Katy Trail Home  The Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail Rock Island Trail Home

Best Short Trip?


Go to Forum
Carol from Oroville, CA on 2/19/2006 7:43:46 PM:
Each year we visit family in MO the last week of June. We try to plan fun side trips and I just heard about the KATY. We have three nights and two full days for our ride, and I was wondering if anyone had recommendations as to the best portion of the trail to ride. We will have to rent bikes, stay in hotels and get a return shuttle, so services are important. We bike and are in decent shape but want to enjoy the scenery and towns (and we worry about the humidity) - so we're thinking 40-60 miles.

 
frank from festus, mo on 2/20/2006 10:38:17 PM:
carol, personally, i think rocheport east is the prettiest route. i've been as far as no. jefferson trail head from rocheport. as far as services go, check with the trail side cafe and bike rental at rocheport, as well as cycle depot at hartsburg. otherwise, check with all the businesses along the route for their hours and services. also have read numerous times on this forum about dotys cafe in hartsburg as well as the globe hotel in hartsburg and how great they are. other than that, enjoy the ride and be safe.

 
TRinJboro from Jonesboro, AR on 2/21/2006 12:07:52 PM:
I totally agree with Frank. I've biked almost the entire trail and Rocheport east is by far the most scenic. The bike shop there is also a good place to rent bikes. Depending on how far you want to go each day, for a short ride (25 miles), I would bike to Hartsburg, spend the night there and then bike back. For a longer ride (47 miles), I would go to Tebbetts where there is a hostel type shelter with bunk beds and spend the night there. The cost to spend the night there is only $5.00 per person. Good luck, you'll love the KATY !!

 
Mark of the Dalton Boys from Austin, TX/Columbia, MO. on 2/22/2006 7:32:23 AM:
One thing for absolutely sure....it will be very, very humid in June....bring Camelbacks etc. Regards.....Mark of the Dalton Boys

 
Clint Thompson from Moberly on 3/1/2006 4:11:23 PM:
I agree with Frank. That is the coolest section of the trail that I have been on. Another great section is between Defiance and Marthasville. Augusta is a great town to go through.

 
kasko from STL MO on 3/3/2006 1:01:07 PM:
Do contact Katy Trail office and request info packet.

 
MaBell from Overland Park, KS on 3/5/2006 11:11:58 PM:
Carol, 40-60 miles is a good trip for the day -the KATY is a relatively easy ride - but the heat will be a problem. It can be close to 90-100 in the mid-afternoon, and you're not going to want to be finishing up 60 miles that time of day. We did a 57 miler on a hot June day, and there was no stopping to enjoy - we kept plowing forward because it was so hot we just wanted to get done. If you really want to enjoy the towns and the scenery, you might want to plan to find cool places to hang out in the afternoons, and do most of your riding before lunch (start early in the a.m. - it's a beautiful time of day on the trail), and after dinner. Have fun!