Rock Island Trail Forum

Greetings,
I just wanted to share there is a new lodging option in Sedalia Mo right off the Trail. Wally's Bike Retreat is a cost effective dorm/camp-style lodging that can accommodate up to 8 riders.

Perfect for those tourer and bikepackers that want a night off the ground, or those who want to have a unique experience while out on the trail.

Check us out. Ride in - Rest up!

I suggest you mention how to find info on your lodging. I found it, but I had to work for it and I know how to use google, Airbnb, etc….maybe include a link for the internet challenged. Looks like a great use for that house.

If you put an address and contact number, Ray might be able to add you to the Sedalia map. Glad there's a new option in Sedalia!

Yeah I'd love to know how to find/reserve this place for my next ride....what's the secret?

Yes, Wally's is listed on the Sedalia page at https://bikekatytrail.com/sedalia.aspx

If you click that listing, it leads to a separate page with details on Wally's, including the AirBnB link

Ray, as always you are on top of it! Thanks for keeping us updated!

Nice!

Rideable? Still a dotted line on the map at top of page as "future trail", but is it passable on bike (looking at St. Charles to Raytown) but I may need to make other bikepacking plans

You will need to ride on lightly traveled roads and very wide sidewalks. It was very calm and not stressful. Here are the excellent directions and guidance from Mark from Lee's Summit.
Map Route from the Lee's Summit Amtrak Station to the Rock Island Trail in Pleasant Hill
Mark from Lee's Summit on 09/19/2020 09:15 AM:
There are several other on street routes (like Hamblen, Ranson, or Smart Road), but if you are looking for the least amount of traffic then I would use this following route. Please note that you still have to be prepared to ride quite a bit on rural roads and through residential neighborhoods, so this isn't a route for little kids. Leave the Amtrak station by going NORTH (right) on Main Street for about 200' where you will then turn left before the bridge and take the ramp down to 2nd Street. Turn left onto 2nd Street (there is a small 3' wide striped mini shoulder next to the curb that the city loves to use as an unofficial traffic calming mini bike lane. Stay straight on 2nd Street for about a mile until you see a QT gas station where you will turn left onto Blue Parkway. Go past the QT and turn right onto 3rd Street. For about 800', you will have to ride in traffic along 3rd Street so you can go under the 50 Highway bridge and then turn left onto Oldham/Ward Road. Go straight on Ward Road for about 1000' and as you pass the Walgreens ride up onto the sidewalk because from there for another 4 miles the sidewalk becomes a wide bike/ped trail running straight south along the west side of Ward Road.
Take the trail south along Ward for 4 miles until you reach MO 150 where you will cross the road and turn left along the sidewalk (if you don't want to ride in the lane of traffic). Go east along the MO 150 south side sidewalk for about 1.25 miles where eventually you will have to use the wide shoulder to get across the 291 Highway interchange.
Now you have to make a choice to either ride for 1/2 mile along the busy two lane 150 Hwy. with no shoulders (in order to reach Doc Henry) or immediately turn right and take the east 291 outer road which has almost no traffic. If you take the outer road route , you will add another mile to your trip because of all the looping back that you will have to do inside the residential subdivisions.
If you look on a map, you will see that you are trying to get to Doc Henry Road/Cherokee Drive/20th Avenue/Allendale Drive and finally South Allendale Lake Road. The key is to weave through the subdivisions to get to South Allendale Lake Road which has a nice paved sidewalk trail heading south (for at least the first mile). Once you get past the residential area along South Allendale Lake Road please note that the pavement gets rougher, but that rough pavement also helps to limit the number of vehicles you will encounter. These last 5 miles will also have quite a few rolling hills that you get to enjoy before all of that flat, gradual railroad grade along the Rock Island and Katy trails.
You will take South Allendale Lake Road for 2 miles south where you will turn left onto County Road which eventually weaves around becoming 167th Street, Groll Road, 171st Street, and then South Gray Drive (just 1 mile total, but the street keeps changing names after each curve)...finally turn left (eastward) onto 175th Street for 3 miles until you reach the trail which is right past the railroad tracks. Turn right onto the trail and into Pleasant Hill. Once you get into the town of Pleasant Hill, follow the signs because they have to weave you around another active railroad line.

I stayed in the dormitory building of this B&B while doing a Katy Trail bike ride. It was just what I needed. Small room with two twin bunk beds and a pull-out full size sofa. Very comfortable with TV, fridge, and wi-fi. Plus a nice shed next door that I could lock up my bike in. Plus washer/dryer so I could do a load of laundry. No noise during night so I slept fine. Continental breakfast items (yogurt, muffin, cereal, instant oatmeal) were provided so I could eat as early in the morning as I wanted and get on with my ride. Price was very reasonable. The owner made check-in/check-out very easy. I highly recommend this place for bikers who want to spend a night in Rocheport.

Just spoke with Meriwether Cafe in Rocheport. They are on the Katy Trail. They have a lot of rentals available! 573-698-1222

We have reservations for the tram tour June 25. Where do we park to get on the tram?

Do you encounter a lot of hikers/walkers on the trail? Are there any safety concerns on the path?

I’ve been on the trail traveling west to east for the last 3 days and have only seen the occasional hiker.

On weekends in the more populated areas or tourist areas, you might see hikers/walkers/runners. Otherwise, pretty quiet. As far as safety concerns, running over a scampering squirrel might be about it. Crossing paved highways can be tricky. You just gotta use common sense and realize you will never win an encounter with a motor vehicle.

We were disappointed to find this establishment closed Sunday, Monday AND Tuesday! Only place to find food was Casey’s, which does make a good pizza.

It isn’t on this site but the Katy Junction B&B is right across the street from the trailhead. Jerry the owner fixes a great breakfast & served us brownies & ice cream as an evening treat. Great place to stay.

I have been riding the Katy trail regularly for over 10 years now.
This year I have noticed nearly all what I will call street riders, not
Giving any kind of notice or warning that they are going to pass you.
Today I almost inadvertently spat on someone who just appeared and
Without notice and passed me.
What if I had wandered out of my lane having to avoid an object? it could
Be disastrous for both riders!
This is careless and irresponsible behavior so either get a bell or at the least
Give a verbal warning when passing either another cyclist or runner!

And now I'm hearing (or not hearing) there's no music allowed to be played open air on the trail? Is that correct?

a single earbud gives me music while I am still able to hear my surroundings. i do not know what rules there may be.

The prime directive is to do no harm and be considerate of others using the trail.

Thanks!

I use Shokz bone conduction earphones when riding, and have used them twice on the Katy. They also will hold a charge for a full day of riding. You can hear your music just fine and also, others who may be talking to you.

Crank up the tunes!

If people crumble at a minor "inconvenience" such as music, they can slow down or speed up; if they go the same speed, that's they're problem! I'm bringing my small Bluetooth speaker- I was going to bring the big Bazooka Blaster (JBL Boombox) like I do for RAGBRAI, but the front and rear rack have bags on top ??

Their* problem (edit)

With the technology available these days I don't understand the need to blast music through Bluetooth speakers but you do you. I'm sure everyone will survive their brief interaction with you.

In all my years and trips on the trail, I've only encountered a couple people playing music while riding. It was very brief as they passed by so it wasn't that obtrusive. I guess they want the companionship or are warding off bears or other evil spirits. :) Not my cup 'o tea but like Jim said, u do u.

I suppose some might see their selfishness as inconvenient to others, but blasting so-called music in what is otherwise a pretty enjoyable experience is just being inconsiderate. I've ridden many biking events and the clowns who insist on playing what they consider music get the pleasure of riding alone.

Riding with music blaring from a speaker seems to be a distinctively Iowa thing. I have ridden rail trails all over and it’s just in Iowa where people regularly make everyone else listen to their music. So- be respectful of those around you. And- if you encounter me- expect me to start singing. .. loudly. If I have to listen to your music- well, you won’t mind listening to mine.

Enjoy the ride!

My spouse and I just stayed at the Dormitory at the School House B&B in Rocheport. It was comfortable and clean. There is a shed available for storing bicycles overnight (we took advantage of this service). After our one night stay at "The Dormitory at School House B&B", we headed west on the Katy Trail. There is a parking lot where we left our car that is adjacent to Meriwether's Restaurant in Rocheport (a few minutes from our B&B) - the parking lot is part of the state park so available for use.

I have never ridden any part of the katy trail. We will be in St Louis soon and I am looking for advice of where to start St Charles, Defiance...? Which way is more scenic to do a 20-30 mile out and back. Is there a spot you would recommend parking, and then which direction would you recommend going for a nice scenic view?

Both St Charles and Defiance have nice places to park and to grab a snack after riding. Between the two, I'd probably start in Defiance and head west.

1) St. Charles to Dutzow and back (with a stop in at Blumenhoff winery in Dutzow explore towns along the way.

2) Dutzow to Mackittrick/Herman area and back check out restaurants in Hermann and along the way.

The adventure is in finding those unique treasures along the trail.

Certain places are trail legends. Loutre Market is not to be missed if you're in the McK/Hermann metroplex. :) Hot food, cold beverages. Bikers to chat with.

Wife and I just spent the night here. Gotta say, our expectations were low.

The staff did not bat an eye at the bikes rolling through the lobby. A Road Scholar bike trip was staying there as well, and they had about 20 bikes with them. We got three bikes into the elevator with no problem.

Lobby and casino were lightly smoky. Hallway on our floor was not smoky, and the room was also totally non-smoky. We were really happy about that.

The place looked surprisingly new inside. Carpet was clean, room was clean, A/C was cold, shower was hot, bed was good.

We ate at the restaurant in the casino. I had a really good burger and fries, and it was $16. They had local beer on tap. Wifey got some kind of giant nachos, which were also good. And of course, gooey butter cake for dessert.

I always say to support small business, but on this night, the convenience and low price of the big guy delivered.

So what's the rule on camping along the trail free style as in stop n pop the tent? Using common sense of course.

Camping along the Katy Trail

Camping along the Katy Trail is a popular option for multi-day travelers. Please note that it is not legal to simply camp alongside the trail, and of course camping on private property is out of the question. Fortunately, there are many excellent camping facilities along the Katy Trail.

There are also numerous city parks that allow camping. Typically these parks are not set up with campsites, and you can't build a campfire. But you can find a nice spot to pitch a tent, with the added bonus of public restroom facilities.

Here's a list of camping locations along the Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail:

https://bikekatytrail.com/katy-trail-camping.aspx

Nope, no freestyle, no stop'n'pop.

Any tips for loading the bike on the Amtrak Missouri River Runner? Been a while since I hauled my bike on an Amtrak but I bet they still give 0.5 seconds to do it. :)

Lindenhof is a beautiful,quaint,well-maintained Bed & Breakfast. Kathy is the most gracious hostess you could ask for. She went out of her way to accommodate our late arrival and our request for a very early breakfast. The breakfast was home cooked and exceptional-a hearty start to our busy day ahead!

Trail runners. Ive done 800 miles of the AT. No blisters in my La Sportiva. Narrow feet. For wider feet try Altra. Avoid waterproof. It doesn’t work and your feet can’t dry out. Good luck and have fun.

Wonderful experience! Kim helped us tour the local history museum and gave us ideas for Windsor. Enjoyed cooking in the cabin kitchen and sitting on the porch. Looking forward to staying again.

Thanks Brad! Was awesome to have you all stay a couple nights at the cabins during your full Katy adventure! Hope you'll come back to Missouri again!

My wife and I are planning to cycle the trail again in September for our anniversary and when planning out the trip we decided on staying in Augusta for the final night before hitting Machens the following day. Looking at food options on a Wednesday/Thursday seem very sparse. The old White House restaurant is closed and Root Food + Wine doesnt open until 5:00 pm on Thursday (we will be gone by then). Am I missing something? There doesn't really seem to be any restaurants to eat at in Augusta anymore...

Sorry, but there isn't any food options in Augusta that are open during the day. The closest ones are in Dutzow to the west or Defiance to the east

Clean. Well organized. Nice location. Friendly host. Washer/dryer complementary. Breakfast items very sugary.

I am thinking about bringing my son up to ride the KATY mid June. Can anyone give me an idea of how bad the bugs might be, especially biting bugs? My son swells up and has a strong reaction to mosquito and gnat bites, and being a youngster, his misery is freely shared with Dad.

I rode the KATY 3rd week of April, and other than the usual farm field bugs in the teeth after dark, I had no bug issues at all.

Mosquitoes can be thick near bodies of water, as well as ticks if you get off the trail. Yellowjackets are the worse and wasps also, but they shouldn't be an overall obstacle for not riding the trail if you take and use repellents.

Mosquitoes can be really bad. Ticks also. DEET bug repellent is a must if you have a strong reaction to bug bites.

I think as long as I am moving, they stay off me. But one day near McBaine I stopped, and they almost got all of my blood before I could escape. I wish I remembered which month that was in. There was a very large constructed wetlands nearby, and I think the mosquitoes were coming from there.

Definitely bring repellent both spray and wipe on since as was said you ride through bug impact on your body as well when you stop they will swarm you especially around standing water which is pretty often. Keep your kids lathered up!

Thank you everyone for your input.

How hard is it to ride in the rain? Would we be silly to try it today? Thursday 5/29

The main things to consider are:
Tire width, narrower tires will tend to sink in soft spots.
Rain gear, do you have ponchos or at least garbage bags to keep you dry and waterproof gloves and small bags to put on your feet to keep them dry.

Good news is it is not suppose to have a lot of heavy rain or thunderstorms today, just cold drizzle with light winds from the north.

After today it should be sunny and warmer.

I'll add to what Gary said. If the trail is wet, it can be very mushy especially in the west as it isn't packed down.

Wider tires are better; however, they should have deep tread or knobbies. I once was riding on 650b x 47s smooth tires near Windsor. The rear tire was spinning as I was pedaling. I changed those tires to a pair that had small knobbies and the problem went away. Same on my MTB tandem which really helped on the muddy C&O Towpath trail.

I also highly recommend fenders. They really help in the rain or even when the Katy is dry and dusty.

Please follow up with your post and it sounds like this might be worth a separate post about your experiences.
The crushed rock surface of Katy is about as close to being paved as it can get. Some people only want paved trails, but we have freeze/thaw cycles and plentiful tree roots here. Both will heave trails and ultimately make pavement broken and rough, adding to the already expensive cost to maintain. We will keep our crushed rock trail and be glad to have it (comment/opinion written for everyone not just you) When wet it’s a little mushy, but not bad….unless it rained a lot.

How was your trip?