North Jefferson Trailhead (N. Jefferson)
Heather from St Louis on 09/10/2010 06:32 PM:
I drove down 63 and then up 54. There were no signs for the N Jefferson Trailhead. This website has no directions either. How do I get to the parking lot for the N Jefferson trailhead?
Gary near Tebbetts from Tebbetts, MO on 09/11/2010 01:06 AM:
Heather if you look at the top of this page of the map of the trail where it says "clink any town for info" clink on "N Jefferson" and it will take you a lot of information regarding the North Jefferson trail head and surrounding area including a detail google map of how to get there.
Ray has created the best rails-to-trail web site I have ever seen with a wealth of information at your finger tips. Take some time to explore it and I think you will agree.
Chuck L from Jefferson City on 09/14/2010 05:03 AM:
Heather, I feel terrible that you came such a long way and couldn't find the N Jefferson station. Gary is right and you can see a small map by clicking as he says. The map shows "Katy Rd" going further north from the station. This road is blocked by a locked gate so one must approach from the south. That blocked road used to be Hwy 54 not so many years ago. Well within this grandpa's memory. The actual access to this station is a bit complicated and you must slide the map around a bit to see the whole route. I learned this trick just now from Gary's suggestion. Heather, do visit again.
Rachel from Jefferson City on 10/20/2010 03:10 PM:
Some of the maps can be confusing. The road you're looking for does not intersect with hwy 63, it goes under it. So if you're going down 63 south, you will need to take 54 south and then you will see the signs right after the 63/54 interchange. Hope that helps
Franklin on 10/13/2011 03:57 PM:
The point is. With today's GPS it would be nice to plug in an address into the GPS and then have it calculate where you need to go. How hard is it to have an address? You guys make it out like driving willy nilly down a road looking for signs posted to lead to open roads that aren't gated to enter a turn and lead you to another scavenger hunt of signs to follow is sooo simple. You know what is simple? Having an address to plug into a GPS machine and then driving to the trail head...
Gary Near from Tebbetts on 10/13/2011 10:10 PM:
Well if GPS is your thing, then check out the Towns and Services link above. At the bottom is a link to GPS coordinates for the trail heads. The trail heads generally do not have street addresses. If you don't know how to enter GPS coordinates in your GPS device, you can try using the city and search for nearby parks, recreation areas or someother similar nearby locations to see if it will list the Katy trailhead.
harvey Cedars from St. Martin, Mo. on 10/28/2017 07:19 PM:
Heather is absolutely right about the lack of signs or markers, but there are a few parking lots around. you would access any of them by taking the exit for the Jefferson City airport. i know that there are parking lots at the airport, the "Cedar City Room", down by the ballpark, presumably down by the river front, and according to the Google map a "Lot B" right near the start of the trail.
Anonymous on 10/29/2017 09:49 AM:
Heather done been lost lil over 7 years now. Would a thought she figured out how use a map or gps before she just start out all willy nilly an then blame someone for not making a sign in the right spot to let her know where to go. And to wander for 7 years! Prolly not lost, just like to wander.
North Jefferson Trailhead in N. Jefferson
MAK from Jefferson City on 08/14/2017 02:29 PM:
Will the bike/ped bridge over the Missouri River be closed the day of the eclipse? If yes, what time will it close and when will it reopen? We would like to travel by bike into Jefferson City that day.
Vita from Paris, IL on 08/14/2017 03:27 PM:
According to my Total Eclipse of the Katy bike ride packet, the North Jeff trailhead will be closed to the public on Aug 21 due to the organized ride event. The bike and pedestrian lane of the bridge will be closed from 12:30 to 2 pm on the 21st for safety reasons.
North Jefferson Trailhead (N. Jefferson)
nuey7 from Kansas city on 05/14/2007 10:59 PM:
About how far is it from the N. Jefferson trailhead to Jefferson City and the amtrak station? Also, is it safe to leave your vehicle at the N. Jeff trailhead? I was thinking about leaving it in Jeff City if that is available. Thanks for any info.
trinjboro from Jonesboro, AR on 05/15/2007 03:13 PM:
It's not far, about 2-3 miles. You have to cross the MO River Bridge, and you will get varying opinions on how dangerous this is. You'll have to get opinions from locals as to how safe the trailhead is to leave your car. I've only left mine for 1 to 2 hours at a time while I biked and have never had any problems.
Jim from St. Thomas on 05/16/2007 08:12 AM:
I would not recommend leaving your vehicle overnight at the Jefferson City trailhead. Smash and grab breakins are fairly common. You would think the Capital city would have a little better security or at least some lighting.
nuey7 from Kansas city on 05/16/2007 12:21 PM:
Thanks...I was leaning on leaving it at the Jeff city trailhead, but not now. I guess something else will work out!
Jim from St. Thomas on 05/16/2007 01:20 PM:
How long do you plan to be gone and is is over a weekend?
nuey7 from Kansas city on 06/15/2007 12:08 AM:
just overnight and during the week...probably a Monday into Tuesday.
Thanks
Jim from St. Thomas on 06/15/2007 12:19 PM:
You didn't hear this from me but......there are several state parking lots in the Capital complex just across the bridge from the JC trailhead. It's probably 2 - 3 mile ride from the main trailhead. They are usually pretty safe.
Julianna Schroeder from Jefferson City on 04/11/2011 12:12 PM:
Woo-hoo, everybody! MoDot and scads of statewide and local partners have completed a sweet new bicycle/pedestrian pathway across the Mo. River Bridge at Jeff City! It's still a little bike ride from the North Jefferson trailhead, but it's a safe one now, and with great views! Photos of the path and ribbon-cutting on this blog post: http://opulentopossum.blogspot.com/2011/04/pedestrian-bridge-is-open.html
Pookie DeCocq from Richards, MO on 10/20/2016 10:08 PM:
How is the parking at the North Jefferson City Trailhead these days. The comments advising not to park there overnight are from 2007. Has anything changes or still not advisable to park there overnight???
Cathy from Jefferson City on 10/20/2016 10:43 PM:
Because it is so excluded, I would advise against it. I haven't seen anything specific about breakins over there, but just think you are taking a risk parking there overnight. Someone recently posted that they parked at a parking garage on Madison St. in Jefferson City for a few days while they biked the trail. I think they quoted the price of $2/day. You could call the city (they run that garage) and get information about that. That parking garage is about a mile from the pedestrian/bike path attached to the Missouri River Bridge. The total distance from the parking garage to the Katy Trail is probably less than 3 miles. You do have to go up a hill to get to the bridge, but you can do it! Coming back from the Trail to the parking garage would involve more uphill treks. But it's doable.
ArkyKenny on 10/21/2016 12:06 PM:
What Cathy said: Except I think that going over the Jeff City bridge is not only doable but pretty cool, and an experience you would not want to miss.
Tons of good places to park in Jeff City. We parked at the bike shop down the hill from the capitol (with the owners permission of course).
North Jefferson Trailhead in N. Jefferson
Linda on 03/18/2016 05:41 PM:
I need directions for the N Jefferson Trailhead from Highwsy 54
Brian L. from Wichita on 03/19/2016 08:51 AM:
There is an interactive map on North Jefferson page on this website, which might help. Click the "N Jefferson" in the map at the top of this page.
Cathy from Jefferson City on 03/20/2016 08:00 AM:
Do use that interactive map. But if you find it confusing (which I do), here is how you get there from Jefferson City (which is from the south): on 54 as you cross the Missouri River bridge, you will take the very first exit, I think it says to the Katy Trail State Park. From the exit you turn left. Stay on that road for probably less than a mile until you see a sign to the right to the Katy Trail state park. I think you will be turning onto Oilwell Rd. Then you will turn right onto Katy Rd. That will take you to the N. Jefferson Trailhead. I cannot tell you what exit to take if you are coming from the north.
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 03/21/2016 06:08 PM:
If coming from the north, it's the Rt W/Airport green sign exit. There is a Katy Trail State Park brown sign but it is behind the Airport sign and you probably won't see it until it's too late.
North Jefferson Trailhead in N. Jefferson
CB from Kansas City on 09/14/2015 02:57 PM:
Is there be a place near the North Jefferson trail head to shower and clean up before dinner? Not staying the night there just catching dinner and driving home.
Cathy from Jefferson City on 09/14/2015 10:41 PM:
I'm not aware of any place close to the N.Jefferson Trailhead where you could shower.
Jim from St Thomas on 09/15/2015 10:12 AM:
If you are a member of any YMCA you can use any of the JC YMCA facilities (including the showers). If you're not YMCA members you might still be able to buy a day pass depending on date/time that you will be in JC. Here's the link to their day pass rules.
http://www.jcymca.org/?page_id=6050
LK (local knowledge) from Columbia on 09/15/2015 12:02 PM:
Doubt they have showers, but for food in that area, a nice place with outdoor seating (depending on the season) I don't see mentioned much is Canterbury Hill Winery....
http://canterburyhill.com/
Seated outdoors, their tolerance for dirty, sweaty, gamy bikers would be pretty high. Pretty good food and pretty fast service.
If you insist on a shower, and can't find one, an option of last resort might be a one gallon garden sprayer filled with warm water. Depending on your tolerance for rustic and privacy, those do a remarkably good job in a pinch.
Jim from St Thomas on 09/15/2015 01:11 PM:
Good call LK. Canterbury is a great place to end the day and/or ride. If nothing else you can do the sink bath thing at the JC trailhead.
North Jefferson Trailhead (N. Jefferson)
Gean Hyder from Nevada, Mo on 04/29/2009 03:32 PM:
My son and I stopped here and was very hungary. We called Pizza Hut in Holts Summit and they delivered Pizza and Pepsi right to the Trail Head. It was very good. Be careful about saving leftovers, we strapped leftovers on my bike and parked it on a bike rack in Hartsburg. A big dog ate the pizza and bent my front wheel.
Gary near Tebbetts from Tebbetts on 04/29/2009 08:04 PM:
Bent your front wheel? Are you sure that was a dog and not the Hartsburg Bigfoot?
North Jefferson Trailhead (N. Jefferson)
JD from Joplin on 09/24/2006 08:00 PM:
If you are coming from Clinton and heading to St. Charles, you better fill your water at this trail head. Trailheads with water become more scarce after Jeff City.
JasonA from Omaha, NE on 10/15/2008 05:56 PM:
A light pressure on the water fountain button is all you need, otherwise you'll get a bath!