Katy Trail Forum

Anyone have any experience just camping alongside the trail as opposed to finding a designated camping area?

There is no, "Alongside the Trail"! The Katy Trail is only as wide as the Trail is on...THE REST BELONGS TO LAND OWNERS! And I am one.

We DO NOT want your mess, or the responsibility of you camping on our land. And everyone that does skamp camps says.....'I would never leave a mess.', but the truth is, YOU DO! And you leave Human Waste, from the inside of your body there too, the place where you cooked, or sat or slept. Some leave trash, and other items.

We are not insured for your fires, or your safety.

ALL LAND BELONGS TO SOMEONE! THERE IS NO 'IN THE WOODS', OR, 'ALONG SIDE THE TRAIL'! You would not want us skamp camping, peeing or pooping in YOUR yard, and we do not want you and yours!

Ouch! Marna!

I also live on the Katy Trail. My properties are adjacent to the trail.

On a more gracious note, we love everything about living on the Katy Trail. The cyclists and travelers are respectful and friendly. Most trail users have a fascinating story and we enjoy meeting people from all over the world every single day. Their life stories are fascinating.

Concerning camping, Marna is correct. All property adjacent to the trail is private property. If you camp on the trail, the State Park has a "no camping" rule. If you camp alongside the trail, you are certainly trespassing on private property. It is only respectful to ask permission from the property owner. In addition, many cities, towns, and municipalities have ordinances concerning camping. You need to do your homework and be informed about where you lay your head at night. There are many options to legally sleep while traveling the Katy Trail, including B&B's, hotels, campgrounds, and transient housing from entire houses to guest rooms from local home owners.

We welcome you when using the trail, and we appreciate, in advance, your respect for our private property.

Thank you, Anonymous, for a clear, informative, diplomatic, and welcoming response to the OP's question. You said exactly what Marna said, but in a friendly and welcoming manner. I commend you.

Marna, take note. There are diplomatic and highly effective ways to say exactly what you said, without the hate. I fully understand and agree with your position, but you stated it poorly.

I've met Marna, and she and her husband are great friends of the trail. She just wants to be clear about camping on the trail. Sounds like they've had some bad experiences.

Ricardo was just asking. He asked. You could just answer. He is being respectful by asking. Chill out.

Yes; there is a "no camping" along the trail. Some towns allow you to camp in city parks, church yards, ect. Just plan ahead and have a great time; but please respect private land owners.

yes, I've camped several times illegally "ON" the trial. This required me to ride into the night and set up my one man tent "illegally" on the trail. I was up at sun up and gone. I've done this mostly in the fall. there were no other people around and not adjacent to any land owners which might observe my presence.
I don't recommend it but if you do I would do it alone.
It is not enjoyable camping but I gather you aren't looking for that....with a campfire and all. I don't even turn on my flash light. I just sleep. There are small pull-outs so sometimes I wasn't exactly "on" the trail.
I just don't like other people and wanted to be alone.
Not sure why you are asking this. There is really no advise anyone can give you.

Anonymous - I like your style of alone camping at night on the trail. That sounds like the best plan, and I will just make sure to be extra stealthy when I set up camp so I am not seen on the trail and I will be out before sun up.

I camped 3 times illegally on the trail, I did it in late October no one even knew I was there!!

I stole firewod from the wood pile and then burned the evidence while staying at a campground one time. No one knew where the ashes were from.

I tried really hard to not stealth camp, the 3 times I did were unavoidable.
My last night on my thru-hike I slept at the very end in Machens. It was so cool camping so close to the train tracks!

Once might possibly somehow be unavoidable. Three times means you don't learn from your mistakes; you're irresponsible; or you're a liar; if not to others at least to yourself. I tend to believe all three. This behavior is exactly what people cite when they argue AGAINST trails. Oh, but the rules don't apply to ME

Good lord, why so hateful?

He’s not hateful.......if you went to the town meetings when the Katy was being proposed or any of the meetings concerning the Rock Island these are the things opponents always bring up. They worry that the trail will be full of people who have no respect for their property - like you guys. I get that sh*t happens and sometimes you have no choice but when you start your planning with basically “can I camp on private property without paying anything?” you're one of those people that every opponent of the trail is going to quote. All that said, if you feel the need to camp for free there are trailheads every 10 miles or so. Camp at one of them and at least you’re only violating public property.

Yes. Indeed.

I agree- Sometimes you are in an emergency- but this should never be the plan. The trailhead is a great option for an emergency. It is just disrespectful to landowners and others who live by the trail.

I camped in the yard of a church, I slept on a grassy area next to the bathrooms, and by the railroad tracks at the end.
Dude chill!!

Does anyone know if construction has started on phase to in Raytown. The rail runs right behind my house yet so construction.

Work on Rock Island Trail ordered to stop for second time this year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For a second time this year, a federal board has ordered Jackson County to stop all work on the Rock Island Trail.

It's the latest development on a legal saga between the county and nearby landowners along the corridor.

"They think they can go in and take these people's lands without paying them for it, (which) violates the Constitution of the United States and the law of Missouri and the laws of the United States," Thomas Stewart, an attorney at Stewart, Wald and McCulley who represents landowners, told 41 Action News in July.

When Jackson County purchased the corridor from Union Pacific Railroad in 2016 for more than $50 million, leaders said they were going to leave the tracks in place and put the hiking and biking trail alongside it.

That's not what they did.

Instead, the rail line was removed and a trail was built in its place.

The Surface Transportation Board revoked the county's rights in July after learning it didn't stick to the original plan.

A few days later, and after reviewing the ruling, the county resumed work on the northern half of the path with the instruction that crews were not to remove any rail, ties or track material from the rail bed.

On Thursday, the board said in a new ruling that it disagreed.

"Moreover, continued trail construction on another part of the line, even if it is not on the rail bed itself and does not involve further removal of track, is clearly related to the wrongful actions that led the board to revoke the county's exemption in the first place," the ruling said, in part.

While acknowledging that the county is in process of obtaining a trail condition under the Trails Act, until a decision is made all construction activity on the corridor has been deemed unlawful.

A Jackson County spokesperson said the county will comply with the decision and "will not proceed with any construction activity until all requirements of the board have been satisfied."

This issue remains at the center of several lawsuits in state and federal court.

Why would they plan to leave the rails & ties in place? A trail next to the railway would be much more difficult to construct than following the path of the original railway.

Has the lose of rights issue been addressed for 2020? I see the halted construction along Raytown road. What are the plans moving forward to address the rights of the property oee we need along the tracks?

Jackson County - Missouri
· February 24 ·


#PressRelease: Jackson County Executive announces construction restart on second phase of Jackson County Parks + Rec Rock Island Trail as agreement with Union Pacific is finalized. KCTV5 FOX4 News Kansas City 41 Action News - KSHB-TV KMBC 9 KCUR Radio Station KMBZ The Examiner The Kansas City Star Lee's Summit Tribune Grain Valley News RaytownNews The Pitch Kansas City Dos Mundos Newspaper Kansas City's Northeast News National Recreation and Park Association Visit KC Visit Missouri Greater Kansas City Attractions Association Jackson County Rock Island Corridor

This is the best place to stay in Rocheport. Stayed here 8 times. Very clean. Great breakfast. Luxury and comfort. Very quiet.

Have any of you ridden the GAP Trail? What were your best sources of information?

Well my favorite website for the GAP info is https://bikecando.com/ - it's actually a combined site for the Great Allegheny Passage AND the C&O Canal, because a lot of people combine these two trails end-to-end to travel between Pittsburgh & Washington DC.

It's my favorite site because I run it - you'll notice it looks and works a lot like this one. :-)

The "official" site for the GAP is Allegheny Trail Alliance site at https://gaptrail.org/ which also has lots of good info.

Even though I may be biased, I welcome other suggestions!

WE rode the GAP three summers ago- ( and the C&O) I loved the GAP- It is a beautiful trail and there were relatively a lot of lodging options that include camping-I think more camping options than the Katy offers. Also- people and businesses along the way really support the trail- they leave water and even snacks out for you- that was amazing!

I rode both last spring. The websites Ray listed are the best. I'd also recommend the trail book https://gaptrailstore.org/collections/featured-products/products/trailguide-15th-edition

The book doesn't do much more for you than the web info, but the map is worth the price. The GAP is a fabulous ride. The C & O is fascinating but rough, mud, pot holes, rocks, roots etc. From the GAP you can connect to the Montour and Panhandle trails and another that follows the Ohio River all the way to Wheeling W.V.

Many thanks to you all! It looks like a great trail, and we are looking forward to it. We just want to be prepared!

Hi Bill I am from PA and have ridden the GAP trail in it's entirety and favorite sections many times. It's fabulous. Definitely get a copy of the Trail Guide from Allegheny Trail Alliance. $10 well spent. (you can also get a copy from Amazon Prime if your into that) Wish the Katy Trail had one just like it. Next consideration is ; are you doing the entire 150 MI, west to east or east to west; how many mi per day; shuttles; etc. I see your comments on the Katy Forum all the time. (wife and I rode it last year) Would love to give you some good info on the trail towns, lodging, dining, and the all important watering holes. Maybe we can exchange email addresses through Ray. Saw that idea on another one of his web sites. I'll send mine to him at contact@bikesilverbullet.com

Tim Mooney of the Pedalshift podcast has tons of info on his experiences on the GAP: https://pedalshift.net/tag/gap/

... and he also did the Katy last summer: https://pedalshift.net/tag/gap/

Gman, I tried that silverbullet email address and it didn't work. Would like to pick your brain.

Thanks, K, I'll give that a listen.

Guess it didn’t work for me either. I never heard from Ray. Maybe he’ll come to the rescue. Has to be a way to exchange email or phone numbers.

Yes I can help - if you want to trade contact info without posting it in the public forum, you can send to me at contact@bikekatytrail.com and I'll exchange the info for you. I'll need to hear from both parties.

Your earlier attempt to email me did not come through because you had the wrong address - that's BikeSilverComet.com (not silver bullet), from the Silver Comet Trail website.

Happy trails!

Thanks Ray. Guess I was thinking About Coors Light. My email address for Bill is on the way. Thanks again

I do not know if it is posted anywhere; but I asked the local police a few years ago and they let me tent camp while riding along the trail

Hi- IN the middle of planning our trip and having some trouble getting viable camping spots- I thought we could camp at the state park but I seem to remember someone posting that there are no tables at the campsite ( we have 13 people and need to cook even if just on the colemans) so a table is kind of key. Can anyone clarify that? I can call the state park tomorrow but kind of like getting the lowdown here. I checked under Sedalia but did not see anything about no tables but I think I read it here. Thanks.

This says that there aren't tables.
https://bikekatytrail.com/missouri-state-fairgrounds.aspx

There's a phone number in there that you could call.

I'm not sure where you are wanting to camp. The Fairgrounds are just off the Katy and you an camp there. But there are not tables. There is a covered shelter in one area where RVs usually are during the Fair. There are several city parks that have shelters, but no camping. Katy Park is probable the closest to the Trail.

800) 422-3247 Missouri StateFairgrounds

When going to Sedalia and camping I usually eat out. Sometimes I cook at the, (I think Kiwanis shelter) close to the trail, then go on to campground and set up tent afterwards.
The info you got is correct there are no tables at the State Fairgrounds campground, unless they put them in since last season which I highly doubt. There are probably some city parks that may have tables you could use. The lack of a picnic table at a campsite is a huge detriment.

Have a good trip
Allen

Im not sure how far you are going, but if you make it to Hartsburg , there is a park across from my cafe. You can camp there.
If you dont want to cook, I'll cook for you . Have fun!!

Dotty

There are no tables at the camp sites on the State Fairgrounds. They are currently updating/adding more sites to the grounds on the corner of Clarendon and 16th street but not sure if tables will be some of the up grades.

Is it prohibited to ride along the trail after dark or can I continue on until I am at my destination?

The trail is a state park and my understanding is that the park closes at sunset so you shouldn't be on it after then. The state park website probably has the trail rules.