Walking and Camping

I'm considering walking from Clinton to St. Charles, in 10 days, carrying all food and gear to camp. [It's training, that's why ;-)]

In the Rockies I can do about 25 miles a day. On the Katy I'll probably do more.

My question is about where I can throw down a small tent to cook and sleep for the night. Campgrounds will be fine if I'm close, but I expect to be "in between" most nights at dark-thirty.

Any insights about what I can and can't do [or get away with]?

Camping on the trail is not allowed. The trail is actually a long state park that "officially" closes at dusk. Not sure how closely it is monitored.

You only need to be out of the corridor/KT-Park for most fire and no-fire camping. This corridor is fairly narrow.

Quite a few private campgrounds, grassy areas, and municipal parks exist outside the trail's corridor. The municipal parks usually have roofed pavilions and modest fees, if not free.

Check out the trip planner at the top of the page, that should help.
Because of the flat surface of the trail... I've read that hikers are using jogging strolers for their stuff, instead of carring it.

I too, often wonder when I go to Colorado what I can get by with like starting fires in Rocky Mountain National Park, feeding bears, etc. You know, just normal stuff that doesn't really hurt anything. I figure if someone asks I'll try to pass it off onto a Coloaro native.

I've done portions of the Applachian Trail... Feeding bears is a BAD IDEA!! I keep food from the camp site & sleep in clothes that I did not cook in. You can end up as the bears dinner! I lived in Pennsylvania for a long time.... Just too many bad stories! Try to keep to the camping areas in the Trip Planner.. Many areas are free! I saw someone was using a Jogging stroler in another post. Might be better than a backpack

Coming to our state looking for ways to bend the rules by asking what one can get away with is a bad idea too. Maybe it was poor choice of words. Maybe the question should have been more in line with wanting to know what the rules are instead of blurting out that the intent was to break them what ever they are. We don't need anyone giving the average biker/hiker a bad name on the Katy and then going back home to curse the out of staters with Missouri tags on their car.

The statement that "You only need to be out of the corridor/KT-Park for most fire and no-fire camping." is not true and I hope you and no one else follows that advice. If you are off the corridor you are trespassing. Many of us were trying 23 years ago to gain support for the trail from our neighbors along the trail and behavior that you propose was used as an argument against us often. I would hope you would reconsider and not follow a "What can I get away with" attitude on your trip. There is no physical need to. If you are capable of the mileage you state then you are capable of arranging your nights to be at a camping area that does not place you contrary to the rules. You might have to cut down to 20 miles one day and up to 30 the next but it is possible. Remember also that the comments here are from other users of the trail that support you being there. The adjacent landowner whose field or woods you trespass in will only take note of the one bad behavior that he witnesses, not the thousands of other hikers and cyclists that pass by and do no damage or trespass and perhaps even pick up trash along their way. He absolutely will not see them but he for sure will take note of you. Come and enjoy our park and your trip, just remember that you are representing all trail users as you travel. And to those that know me, yes I do have and charge for camping at my place but I don't believe that changes the truth in my posting.

My error for not being clear. Sorry. I meant to say "outside of the corridor in privately owned campgrounds or on public property," such as municpal parks etc (with permission). Not on private farmland or in private yards or anywhere that would be trespassing without permission.

I agree with the previous comments that finding appropriate and legal camping facilities along the trail (outside of the park border) is quite possible and should be fairly easy to calculate given the resources on this website. As noted, there may need to be some adjustment in your daily mileage to make it work....one day may be 5 miles "long" and another day 5 miles "short" of your hoped for average...but it should be workable.

It sounds likes a great idea and a great adventure.

All best wishes! Enjoy!!

I looks like I can adjust my first 3 nights and then hit 25's for the rest to stay in what the Planner says are Campgrounds. So it ought to work.

I am sensitive to "hiker abuse" and the last thing I would consider is contributing to a negative prospective. Knowing that there really are no alternatives to the campgrounds is the clincher.

Thanks for the info.

Note: if the fire pits or pre-installed iron grills, like the ones at the New Franklin campgrounds or in certain public parks are not already in place, then the camping in such places is NO-fire.

Thus, it’s worth the nominal fee to camp in the real campgrounds and at some of the B&B’s that allow it, such as, Rendleman’s in Bluffton and maybe a few other ones close to the trail.

Hi Doug,Bluffton- My wife and I are planning a camping only ride from St. Charles to Clinton and return. What is the name of your park? We are panning our trip in late August. Send to my email if preferred. p8gen47@yahoo.ca Thanks