Reply to Getting to Amtrak from somewhere in the East

Still having difficulty figuring out how to get from the East end of the trail (either Machens or St. Charles) back to the Kirkwood train station. No one will shuttle us from either point. Bike Stop says call the day before - that's not helpful when you've got a train to catch.

I'm not savvy enough or familiar enough with the roads to understand some of the directions that have been posted.


Does anyone have a route that they have created for Garmin that would take us safely from St. Charles back to Kirkwood station? We aren't opposed to riding on city streets as long as they aren't super busy highway speeds. We are all used to road riding so some traffic isn't going to completely deter us.

Or - do you have a better option? We really wanted to do end to end but we're willing to cut out Machens because we don't want a 60 mile day at the end trying to catch a train.

Here is a Google Map link (this can be converted to a Garmin gpx file) that provides the best low traffic route (and most paved trail segments and bike lanes and residential streets) from the Katy Trail to the Kirkwood Amtrak station: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1g3mKDxZ4Dz7hIUq1qvJf2qm0nloQIosI&usp=sharing ... here are some of the highlights: separated bike lane across the Missouri River bridge at I-64 / paved trail along the levee through Chesterfield (note that there is a direct connection to Boones Crossing from the levee trail so you don't have to follow the Google Map to Top Golf and loop back...unfortunately Google Maps doesn't recognize this link) / cut through the mall parking lot at Boones Crossing to Edison / travel through the Chesterfield valley using low volume roads or you can ride on their nice sidewalks / ride on the wide shoulder along the South Outer 40 outer road / take the Salt Mill Road shortcut to Old Woods Mill Road / turn onto Clayton where there is a nice sidewalk for the first mile that eventually transitions into a really nice 8' wide paved trail / turn right onto the Ballas Road bike lanes / and finally ride along sidewalks and residential streets in Kirkwood in order to reach the Kirkwood Amtrak train station.

Thanks Mark. Do you know what the mileage is?

It is right about 25 miles to the Kirkwood Amtrak station if you measure from the point you turn off of the Katy Trail and cross the river. If you are using the Katy Trail mileage to calculate your total daily distances, then the Weldon Spring trail head is about 5 miles west of this turnoff point, so that would be 30 total miles from the Weldon Spring trail head to the Kirkwood Amtrak station.