Katy Trail Forum

Hopefully heading to Rocheport this Sunday to ride to Boonville and experience a portion of the trail for the first time.
Any suggestions? Things to look for, look out for?
Hows the trail for that stretch when it comes to flooding?

Stayed at Katy Junction in Pilot Grove on our trip this past week. Neat, clean place, comfortable beds, good bike storage. Cafe in town was closed the night we came through, we had made arrangements for Jerry to fix dinner for us, and it was delicious (as was breakfast the next morning). Jerry went out of his way to accommodate any request. Should be more places like this along the trail.

Sorry to hear about all the flooding and tornado destruction. We were so fortunate to miss all the problems.

I also stayed at the Katy Junction b&b in Pilot Grove recently. Jerry was able to provide a great meal working around my dietary issues. He was so accommodating!

I can not find a map which shows the Mile Markers that are used to disclose trail closures. For instance: There is a potential closure between MM (mile marker) 117 & 118 east of Portland, but how the bleep do I find that specific segment on a map?
Thanx in advance,
John D.

I'm sorry to say that there is not currently a map showing the mile markers.

But I understand how useful this would be, so I will build that feature. It may take several days, so unfortunately that won't help you right now. But it's in the works and I'll post something here when it's ready.

In the meantime, here's what to do:

1. Go to the Towns and Services page.

2. The fourth column tells you the mile marker number at each town, for example Portland is mile 115.9.

3. Go to the Katy Trail Map page.

4. Right under the map, you'll see "Center Map at" - select Portland from this list.

5. Below that, you'll see "Show mile markers every" - select 1 mile and click Update Map.

6. Now you see the distance measurements from Portland. Since you know Portland is at mile marker 115.9, you know the 117-118 closure is between roughly 1 to 2 miles west of Portland (note that 117-118 is west of Portland, not east).

So again, sorry that you currently have to go through the above steps to see this info on a map, but I will get a "Mile Marker" feature added to the map ASAP.

John D, in the mean time.....the Park Maps on the Missouri State Parks website, Katy Trail, has the mile marker number next to each town name.

This will be a great addition to our site. Thanks Ray.

The DNR is listing the section from Mokane to Rocheport (MM 125-180) as temporarily closed due to flooding today. Can anyone confirm this? Is it really that bad for 55 miles?

In their section about flood closures, they give you a link to water level gauges, and they also have a couple of tables what part of the trail floods at what levels. You can look and see if maybe you can narrow down what segment is flooded.

Frank, we’ll of course it is not the entire length of that section but if you are happily biking along and come to a stretch that is under water your choices will be to turn around or take your chances. Smart people will turn around. That being said, you can probably expect flooding on the trail around Rocheport, McBaine, Easley, Hartsburg, Claysville, Mokane, and Portland. In addition, Highway 94 will probably flood around Mokane and Portland so that pretty much makes biking along that section impossible until the flooding recedes and the trail is repaired.

I'm riding the length of the trail starting on Sunday , Any one have any information on transportation to my next lodging should I not be able to ride through a section because of flooding ? Any shuttles out there that will get you to your next stop if needed?

Diana, the easiest way for you find out would be to use the Trip Planner above and filer by shuttles. That will generate a list of shuttle providers by location.

First of all my heart goes out to those affected by last nights tornado in Jefferson Cty, & hope all those on the trail the last few days are safe.
For those not keeping an eagle eye on the gauges, here's the latest from today 5/23:
Boonville Peak: 32 ft. 5/23-24 10ft above flood stage
St. Charles Peak: 35.3 ft 5/25-26 10.3 ft above flood stage
Before heading out, seems to me it would be wise to heed Gary's assessment & contact sources for what this all means locally.
Be wise & safe all!

Kind of a tangent on Diana's question, but on Monday, the wife and I are planning to ride west from Green Ridge or Clifton using a series of out and backs. Curious whether Uber is a viable option should we encounter inclement whether and need a ride back to our starting point?

Trying to leave Jefferson City and wondering if anything east of MM 100 is in a good condition to ride. The Clinton water level looks concerning however im not sure if that will affect the Trail. Thanks!

Woke this morning in Rocheport, and drove (yes, drove to Columbia). We got on the MKT trail (Columbia's fitness trail) and rode to Hindman Junction. Parts of the MKT are flooded, but there are easy detours near the water treatment plant. No indications of closures at Hindman, and we rode towards Rocheport. Trail was blocked at Route K (Burr Oak Road). Turned around and did well heading towards Hartsburg. At McBane there was water over Route K, but no barriers. A little water over the trail but not much. We made it as far as Little Bonne Femme Creek just outside of Cooper's Landing before we ran into water again. Water was up to the bottom of the deck on the bridge. Cooper's is pretty well flooded as of now. Hoping they can make a quick comeback. Returning the water had risen significantly, and we were wading through a couple of feet of water to get back to McBane. No current, but it had risen significantly in the short time it took us to go to Cooper's and back, with a hike up to Eagle's Bluff. So yes, the closures are real, and likely going to get worse. Be careful, the water is still rising in some areas, and it would not take too much carelessness to get stranded. We were lucky.

Diana, which direction are you going? We're headed out Sunday as well to do the entirety of the trail.

We are planning to walk the Katy Trail in October. We can only walk about 20 miles a day. We have not been able to find any lodging between Rocheport and Hartsburg which is 25 miles. Any suggestions on lodging or another way to get around this problem?

There are camping options in between Rocheport-Hartsburg. But assuming you aren't carrying camping gear, here's one idea:

- Rocheport to the MKT trail (around McBaine) is about 9 miles, and the 9-mile-long MKT trail takes you into Columbia, which is a good-sized city with tons of hotels. Total about 18 miles, plus any extra distance to your Columbia hotel.

- Columbia back to Katy Trail and on to Hartsburg would be about 25 miles (9 miles on MKT + about 16 miles on KT).... longer than your 20-mile limit. BUT you might be able to find a place to stay in Columbia that will give you a ride to the McBaine trailhead. Especially if you try B&Bs, they are often willing to do stuff like that. I know nothing about B&Bs in Columbia, but just throwing out ideas, probably worth making a few phone calls to see if any would be willing to provide this drive to their guests.

Columbia: https://bikekatytrail.com/columbia.aspx

MKT Trail: https://www.como.gov/parksandrec/trail/mkt-nature-and-fitness-trail

Good luck and happy trails!

If you are staying somewhere in Hartsburg you might ask them if they would pick you up at Coopers Landing in Easley and then take you back there the next morning. I would expect a fee but you never know - there are a lot of generous folks on the Katy.

Leaving on Mat 22 from Pilot Grove heading to St Charles.
Will we run into closures on this route. If so who do you call to find out more information.

May

The rockslide between MM118 and MM117 still has the trail closed there. I doubt it will be cleared before your ride. The detour is an easy one though.

Hey Jim, I’m sitting here watching the storms pass over and thinking maybe the flooding will clear the rock slide? :-)

If the tornadoes don’t move it first........

Our group did this section today. One thing to really focus on is the road closure- 94 has a section closed in the same spot as trail detour. Today. We were able to go through the road closure- but it's all water based closures, so take it hour by hour.

Hey Jim, don’t use that “T” word, that one last night was a little too close for me.

Large tree down on Rock Island Trail, around 256. Impassable.

Maybe others have also, but I notified Missouri State Parks about the tree. Lots of storms and wind and they do a great job of keeping up

Yep, I called right after we spotted it, and they said they would send a crew out shortly

Is this trailhead safe for overnight vehicle parking? I'm just planning a 2 day trip, so my car would be parked just 1 night.
Thanks

Friend and I just rode east from Sedalia to St. Charles, and then into Washington to catch Amtrak back to KC. We've been leaning on these talk threads so wanted to share some quick recaps that might help others as they plan their Katy adventure. We somehow stayed dry for four whole days, but I fear that might not be the case looking ahead with the forecast as summer comes on.

Main takeaway? The rough midwest winter followed by persistent heavy spring rains have made the trail just a touch dodgier and rougher overall than a typical year. It's all still very passable, but I swapped from wide slick tires (38 mm) to wide grippier tires (Clemente X'Plor Ush is the brand I used).


Sedalia to Rocheport: No water from Sedalia until the Pilot Grove trailhead, some 24 miles or so. Drink up before this stretch! Cleared some branches and dodged some sticks but a nice stretch with no detours. The Rocheport tunnel opened right as we arrived on Friday, May 19.

Rocheport to McKittrick/Hermann: Bumpier, rutted past Jeff City midway, but overall fine. Saw a TON of various large snakes as we got back by the river.

Stayed in Joey's Birdhouse B&B and we had one of the best breakfasts we've had in years, along with good company and a great place to stay on the trail.

Hermann to St. Charles: A great stretch with a few minor detours. One puts you on a remote country highway for literally three seconds and is nothing to sweat, and the other brings you up a large hill and into Klondike Park for a couple miles. It's well marked through the park, scenic and free of cars.


Back in March we worried about all the detours, but now the Parks dept. seems to really be on top of them. Never hurts to have lights on your bike front and back in case flooding closes stretches where you have to go on the road and need to increase visibility. Watch those flooding reports if you're planning a trip as the river looks high and threatening in Mid-May.

Hope everyone has a great time on the trail, we certainly loved every minute of it.

I'm taking a couple of school groups next week/week after, Adam. This is *really* helpful. Thanks for posting. And let's hope we stay as dry as you did!

Frank keep your eye on the flood information on the DNR Katy Trail web site. The trail could be impacted by the recent rains (current and predicted) both along the Missouri River and northwest of the state of Missouri. If the predictions hold true, several parts of the trail along the river will be under water.

Adam, thanks for taking the time to report on conditions during your ride.

Be very careful with the detour around Rocheport, the detour takes you on highway 40 for a few miles and the traffic moves very fast and there’s little to no shoulder to ride on.

Is this still closed. Does anyone know. Thanks.

Yep, still closed.

Just looking for an update. Is this still closed? I am riding it Mid June.

Rode through it Friday evening (5/19) and it was all clear.

Great news thank you!

I'm interested in a first time visit to St. Louis. I would like to bike part of the Katy Trail. St. Charles to Augusta looks great. My questions are:
Is it best to rent a bike in St. Louis?
Do I bike to St. Charles or is there transportation for my bike and I?
Thanks

If you are going to rent a bike, your best bet is the Bike Stop Café which is in St. Charles right next to the Katy Trail.

https://www.bikestopcafes.com/bike-rentals

I second Bike Stop Cafe for a bike rental or if you want a shuttle to pick you and your bike up. There are also bike trails in St. Louis that connect to the Katy Trail if you want to ride from the city.

Curious as to updates on this. I plan to ride entire trail mid June. Dread riding Hwy 240 to Hwy 40. Any advice? I already got hit by a car riding my bike last year, not looking forward to lightning striking twice!

If this is the only option, has anyone done it? Easy to find? Easy to ride?

Does anyone know of any shuttle companies that may be willing to shuttle riders for a fee of course?

I think that if you scroll down you'll see someone who rode it recently and said it's open. You could text Katy Bed and Bikefest in Rocheport and ask if its open...

The Globe Hotel. Has become like “coming home”. Leaia and Mark r wonderful hosts The place is always clean, the breakfast is large and delicious. The local restaurant and bar are veey fun. I love stopping there. Always will

What a pleasant suprise the Booneslick Guesthouse. Spacious, clean with lovely amenities and food and drink at the ready.
Sleeping was very comfortable. And a short walk to Frederic's Hotel Bar for drink great price. Would recommend to anyone

We stayed in the Punk Silo. The Silo’s are extremely cute. They have everything u need. Very clever storage, while providing everything
Wendy and Doug are down home peeps. The animals on the farm r fun. Wonderful place, secluded and quiet. A great get away place

If traveling from Lee's Summit Amtrak Station- How far down to the nearest RI trail head? Is there good overnight parking near the trail head? Or, is cycling to/from LS Amtrak to RI trail reasonable.

Tentatively planning a train out - cycle back trip. Hermann?
Does Amtrak still go to Washington?

Hello Mark,
The nearest (continuous) Rock Island Trail starts in Pleasant Hill, MO. There is a Trailhead and it's safe for overnight parking. From the Lee's Summit Depot it's about a 20 minute drive via highway or about 1.5 hrs by bike via Smart Road. The Rock Island Trail from Pleasant Hill to the Katy Trail (and beyond) is an excellent ride and highly recommended. I've ridden across the state a few times from Pleasant Hill and really like it.
Sorry, not sure if Amtrak goes to Washington.
-Jharte

Yes the Amtrak station does go to Washington Missouri, I just bought a ticket yesterday for a pick up next week on Friday.

BikeKatyTrail is now offering a "Daily Digest" email which summarizes all of the previous day's Forum activity.

This is a great way to keep up with the Katy Trail Forum, without having to keep coming to the website and without getting individual "KT Alert" emails each time someone comments on the forum.

If you'd like to subscribe, just click in the "Forum Alerts" box near the top of this web page.

Wow, just visited the site to change my individual alerts to the digest option (thank you for that). This site looks great. Love what you've done. Very excited for the RIT. Thanks for all you do Ray! Signed, a happy cyclist

Nice! I just signed up for it.

signed up for the "Daily Digest" yesterday. It works great!Thanks

Going to be heading out of pleasant Hill on the 29th of May around 6 am, riding to Washington Missouri slow and easy, any riders going that way that week that want to join me?

A very large tree is down 5 miles south of the Pleasant Hill/Purvis Rd Trail-head. I could not see a way to get around or over with the tree with a bike. Easy detour by taking East 217th Street to South Dillon Rd back to the trail. Hopefully someone will post when the tree is removed.