Reply to Questions: Machens, Illinois

Hello! I’m planning to ride round trip the entire Katy Trail this April and starting from Machens. Questions...

Is the entire trail open? I see that person on the blog from KC said it was closed in Machens.

Also do you know of a place in Illinois along the Mississippi River that would connect to the Katy trail to start from?

Thanks for your help. I’m sure I’ll have more questions as it gets close. Any tips would be appreciated.

Machens is not the ideal place to start especially if you are parking a car. Your best bet is to do a 24-miles out and back from St. Charles to start. The trail ends in Machens. It was closed near Machens a few years ago due to flood damage, but it's been fixed for a while.

You can start over in Alton, Illinois. The Hwy 67 bridge over the Mississippi River has a bike path, but there is often a lot of broken glass on it. However the bike path ends shortly after the bridge. The shoulder of Hwy 67 is wide. You'll need to turn right onto Hwy 94 and stay on it for a few miles. It usually isn't all that busy. If you are looking at something like Google Maps, there seems to be side roads, but many of them are rough dirt. Interesting factiod: RAAM (Race Across AMerica) uses Hwy 67 and the bridge.

Another option from Illinois is from Grafton. Take the Grafton Ferry over the Mississippi River. Note: Do NOT take the Brussels or Golden Eagle ferries. Make sure that the Grafton ferry is open as river conditions often close it.

I agree with Jerry. Starting from Machens is not a good idea especially in April. If you want to say you did the entire KT Trail wait until summer and park in St Charles and do an out an back to Machens. Trail east of St Charles is not real developed. Start from or end in St Charles would be a good first KT trip. Riding from Illinois to start would be in the summer time.

Ok wow thanks for the tips. I’ll look at all those tips and plan it better. Yeah parking the car is scaring me. Maybe park at a hotel or township building in St. Charles or Alton, Grafton? But there’s nothing to worry about being on the trail? Safe?

I did a round trip of the Katy last September. I was riding alone and camped by myself most nights. I never once felt unsafe at any time. You will go through a few areas that look a bit sketchy and you will see homeless people occasionally but I never had any trouble.

I recommend parking in St. Charles. There's a public park there where I've left my car 5 or 6 times. I just left a little note on the dashboard giving the phone number and email address where I can be reached. Flooding could be an issue, but then you don't want to be riding on the Katy when the Missouri River is up that high anyway.

As mentioned before, start at St. Charles and do an out and back to Machens. That way you can claim rights to doing the entire Katy.

The trail is very safe. Just be careful at intersections with the road. There's one place near St. Charles and another near Augusta where it's difficult to see the road traffic. Just be careful.

Raff: the issues with Machens primarily are related to access to/from the trail. There is a legal right of way to/from the trail from the local roads/highway. That access allows you to legally get to the trail, including crossing an active rail line. The owner of the property adjacent to and surrounding the Katy/state park is not a supporter of the trail and has been known to place barriers to keep people out. There is no designated parking at the Machens trailhead and because property lines are not clearly marked one could “accidentally” trespass. Interesting fact about the property owner is his name is Machens. I believe that most trail users are simply using the trail for its intended purpose and not committing crimes. Another issue with Machens and all areas east of St Charles is that it’s not as scenic in some people’s opinions (I’ve seen quite a few comments related to that over a few years) so that’s why some may believe it’s not worth doing. I don’t feel that way, just understand it’s flat river bottom farmland far enough away from both rivers that you don’t see them. I enjoyed that section and would regret missing it and the bell at the end.
Regarding safety, most people overwhelmingly have a safe trail experience. Some may see someone or something that they don’t like, but that could be their own insecurities or prejudice, but even then typically nothing happens to them. Unfortunately cars sometimes get broken into, so park somewhere that seems safe. Also don’t leave anything of value visible inside your car, including change or bags….what you think is a bag of dirty laundry might appear to be a bag with POTENTIAL valuables to a thief.
I rode from Westwood, KS to Alton, IL crossing the Mississippi via the Grafton Ferry. I then rode across the bike/pedestrian only Old Chain of Rocks Bridge ending at Gateway Arch. I will include a link below to my Strava for the specific route. There is currently one closure at Mokane for a bridge replacement until March. I suggest going to Mo state parks website and use the trail advisor link on that site for official info. Sometimes you can get around those closures, but it may not be an authorized detour. I suggest Facebook group Fans of the Katy Trail for a greater audience and media than this good resource here.
https://strava.app.link/6N4dLH1tzGb

Thank you Eric, Jerry and Alan and everyone else. I appreciate all the kind help and advice. I’ll do my best with my ride and I’ll let you guys know when I plan for sure when I leave. I did a solo bike packing trip from Elk Grove Village to Lacrosse, Wisconsin and back. Well almost lol. It was for sure a great peaceful experience and I hope for the same on this trip.
Cheers