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Free Camping
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Dan Kelsey from Idaho Falls, Idaho on 1/12/2021 12:39:43 PM:
I am planning a Spring trip to the St. Louis area to visit relatives and would like to bike a portion of the KATY trail, maybe one or two nights camping. I was exploring Marthasville east to the end or vice verse. I was hoping for Free Camping but it looks very limited. (I know camping is prohibited at the trailheads and private property). Any suggestions or options along that stretch of the trail, city parks, etc... Thanks - Dan -from Idaho
 
Jim from St. Thomas on 1/12/2021 6:49:06 PM:
There is very little free camping because letting people camp for free is a poor business model! :-)

A better answer is that even though the Katy is a state park it closes at sunset so camping is prohibited in the park. That leaves private campgrounds and community parks as your only option. Some of those are free and those that do charge are extremely reasonable.
 
Dave from Kirkwood on 1/12/2021 7:00:34 PM:
I am not sure how familiar you are with the Katy, but it mostly travels alongside farms (and other private land) and then through some small towns. There are no real expanses of public land like the national forests out west. Thus, free camping is not really an option. There are a couple small conservation areas near the trail that might allow that, but I don't think there are any in the stretch that you mention.

There is a small city park in Marthasville that allows cheap camping, and Klondike Park (east of Augusta) has a nice camping area.
 
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