, Clinton to Sedalia. Train with the weight you’ll carry on your bike, for me two rear panniers. It is SO much fun and so relaxing. I take my time, 38-48 a day. Enjoy the journey.

While there are some slight uphill grades between Clinton and Sedalia, the longest uphill grade is between Clifton City and Pilot Grove when going west to east.

What sections of the trail are paved? Also wondering about campsites and fly-fishing relatively close to the trail. Thanks

Essentially none. Parts that go through town in Sedalia and Boonville, but thats about it. It's a hard packed limestone trail with negligible pavement.

Fly fishing? Any method of fishing legal in Missouri can be done in public fishing spots. Spin cast, bait cast, fly rod...your choice.

Our family would like to ride the Katy trail . Is there anywhere we could rent a electric bike for our disabled son. He is 15. The bike would need three wheels.

Try https://bikekatytrail.com/planner.aspx
Set it to show bike shops.
That will show you all the shops. Then, you just smile and dial!

An electric trike is a pretty specialized piece of rental equipment. If none of the places along the trail have one, maybe try bike shops in St Louis.

Can you camp at all trailheads?

No. Camping in not allowed at any of the trailheads.

Use the trip planner to find private campgrounds along the trail.

When do the bathrooms open up??

When do they open for the season?

Seems like that might be on the state park website? I do not know.

Thank you!!... we should have that info here also!!

Here's the MO State Parks web page with restroom info:

https://mostateparks.com/advisory/83486/some-modern-restrooms-winterized-katy-trail-state-park

Looks like the scheduled opening date is April 1.

Note that, as per the above web page, most of the restrooms use "vault toilets" or portable (i.e. Johhny on the spot) which are open year-round.

Only a handful are the "modern" ones that have to be closed for the winter: St Charles, Hartsburg, Rocheport. Plus 5 more are listed as simply "closed": New Franklin, Pilot Grove, Sedalia, Green Ridge, Calhoun

According to the MO state parks website, “Water is turned off and restrooms are closed from Nov. 1 to April 1.” (https://mostateparks.com/page/57944/general-information)

Hi! Hartsburg is open with water!

Hello to all of you from Dottys Cafe.
My Cafe didn't sell at the end of the year like it was supposed to, so I want to let you know that Im back from retirement again. lol I plan to stay as long as I can do it. Im open for breakfast on Sat and Sunday 7am to noon . I hope to extend my hours as soon as the weather gets warmer.I will be happy to see all of you again!! Our Phone # is 573 657 1360. Since I wont be there all the time, my cell is 573 289 271 if you'd like to bring a group through the week, Ill open for you.
Thank you all for your business!

Sincerely, Dotty

OOPS that cell is 573 289 0271

Dotty

Welcome back, Dotty!!

So glad to hear this! I miss getting down there. I’ll be down in a couple of weeks as the weather warms.

I just wanted to advise that the Chilhowee corner store is closing today (6-14-19). That means that there is no place to get water or food between Pleasant Hill and Leeton. Please be aware of this when riding,especially on hot days.

Does the post office there have a spigot?

The store has new owners and is now called Hometown Convenience Store.. checkout their FB page for info

THERE IS A SPIGOT BEHIND THE CHURCH.

Is there water at the Medford and the Chilhowee Trail restrooms?

I do not believe there is running water at either of these locations. There is a store in Chilhowee that I frequent. They have soda machines outside if they are not open. Not sure about water. Someone might be able to give a better answer than I.

THERE IS A CHURCH IN CHILHOWEE THAT I FOUND WATER BEHIND THE CHURCH. IT IS JUST A HOSE BIB, BUT BETTER THAN NOTHING IF SUMMER HEAT AND MILES HAS YOU IN NEED.

Hello! I am trying to find a used bike trailer for a toddler to ride in. We are needing to find one that has suspension, like the Burley d'lite X. I know its a long shot, but does anyone have one for sale? We have a regular bike trailer for him, but the trail is rough and he needs a little better ride. We are trying to save a little money :)
Thank you!

The trail not rough!!...

Thule chariot 1 is an awesome trailer. I have been using mine for 4 years now and in all kinds of weather. The suspension is great on it and it’s a single seater so it’s not all big and wide. I have mine set up to pull my sons 16” bicycle behind it so he can ride when he wants and get in the trailer and take a break when he’s tired. I have an awesome video from this weekend of the suspension at work going across the bridge into Jefferson. I had the go pro on his bike being pulled by the trailer so you see it perfect. Not sure how to attach a link or video to this but I’ll try tomorrow. I spent probably $1000 on my trailer with everything but it’s been well worth it. You can find them used for $200-$300 sometimes.

We use a Trailer, it IS rough for them.

Try putting the widest tires on the trailer that will fit and run about 10% less air than the maximum or even less. This also works for bikes.
There have been studies in recent years that suggest this method doesn't really increase rolling resistance.

Has the flood damage from 2019 been repaired between Jefferson City and McBaine? the DNR site says the trail is still rough west of Hartsburg. Any updates.

My son attends Mizzou and it makes a great ride to park in north Jeff City or Hartsburg and ride west to just past McBane to pickup the MKT trail into downtown Columbia. It’s 39 or 29 miles ride respectively. We end the ride at Flat Branch Brewery for burger and a cold one. I hoping to ride this April or May. Thanks,

Rode from Jefferson City to Hartsburg. Not as great as it use to be, however it was still very enjoyable. I think with more traffic the trail will become better. Enjoy!

Does anyone know if Boonville city still allows camping in Harley Park? Passing through in a few weeks; please let me know. Thanks and tailwinds to all.

Kind of surprised you closed the Camping thread Ray. Didn’t see any over the top replies from either side. I think “stealth camping” is probably one of more important topics to be discussed here.

I agree!!... as long as you have permission it’s not an issue, camping on private land is a no go!!

Jim I completely agree, this is an important topic that can directly affect public attitudes about the trail.

The earlier discussion had not gotten nasty, yet... but it felt like it might be veering in that direction. I felt like everyone had expressed their opinions pretty thoroughly so I pulled the plug before things started going downhill.

Having said that, I'm sorry if I cut off discussion too soon, and welcome further comments in this thread as long as everyone remains civil.

Happy trails, Ray

I agree this topic should be expanded. Where to find Free Camping? It's out there. But a person should also be prepared to reach into their pockets to stay along the Trail.

I might have come off Grumpy with my first post on Skamp Camping, but as a Landowner, it is AN ISSUE! No one ever thinks about the shoe being on the other foot....as in, what if I camped in YOUR front yard, or on YOUR land.

There are so many small towns now that offer free camping, like in Pilot Grove, you just have to check in at Police Station. I do not think that is too much to ask. Further, in Pilot Grove, at the Park where a person or group can Camp, there is a Bathroom, covered Picnic area with Grills, Trash Bins and for a small fee, a Swimming Pool. There is also a Dollar General for restocking a couple blocks away.

Land Owners are not grumpy.....we just tire of being taken for granted as part of the Park/Katy Trail.

Where can I find the current status of the trail? Has the trail west of Rocheport opened up? What about east of New Franklin?

Lost a wheel to my sons bicycle I pull behind his trailer while out camping this weekend. It was probably around Hartsburg. We had been coming from Jefferson City and realized it was gone about 10 miles from Cooper’s Landing.. There was a red shirt with a part from my trialer that says Santa Cruz. If you find it will you stash in the woods and leave me a drop pin or gps coordinates please?
913-544-3150.