Reply to Newbies in June

A group of 6-8 of us doing the trail west to east, MID JUNE, Amtrak'ing to Warrensburg, pedaling to Clinton and riding to Machen...and ending in Alton. We've only done eastern parts of the KT, now we're doing the whole thing. We've all got lots of ROAD & GRAVEL bike miles, just kinda new to KT.

Couple questions
1. Although some are camping completely, some of us will probably seek lodging, SHOULD WE MAKE RESERVATIONS?

2. Phone service on KT? Verizon? AT&T? is it all good or spotty in remote areas?

3. Pedaling from Warrensburg to Clinton on DAY 1, any recommended route for that?

Always make reservations...why put yourself in the position where you don't know if you have a place to rest your head? Self induced stress is not necessary or fun.

Tree canopies can make service spotty. With AT&T we've not had issues but we don't count on service everywhere either.

No experience on riding to Clinton. I'd google map it in cycle mode if no one provides a better route.

As a lodging owner my two cents worth is make reservations well ahead of time. I sadly had to tell two separate cyclists lastnight, on Wed., that I had nothing available. Look for a gravel route from Warrensburg to Clinton. 13 highway isnt safe to cycle

You will have a much better time if you take the train to Lee's Summit and then ride the Rock Island Trail to Windsor where it connects to the Katy Trail. If you really want to ride two lane highways from Warrensburg, then you are probably looking at weaving your way to Leeton where you will intersect the same Rock Island Trail that I mentioned before and take that to Windsor. Windsor is a great camping and cabin location where there are several great options.

I second the suggestion to take the train to Lee's Summit and then follow the Rock Island.

I also second the suggestion to make reservations. If you don't, what happens if people aren't able to get accommodations?

I always have some signal on the trail. Not always enough to stream a video or send a photo, but good enough to make a call or send a text. I'm on AT&T.

Make reservations! Great places to stay and nearby restaurants. Much more fun than camping! Most have laundry as well. I’ve done it 5 times and will do it every year until I cannot! Decent cell coverage. Have fun!

I was in Warrensburg over Memorial Day; I have three family members buried there. I have also done five trips on the MKT. Would have to agree with others in that State Highway 13 is not an option for cyclists. Very narrow shoulder until just north of Clinton. The real problem is visibility; Missouri roads tend to have lots of curves and hills, so it's the visibility not the road. And HWY 13 is busy with local traffic and recreational vehicles since Truman Lake is south of Clinton. There is a patchwork of secondary and tertiary roads that will get you from the Amtrak station to Clinton; you'll have to look at the maps (Google or otherwise) to get an idea of how to proceed. The area around Warrensburg to Windsor is Amish country, so the secondary roads are in good shape with horse and buggy traffic and little vehicle traffic. There is a bike trail from Warrensburg to Knob Noster (about 12 miles), all paved, which will get you to State HWY 23, and you can connect with WW Road into Windsor. Probably useless information to you, but it's there. The best option is to find a shuttle service from Warrensburg to Clinton; this web site will get you some information. The other recommendation mentioned above, starting in Pleasant Hill, is a good one, and the roads to get from the Amtrak in Lee's Summit are better for cyclists; the routes have been pretty well mapped by others.
Camping options are sparse along the MKT; you might want to look at the Katy Trail State Park web site to review the rules and restrictions about camping. Camping along the trail is not a good option. Treat yourselves to B&Bs; you'll be pleased with the options.