Katy Trail State Park Camping

Nice Rail Trail Decent Surface

We rode this trail from the Daniel Boone Bridge to St Charles for lunch at the Bike Stop Cafe. The trail is well maintained and is shaded by trees most of the way. The section adjacent to Greens Bottom Rd is exposed . The trail is EASY to follow and is pretty level. The city of St Charles has businesses close to the trail.

One Park Two Campgrounds Choose From Cabins Yurts And Rv Sites Operated By Dons Cab

Trail Of The Month: December 2016

Rail-trails of this scale are few and far between anymore.

UPDATE:In December 2016, Missouri State Parks formally announced that Rock Island Trail State Park will now be known as the Rock Island Spur of Katy Trail State Park.

Just in time for the holidays, a stunning new rail-trail has arrived in Missouri. Opening Dec. 10, the 47.5-mile Rock Island Trail State Park is notable for its lengthand its connection to an even longer trail: the renowned Katy Trail State Park, which, at 237.7 miles, nearly crosses the entire state. While the Katy Trail stops short of Kansas City, a forthcoming extension of the Rock Island Trail will march right to the citys doorstep, making it possible to utilize both trails to travel between the states two largest cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, without a car.

For Missouri to have the Katy Trail, which is absolutely iconic, and then to have the chance to do it again with the Rock Island Trail and have them connected: thats unprecedented, says Eric Oberg, director of trail development for RTCs Midwest Regional Office. Rail-trails of this scale are few and far between anymore.

Bookending the rail-trail are Pleasant Hill and Windsor, which possess all the charm and hospitality you might expect from small Midwestern towns. Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, offers sage advice for visitors, If pie is on the menu, try it.

The Katy Connector

Rock Solid Support

From Rail Spikes to Trail Bikes

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Clinton To St Charles And Back In 6 Days

“I rode the trail from St. Charles to Clinton Sept 20 to Sept 29 2004.I did it by myself with cell phone support from children and friends. Actually I planned to hike and bike but after 2 days of hiking 16m and 15 mi I had a problem with finding a reliable service to ferry my bike from portal to portal so biked the remainder. I took an R& R day in Sedalia. The depot and folks there were super. I stayed in B& B’s -almost all great. One of my son’s came from Arizona and rode with me for a day. What a wonderful experience! I hope to do it again next year with a friend this time. Oh by the way, I had never ridden a bike with gears b/4 training for this and I was 68 years old at the time. I loved it! Unbelievably beautiful country. “

Well Maintained Trail Nicely Marked Booneville To Creve Coeur Trail

Trail was nicely marked miles wise I felt like the trail was under serviced there were many business that were not open that I planned on using. Hats off to the people that maintain the trail it was in good shape. Trail was comparable to the GAP trail between Pittsburgh PA and Cumberland MD just less service areas. The newly remodeled Katfish Katy’s in Columbia MO was a nice oasis right on the trail good food.

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Les Bourgeois Winery & Bistro

Known for its spectacular view of the Missouri River valley, this terraced, bluff-top wine garden is a favorite retreat for picnickers. Wine tasting and sales are inside the A-Frame. Bring your own picnic from home or purchase snack trays in the A-Frame. Grab a seat at one of the many picnic tables and take in the fabulous view. The Les Bourgeois Bistro Restaurant is next door. Located 15 miles west of Columbia: I-70, exit 115 one mile north. Also, a trail leads from the Katy Trail to the winery.

Finger Lakes State Park

The roar of ATVs and off-road motorcycles combines with the peacefulness of rolling hills at Finger Lakes State Park, one of two ATV parks in the state parks system. Built in a former coal mining area, Finger Lakes trails and motocross track are popular with users who come for the day, but often fall under the spell of the spacious campground, leafy trees and hilly terrain. The park is also the site of the challenging 2.75-mile Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail and a 4.5-mile water trail.

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Katy Trail Stealth Camping

View Full ProfilehalfmileBeings the entire KATY Trail is a Missouri State Park, does anyone know of a regulation that prohibits stealth camping ?View Full ProfileSeems like it is allowed, so long as you are on public lands and subject to certain distance restrictions. As always, no campfires and make sure youare leaving no trace.jonc123MO state parks are run by the DNR which has different rules than MDC.View Full ProfileView Full ProfilehalfmileSee my revision to my origional post….I consider camping in none desiginated campsites as stealth….this is not the true meaning of stealth, my mistake….halfmileSee my revision to my origional post….I consider camping in none desiginated campsites as stealth….this is not the true meaning of stealth, my mistake….98.3% of rural Missourians have shotguns.mstateglfr :gun talk:.#1#1it all comes down to .The linked article just seems to have faulty math.mstateglfrSide note- my wife went to college at Tulane and I was down there almost monthly back in the day. Loved going down there every time. Being a visitor is way different than living there, obviously, but I always thought I wouldnt get tired of the history and culture even if I were surrounded by it daily.I never got over the fascination of a mansion a few doors down from a shotgun style drug house which was then next to another mansion in the Uptown/Garden area. Really interesting place.bbbean

Arrow Rock State Historic Site

The Santa Fe Trail crossed the Missouri River here. Landmarks include artist George Caleb Bingham’s house, the circa 1834 Huston Tavern, a one-room jail, a visitor center museum, camping, hiking trails and picnicking. The J. Huston Tavern offers dining in an 1860s atmosphere. Pets on a leash are allowed outdoors only. Arrow Rock is 13 miles north of I-70.

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St Charles To Jefferson City

I rode the section of the Katy running from St Charles to Jefferson City on a roadbike running 25mm gatorskin tires . It had rained quite a bit in the prior days and the trail was not as hard as other crushed limestone trails I have ridden but this in no way become difficuly to navigate on a roadbike . The biggest suprise to me was when i veered off the Katy on to Hiway 94 for some smooth riding pavement and was hit with several 200+ ft climbs just East of Agusta. Ugh. there are other crushed limestone trails with a similar experience but I guess for the sheer length of this trail it gets a 4 stars. Also the bike ramp over the river into Jeff City is pretty cool as is the downtown of St Charles.

Reaching The End Of The Line

When you make it to the end of the line, you might wonder how to get back to your everyday life. Fortunately, you dont have to bike all the way back east or rely on a friend to pick you up at the finish line. Although the Katy Trail converted railroad tracks to double track, that doesnt mean there isnt a train still running through Missouri.

Amtraks Missouri River Runner line goes from St. Louis to Kansas City, and you are allowed to bring your bike on board. That means you can coordinate your thru-ride or Katy Trail sections with Amtraks stations and schedules to turn a bikepacking trip into something even more epic. Find out for yourself why they call Missouri the Show-Me State and take your wheels to the Katy Trail.

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The Mkt Bridge At Boonville

The Katy Trail is part of the U.S. railbank, which means it must remain connected to the national railway network so that it could be returned to active railway use. The segment of the trail between St. Charles and Sedalia was connected in two locations. One of these connections is in St. Charles and the other was provided by the MissouriKansasTexas Bridge at Boonville. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was granted the right to keep the bridge in place and to use it at the MDNR’s discretion as part of the trail under the Interim Trail Agreement of June 25, 1987. But on April 28, 2005, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources amended the agreement, abandoning its rights to the bridge and allowing Union Pacific to remove the bridge and thus creating two independent segments in the trail, east and west of Boonville. If the connection in St. Charles is destroyed or otherwise rendered unusable by rail , the segment of the trail between St. Charles and Boonville would lose its railbanked status and ownership of the land would probably revert to its original owners from before the MKT Line was built. The same could happen to the segment east of Boonville if its connection is lost.

Carter Caves State Resort Park

Lodging & CampingTierney’s CavernBackcountry Campsites.MeetingsThings to DoGem MiningBirdingCave ToursFishingGift Shop at the Welcome Center HikingMiniature GolfPaddlingPicnickingPlaygroundsRappelling and Rock Climbing Area

• Rappelling and climbing are permitted in this designated area only.

• Rappelling and climbing by permit only.

• Rappelling and top rope climbing are permitted.

• Sport routes or traditional climbing are not permitted.

• Setting bolts is not permitted.

• Rappellers and climbers must use pre-existing installed anchors for rigging.

• Trees may be used only as access line anchors to reach pre-existing installed bolts.

• Rope pads must be used when rigging trees.

• You may not rappel or climb on tree anchors.

• No rappelling or climbing alone.

• Area open during daylight hours only.

• You must return your permit after you leave the area.

SwimmingTennis

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Out And Back From Rocheport

Rode 15 miles east from Rocheport and then back for a total of 30 miles in Sept 2022. Weekday ride with a few other riders around. Trail is in great shape and very much worth the trip. Surprisingly my wife saw 5 snakes and I saw 1 along our out and back. All were small and hopefully harmless . Lunch at the Meriwether Cafe was nice for us too. All in all that section of the Katy Trail was worth the visit. We are east coasters and targeted this trail for our vacation.

Katy Trail State Park Facts

States: Counties: Length: Trail end points: Trail surfaces: Trail category:

Advisory: May 2020 – In June 2019, parts of the Katy Trail were flooded. While much has been repaired, please check trail conditions on the Missouri State Parks website before going out to ride as certain areas have posted detours and closures.

At nearly 240 miles long, Katy Trail State Park spans nearly the full width of Missouri and is the countrys longest continuous rail-trail, intersecting with rural farmland, scenic small towns, and centers of commerce and government on its route paralleling the Missouri River. Along the way, it invites its walkers, runners, and riders on a journey to explore the history of the state. The Katy Trail is in the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame and is designated a Millennium Legacy Trail.

Due to recent area flooding, please check the Missouri State Parks website for trail closures and updates before visiting the trail.

On the east side of Missouri, the trail officially begins in Machens at mile marker 26.9 . To access this endpoint, trail users can park at the Black Walnut trailhead at mile marker 29 and bike or walk in past adjacent agricultural fields. Many users choose instead to jump on at mile marker 39.5 in the historic town of St. Charles, where the trail threads between the states first capitol building and a restored depot building. Trail riders can take advantage of trailside businesses here, including a bike shop, café, brewery, and several historical B& Bs.

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Sloppy Ride Out Of Rocheport

The weather forecast for Saturday 1/24/2015 was pretty mild , so my son and I decided to head to beautiful Rocheport for a short day’s ride. We started on the trail at 11 a.m. with a temp of 41. What had been a nice, dry, packed crushed gravel trail was now a loose, wet, “mushy” mess heading South along the bluffs and MO River. I had trouble riding along this section all the way into Hartsburg, and had used about every ounce of energy to pedal 25 miles. We rested up in Hartsburg watching a guy sawing up downed trees, and burning brush. After PB& J sandwiches, and some energy drink, we headed back leaving the sound of the chainsaw and dwindling brush pile behind. The trail had dried out some which made the ride back much more pleasant as we arrived in Rocheport around 5 p.m. and snapped a few pictures at the tunnel. We were pretty hungry, so we stopped at the Iron Skillet in Grain Valley. The sirloin steaks were pretty tasty! All in all, a great day and better than raking leaves at home! 🙂

First Ride On The Katy

My neighbor and I just rode the Katy trail from Dutzoa, MO to Sedalia, MO. We boarded AmTrak in Sedalia, MO and got off in Washington, MO. then rode our bikes to the trailhead and proceeded back to Sedalia. All in all it was a great ride altho I did have a couple of flats along the way from thorns that were left in the trail from mowing and trimming branches. There were plenty of water stops, rest rooms and places to stop and eat along the way but you needed to take advantage of each place because some of them were a few miles apart. In Boonville, MO, we stayed at Hotel Frederick and ate at Glenn’s Cafe, what a treat that was. Let them know you are riding the Katy Trail and they will take great care of you. On the trail from Boonville, MO to Sedalia, MO you pass through Pilot Grove, MO. Depending on the time you get there, the grocery store across the street may or may not be open, it was closed when we got there. Make sure you fill your water bottles at Pilot Grove because we never found any water at Clifton City and it’s a 24 mile ride to Sedalia from Pilot Grove. For me, 3 24oz water bottles wasn’t enough, course, having a flat tire 5 miles out of Sedalia didn’t help either.Take your camera as there are several photo stops along the way. Would I do it again? Sure, but I think more planning on my part would be helpful.

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Bike In Bike Out On The Katy Trail

A cute little house on the Katy Trail.

Bring your bikes, bring your dog, bring your friends.

After a long day of riding the Katy Trail and enjoying the local wineries and breweries, or maybe you are in the area celebrating a wedding, the Katy Haus is your place to kick back and relax.

THE LOCATION

A cute little house on the Katy Trail.

Bring your bikes, bring your dog, bring your friends.

After a long day of riding the Katy Trail and enjoying the local wineries and breweries, or maybe you are in the area celebrating a wedding, the Katy Haus is your place to kick back and relax.

THE LOCATION

Located nearly on the Katy Trail in Marthasville, Missouri, the Katy Haus is in Missouri wine country and less than an hour from St. Louis.

Bike shuttles and rentals are nearby, the best pizza in the county is steps from the door, and wineries are a short bike ride down the Katy Trail .

Ride the Amtrak train into Washington and have the shuttle bring you to the Katy Haus.

THE SPACE

The Katy Haus is a one level little house with 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom . It sleeps a total of 4 people and is dog friendly.

The full kitchen has everything you need except to make your own meals, including place settings, pots and pans, wine glasses, and both a Keurig and a regular coffee maker.

The single bedroom has a king size bed with crisp white linens from The Distinguished Guest and light blocking curtains for sleeping late.

Bedding for the king size sofa sleeper is provided upon request.

WINERIES

I’ve Done This End To End A Few Times

This is the best trail in the country, IMNSHO. That I live near it may have something to do with my opinion :). It does get more interesting as you go west past Jeff City. It also gets more remote from resources and is less well kept. Since this mostly follows the Missouri River, it’s subject flooding, a lot. If you have the gear for cold weather, it is much better in the winter as you don’t have to deal with the occasional trail users who don’t understand trail etiquette and it’s not likely to flood or have a tornado. I’ve been on the trail after/during both. The Missouri cresting and engulfing the trail behind and in front of one is, I have to say, the scarier of the two scenarios, in my experience.

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