Katy Trail Forum

Hi! I was thinking about planning a fun week-long vacation of hiking the Katy Trail. I figured we could stop each day and head into town to explore and stay for the night. But what section of the Katy Trail do you think would be best to do? We would have a week in the fall or summer. We would probably be able to hike about 10 mi a day. Would love to hear your suggestions!!! Thank you.

The Katy Junction B&B in Pilot Grove is an awesome stop on the Katy Trail and I'm so happy we stayed there! The owner Jerry Selbach is a kind hearted host who sat with us and told us tales of Pilot Grove and of his life. The room was super comfortable and a good respite for my husband who was biking the trail. The breakfast was delicious and the night before we got to try some vanilla ice cream with pepper jelly and it was amazing! Thank you for the wonderful stay, Jerry!!

Looks like getting into Hermann may be a little tricky in the near future.
The article is not real clear on how/when the bike lane will be affected.

https://www.modot.org/node/45356

I just completed the trail - Clinton to Machens. When I arrived in Machens my wife told me she couldn’t actually reach the trailhead because Machens Rd was closed off. Apparently someone has tied up a sign across the road blocking access. I’m not sure if there is another way in, but I ended up biking past the railway and up Machens Rd to her. This needs to be addressed - either a better way to the trailhead should be posted or that sign needs to come down.

Was it closed off at Hwy 94 or farther south? Looking at a Google Earth display isn't any help.

The farmer that owns the fields right there is probably blocking it off because people keep parking on his property....

i`ve ridden thru that barrier before from hiway 94 theres no place to park.last october the the owner saw me lift the rope so i get on on hw 94 didnt say any thing google was telling me to go that way didnt see the rope till the last min. on my way to stl

This is true you can't drive to the trailhead at Machens. There is no road in and no parking lot. The nearest road (that is not chained off) is Ell Rd. It is about a mile west of the Machens trailhead. Thank you for bringing this up. This is not addressed on any map or literature we have seen on the Katy.

the first time i rode from stl to the trail head had know idea what i was looking for was riding north on 94 found machens road took a left rode over some railroad tracks and found the trailhead there is a small mound of dirt about 3 foot high blocking the end of the trail. the restroom is about 20 feet away. and the bell everyone rings [probably irritates that farmer when he hears it]

The adjacent property owner has the last name MACHENS. He blocks the “roadway” leading to the trail and is apparently not a fan of the trail. The other adjacent property owner is the railroad which has a crossing on that roadway. Because of rail safety, railroads are ALWAYS a hurdle establishing rail trails that are adjacent or cross a working railway. I believe that some sort of “right of way” exists leading to the trailhead, but since there’s very limited state owned property that could be used for parking, combined with unwelcoming neighbors, combined with some people would struggle with parking correctly if they could access it….i don’t think this access will ever improve……..I say this after reading the comments here and other forums for the last four years or so. Parking is probably not going to happen here. Riders needing picked up will just need to meet up at 94 and Machens Road…..a very short distance considering the distance they’ve already traveled. Unfortunately the driver might need to walk in and meet you, and walk back, but the Black Walnut trailhead is nearby and very accessible, plus has parking. The Machens situation is one of those things where we say “it is what it is.” I choose to be grateful for the Katy that we have.

Did the GAP/C&O and caught the bug. Want to do another weeklong ride. Loved the B&Bs, didn't camp. Was fine being off the grid for hours at a time. That said...

This trail starting in Raytown and connecting to the Katy seems like a great ride. I ordered the book so I can acquaint myself with the towns and places to get water, meals, and overnight stays.

Plan is to get in 50-60 mile days. Not looking to go much longer than that. I'd like to stop and see the sights.

Biggest issue for me right now is getting to the western-most trailhead and getting home from the eastern-most. I thought maybe I'd rent an SUV and put bikes in that, dropping it in KC and taking a Lyft to the trailhead. Then, picking up another SUV/van and head home. But I have also heard there are services that will bring you back to your vehicle (if you did that) at the start...that is where I could use some help.

Lastly, this is an east/west trail so I imagine there will be tons of sunlight directly overhead (versus the GAP where it goes over and you are shielded.) Am I directionally-correct? (I.e. am I going to want to consider a sun beating down my backside all afternoon?

Any other tips are appreciated.

We always park in St Charles and shuttle to Clinton. You could do the reverse as well. Many shuttle services. Vehicles are safe. We always stay at Country in and Suites. They let you park for the week. Let them know you have a car you’re leaving. It’s a great ride. We try to do it yearly. Enjoy.

Have you considered Amtrak. I think they have direct routes from Chicago to KC and St Louis To Chicago and you can reserve a spot for your bike.

You mentioned starting on the Rock Island at Raytown, and then you would connect to the KT at Windsor. Just be aware that there is a gap in the Rock Island trail between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill. People ride this gap using on-road routes all the time, but I'm just mentioning this because I know some people only want to use trail. The interactive map at https://bikekatytrail.com/katy-trail-map.aspx offers the route that Google suggested for biking between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill.

Also you asked about tree cover. You will definitely get more sun on the Katy Trail than on the GAP, but there are still a lot of wooded sections. Besides wooded areas and river bluffs, there's a good amount of trees along the sides of many parts of the old railroad right of way.

Finally you asked about shuttles - here is a list of all the shuttle services we know of: https://bikekatytrail.com/planner.aspx?scid=306&ecid=59&rt=0&rtid=1&svcs=|17|

Good luck planning your trip, and have fun out there on the trail

Who do you contact about leaving a car in St. Charles? Got a phone number, etc?

Since we stay at the Country Inn and Suites we notify the front desk. They will tell you where to park. It is the lot behind their parking deck. They will note your make model and license and return date and log it in a ledger they keep. It’s safe. We have not had any problems and there are lots of vehicles that park there.

Best place to camp at. Mariah is awesome mgr.

Cooper's landing is a cool place and the views are amazing but it ain't cheap. A tent site was $30 last year with no showers or real toilets. Get something to eat and drink on top of that and you're looking at 50 bucks.

We had a great stay before the season officially opened, Dan had the deluxe cabin ready for us, and it's super cute and clean, had everything we needed, and the hot shower hit the spot.

Any suggestions to get from Kansas City Amtrak Union station to Clinton without riding. Is there any shuttle service?

There are no real shuttle services within Kansas City, but if you want to make it part of your adventure, there is a dedicated cycle track right next to Kansas City Union Station. That cycle track takes you to the Brush Creek paved bike trail, then there is a short 2 mile on road section that takes you to the Rock Island Trailhead at Arrowhead Stadium. The Rock Island rail trail is similar to the Katy Trail, but between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill there is an 8 mile gap where you do have to bike on road again (or take several sidewalk trails to cut that on road distance in half). The Rock Island Trail eventually intersects the Katy Trail in Windsor. I can provide more details if the Rock Island Trail interests you.

You could also take the train to Sedalia and ride the Katy to Clinton. I did that and then rode the whole trail back east.

I took a few minutes of my time this morning and googled taxi in Warrensburg MO. I found ETS Taxi, www.warrensburgtaxi.com and called them…make sure you select option three when you call to reach the wheelchair Van dispatcher, not the regular taxi dispatcher (you’ll need a van, not a car) 660-624-4120 I spoke with a lady who said they have used their wheelchair vans to transport riders/bikes from the train station in Warrensburg to Clinton. She said they prefer 24 hours notice. I did not ask about seat numbers, cost, etc, only asked if that service is available.
Also, you asked about transportation to Clinton from KC….the train has closer stations to the trail than KC. One option is riding through KC to reach Arrowhead Stadium THEN get on the KC area section of the Rock Island Trail and ride to Lees Summit where the trail ends. THEN ride mostly rural streets to Pleasant Hill to reach the second Rock Island Trail and ride it to Windsor where the Rock currently ends….this is where you would meet the Katy Trail and make a decision to go west to Clinton which is I think 20 miles….or skip Clinton and turn east on the Katy and just skip that rather short section of the Katy that goes to Clinton. Also, you could get off the Amtrak in downtown Lees Summit and ride your bike to Pleasant Hill from there…skipping the Kansas City section of the Rock Island Trail. In case you haven’t read or figured this out….this is also for others reading this….like all rail trails it was “abandoned” for awhile….it was repurposed into trail, but at different times….there is something called “the Greenwood gap” where the land/rail path has not been re-acquired yet. The city of Greenwood is about halfway between Lees Summit and Pleasant Hill. It’s about ten miles of road riding between the two points. As long as you avoid riding MO-291 and MO-150 you should have a safe ride. Also be aware that once you reach Pleasant Hill you will we in the Katy Trail State Park, but you’ll be on the Rock Island “portion.”
I suggest doing some map study on Google maps, making sure to enable satellite view and occasionally street view.
In Windsor Kim’s Kabins is a trail friendly business and per her recommendation Judys Kitchen is a good local diner…I can confirm on the food, but have never stayed in Windsor.

I was in Windsor last year and stayed at Kim's. She recommended Judy's for dinner. I ordered one of my faves: meat loaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. What I didn't know was how large the serving was. HOLY COW! (And maybe it was half the cow) I have never had that much food on my plate EVER. And it was delicious. The service was great and the kids working there were very nice.

planning on doing the katy but interested in the rock island spur and starting in kansas city. is there a shuttle that runs from st. charles to near arrowhead stadium? can't take amtrak as my wife uses an ebike

Thanks for the tips on best biking route from KC Train Station to Rock Island. Any recommendations on safe parking for cyclists close to the KC station?

Rachel's service is amazing! The food was delicious, healthy, filling, and carefully packed to travel well in your panniers. Rachel is friendly and a great communicator and will customize to meet your tastes. We had ham and cheese sandwiches on multigrain bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles packed separately to keep everything fresh, asking with carrots, banana, apple, orange, pretzels, and a bicycle themed sugar cookie. This was some of the very best food we ate on the entire ride from Clinton to St. Charles. Do yourself a favor and arrange to meet Rachel in Tebbetts to pick up an awesome lunch.

I love this! Rachel and her kids are providing a much needed service in that area for the trail community!
#teamwork

Does anyone know if the water is turned on and the restrooms opened on the Rock Island between Pleasant Hill and Windsor?

Also - not sure who keeps the website info up to date, but the Corner Store in Chilhowee IS open - I just called and spoke to them.

Thanks!

Water should be on at the trailheads Pleasant Hill to Windsor. Chilhowee doesn't have water at the trailhead. Yes it's now Hometown Convenience Store and open every day except Sunday

We saw a notice yesterday, 4-9-24 of trail closures next week. It looks like there could be a quick detour on county road BB to S Roby. Does anyone have information on this possibility or another suitable detour? Otherwise we may adjust our ride times around the closure.

It looks like MODOT has postponed this closure - the cranes they need for the the work are not available. They will put out a press release when they have a new date.

Rode through there day before yesterday and all is clear

Please put physical address for the location where the tram ride will start. This will help when someone wants to map quest or google the directions to drive to the location.

Love the tram rides last year and hope to do a couple this year.
Thank you.

Welcome to yet another place to rest for the night. Late April-May I offer a solo rider $100 plus tax for one of my new rooms. Hope you see the trail leads to my place.

Cycleinnhermann.com

Great to know there is another option in McKittrick without having to make that terrible ride into Hermann.

You’ve been such an advocate of that in the past.

Thanks Rich!

You might want to upgrade your website to HTTPS. A lot of browsers won't allow access to non-secure web sites.

IF i WAS TO STAY IN MCKITTRICK i WOULD STAY AT JOEY'S BIRD HOUSE. aLSO I AM SAD TO SEE THE BLUFFTON STOP CLOSE. dOUG HAS BEEN A GREAT OWNER ON THE MKT.

It will be nice to have more options in McKittrick.

With the long unsafe ride into Hermann that Rich has pointed out in the past promoting Joey’s it’s in our favor that he is offering more safe options to keep us off the road to Hermann.

Thanks again Rich!

McKittrick is not exactually New York City so I am glad for what lodging they have. Joey does a fantastic job.

I'm planning on riding the trail the week of May 22 but am reading about the arrival of the cicadas at a rate unseen in over 200 years. Any information on the impact these are likely to have on the ride would be appreciated. I'm going pretty much no matter what, but any thoughts from those of you who live in Missouri would be appreciated.

Try searching Missouri Extension cicadas and Missouri Department of Conservation cicadas where you will find info.

Hadn't really thought about any impact from them but I do understand your concern.

From my Missouri Extension cicadas search:
Emergence will occur in 18 Midwestern states. For the most part, most Missourians will only experience Brood XIX, the Great Southern Brood, which last appeared in Missouri in 2011. Expect them to emerge in late April to early May, says Reall.

Those in northeastern Missouri near the Illinois border might see – and hear – both broods.

They subscribe to the “safety in numbers” approach and emerge all at once. They climb trees, fence posts or anything vertical before shedding their hard skins. Then they head to treetops to mate, lay their eggs and die within four to six weeks.

Expect to see cicadas after a spring rain, and expect to see a lot of them – as many as 1.5 million per acre, says Reall. This creates a feeding frenzy for predators and litter so heavy that the sidewalks and highways may need shoveling.
----------------------

Looks as if the trail may be impacted with litter as well.

A few years ago, my wife and I rode the GAPCO from Pittsburgh to DC during a major brood. It was the top news story every night. The noise of millions of them was incredible. Sometimes a rider would stop and a dozen of them would latch upon the jersey. Yellow and light blue colors attracted them. They don't bite; however, they can pinch a little if they grab onto bare skin.

Having said that, I wouldn't let them stop you. In fact, it could add to your adventure!

We stayed in hotels and B&Bs during that trip. I don't know if I'd want to camp during a major brood.

I’m driving a Campervan as a support for my spouse’s ride along the trail this summer. Is it possible to stay overnight at trail parking lots?

I was riding on the Rock Island Trail and passing through Chilhowee. I found a small change purse lying on the trail. I hope to return it and the contents to the owner. I will keep an eye on the forum in case they can identify the color of the change purse and the contents.

I have a feeling there is more than small change in this small change purse. It makes me feel good riding the trail knowing that if I lost something along the way, there are people like you, Jim, who would put forth the effort to get it back to me.

Looking for lodging for 2 possibly early June, maybe a Saturday night stay. 2 beds preferred for a quick overnight stay in Jefferson City while on a 3 day Katy Trail Ride. A simple BB is fine, safe and has bike storage, provided food optional as I know there are several restaurants in the area. I can find a few places online just looking for personal recommendations here.

You should call the Katy Trail Cottage in Jefferson City, 573-680-1011. I just looked at their website (you can access it from this website) and it looks like they have one bedroom with a double bed and a living room with a couch, in addition to a kitchen, bathroom, etc. They are within walking distance of Paddy Malone's a great Irish pub with excellent food, and a stone's throw from the access to the bike/pedestrian path attached to the bridge over the Missouri River which has easy access to the Katy Trail. You can probably store your bikes in the laundry room. I've seen very good reviews about this place.

Have anyone contacted the Katy Trail Cottage lately? I am not getting a response from phone. I noticed a different phone # in last comment than the one posted on the Katy Trail website?

Anon, the post above originally had a typo in the phone number. I edited the post and it now has the correct number for Katy Trail Cottage: 573-680-1011

For anyone staying at the Turner Shelter this Friday night (or anyone that wants to eat good fried fish) feel free to come by the Tebbetts Community Center for a meal.

https://facebook.com/events/s/fish-fry-tebbetts-community-ce/1612699259266078/

Two experienced bike riders (male) in their 60s are planning to ride the Katy Trail in four days. Would like to find another group to swap shuttle duties back and forth each day. Planning on riding 60 miles a day. Flexible dates; anytime during the month of April; open to discussing. Will ride east to west or west to east. Please contact Jess if interested at jharding9030@comcast.net and put "Katy Trail" in the subject line.

EDITED TO ADD: Due to weather, we are considering moving the ride to early May. Please reach out if this is something you would like to do in either April or early May. A second vehicle is needed for shuttling as we are sharing a car and driving down from Michigan.

Is this place still open? Is the phone number accurate? I have left multiple message over the past couple of months with no response from anyone.

I was there last summer. They didn’t answer the phone then either.
I just kind of set up my tent and went to dinner up the street.
She came by eventually and I paid then.
The place is okay. Not a great shower.
Restaurant /bar proximity is the best part.

My husband and I had a wonderful time at the Lindenhof Bed and Breakfast. We stayed several nights and enjoyed Kathy's amazing breakfasts each morning and her snacks in the evenings. Kathy is very knowledgable about the sourrounding area, trails, wineries and local happenings. The bed and breakfast was very nice with all of the comforts of home including a hot tub and fireplace. Our only regret was to not be there when the gardens were in full bloom!Kathy is a wonderful host. We hope to return!
Colleen