Rock Island Trail Forum

Is there overnight parking at the Woodson Trailhead. If so, is it generally OK and do need to notify anyone of vehicle ID, time there, etc?

I just called and talked to them, they do not allow camping.

So I bought a bikepacking bicycle with 29er tires on it for going long distances off pavement. I was wondering if this type of bicycle is suitable for riding the katy trail?

Suitable....yes.

Overkill....yes.

Ideal....no.

Unless the trail is very wet and sloppy the 29'r tires are overkill. Even then the ruts that would be made would be frowned upon by others who follow you in a few days.

If the trail was dry and there was a couple of nice tracks to ride in the increased rolling resistance would not be ideal.

But yeah they'll work on the Katy.

We live on the Katy Trail and our 29ers are our Bicycles of choice (we have many types). You can really travel with those wheels.

Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying about "29'r". I am not sure what you are saying about the ruts and people coming after those that ride them. The wheels, tire treads, are the same as other Mt Bikes.

Scott: I ride a Salsa Cutthroat which is also a bikepacking bicycle with 29” wheels. For those that may not know, this bike was designed for riding the Great Divide mountain bike route from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. It is the most common bicycle ridden in the Tour Divide which is the race version of the Great Divide. Your bike is well suited for the Katy, including 29” wheels. I’m not sure why anonymous SEEMS critical, and concerned about rutting the trail…..any bike or pedestrian would do the same on a wet surface. I am not hyper obsessed about specific tire pressures, but I would lean towards firm PSI for less rolling resistance. The Katy is a very solid packed crushed rock and offers a fairly smooth ride, about as close to paved as a “gravel” trail can get. Story time: prior to my Katy trip a physical therapist I once worked with asked if I like spin classes…..I responded “of course not, who likes that kind of work?” She replied that the Katy is so flat, you’ll find yourself pedaling all the time, kind of like a spin class. She added that riders often don’t like riding up hills, but at least with hills, you get a break after you climb, and get to coast for awhile. My point is that you should pace yourself since you’ll be pedaling a lot, but it’s not that bad.
Planning: I found the hardest part was finding lodging to MATCH the daily miles I wanted to travel. I did not want to camp, because I wanted to travel light, did not have a SAG and was a solo rider. My route took me from Kansas, through Missouri, into Illinois via a ferry ride, then back to Missouri to finish at the Gateway Arch…394 miles over 6 days. If you’re camping the planning will be a little easier.

Yep, it will be perfect. You could get some narrow tires with minimal tread if you wanted to reduce your rolling resistance.

Just a comment on 29 inch tires. As mentioned, these are normally mountain bike tires, but can fit a frame designed for 700C as long as the stays are wide enough. Having said that, I rode a 29'r mountain bike on the last MKT trip, and found the posture (more upright) was much better than on my drop bar gravel bike, since the visibility was better. I will acknowledge that a drop bar is overall more comfortable but the difference in posture offset the difference. I think the biggest difference is in speed; gravel is just slower, especially with the wider MB tires.

Hi… My wife and I love the Katy Trail. One of best in US (maybe the best). We rode our first time on a section of Katy by Boonville where we recently moved to. We crossed over the Missouri River at Boonville heading to Nee Franklin. Great ride but as we started crossing bridge noted there we no Katy signs pointing us to the bridge then after we crossed we had to stop am because it was confusing where next to go. No signs again. We finally found it. Now we know the route but thought would be helpful for others to see if signs were placed in both spots. Thks

Did you pickup one of the trail maps available at the trail heads? You can also use Google Maps on a smart phone that will show you the trail.

Trails can be confusing sometimes when they pass through towns and you find that you're not on that straight ahead no brainer path forward.

Gary has a great idea to use either a paper or online map to verify your route.

Signs pointing the way may be a good idea, but it would probably be more effective to contact the DNR State Parks and let them know instead of coming here and letting everyone know you got lost. There's not much we can do other than wonder why you didn't use a map.

I had the same problem last year. Kinda wondered if its a rail trail where did the train go

If you are still talking about Booneville, you can see the original bridge north of the new bridge where the trail crosses the Missouri River. The center section of the old bridge would be raised to let river traffic through. You can go see the old bridge and ride up to the point where the center section remains raised. You’ll have to use your imagination though to see where the train came over the old bridge and turned right and passed Franklin Missouri on its was to Saint Charles.

Thanks for info on Booneville bridge , do you know when it was raised

When the railroad abandoned the line they no longer needed someone to raise and lower the bridge so they just raised it and it remained that way ever since. I don’t remember when that was, would make a good research subject for someone, you game?

I had the same problem 5 years ago. When I got to the part of the trail with the Chisom Trail monument I took a right on the highway. After several miles I realized that the crossing for the Missouri river was in the opposite direction. once I was on the other side, I missed the signage after the casino and went the wrong way again. But that is part of the adventure.

Speaking of the Boonville "lift bridge", I'm pretty sure the city of Boonville acquired the bridge from the railroad several years ago, with the intention of making the bridge usable and crossable for cyclists and pedestrians. But apparently the funding for that project did not come through.
Maybe someday... it would be pretty cool.

We have done the KATY 5 times over the years, and every time, just after the Booneville bridge we are a bit confused as to where the trail is. Signage would be a really good idea. Also, it will be really great if they get the old bridge put back together for cyclists. I bet it will happen one day!

Ya just gotta be on your game and be on the lookout for the twists and turns. But if you can navigate Sedalia, you can surely navigate Boonville. I wish there was a way to put both of these back on their respective trails. The thing I really don't like in Boonville is being in the bike lane coming across the river and having a head-on meeting with another bike of overtaking a pedestrian. And YES; having the trail go over the river in Boonville would be pretty cool. Enjoy.

Great to see the discussion about the old bridge in Boonville. At one time it was quite a political hot potatoe. When Matt Blount was governor of Missouri, 2005-2009, he planned on selling the bridge to I think Union Pacific. They planned on demolishing the bridge and use parts of the demolished bridge to build a new bridge over the Missouri River. The then Attorney General Jay Nixon (later 2 term governor of Missousi) opposed the plan, as well as members of the Boonville community, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and many others. In additionn to the bridge being a significant historic structure, there was a concern that destroying the bridge would mean that the Katy Trail would not be a continuous trail, which could jeopardize the continued existance of the entire trail. Landowners along the trail who opposed it could claim that it no longer met federal requirements for a rail to trail and petition to take possesion of the land back from the state.

Full disclosure here, I am not a fan of Jay Nixon, but at least in this 1 case he did the right thing, unlike many other things he did during his 8 years as governor.

And you already know the outcome, Union Pacific did not demolish the bridge. Hopefully Boonville will one day be able to follow through on their plans from about 17 years ago, and restore the bridge.

The first time (of many) that I crossed the Boonville bridge going toward New Franklin was a bit of a quandary, but I figured the original RR had to be west since that's where the old bridge is. Turned out OK but just kind of a deduction. I will say the pavement markings through Boonville are most welcome, although there are so many ways to get to the bridge it's worth it to go off route as Boonville is such a great town.
As far as Sedalia, I much prefer the old route past the cemetery on Engineer then right on the road (the name of which escapes me), but once one gets out of town on the new route the trail is excellent.
One last comment; I've done all or part of the MKT at least five times, and not once has the weather been as forecast. The advice to be prepared for anything is right on.

Looking to purchase a new e-bike in the early Spring. I've not owned one previously. I'm not interested in an on-line purchase. I've done quite a bit of research. I have a shop in mind. Models I've researched are: Denago; Specialized; Giant; and Aventon. I ride quite a bit. I'm looking for a pedal-assist. I ride the KATY mostly and I've seen all of the aforementioned models on my rides. Anyone have any first-hand knowledge? Mid-drive vs. hub-drive seems to be the wild card. Thank you.

I bought a Trek ebike last year and love it. I live in the St Louis area and bought and had it shipped from a shop in Ashville NC because they had the one I wanted. The dealer said you can't go wrong with a bike from what he called the big three, Trek, Specialized and Giant. I have a Bosch hub motor which would always be my choice over a hub drive. But I'm not sure it matters that much. FWIW, Yamaha is getting out of ebikes in the US and has some great deals right now. I was very close to buying a Yamaha but backed off because their dealer network is weak to non-existent for ebikes. But they make great bikes with good components. You might want to look into those and maybe talk to a LBS about taking care of it when needed.

We purchased Specialized Vado 4.0 bikes and love them. They have enough oomph to pull my 260 lb. body and full paniers up the nastier parts of Jeff City with only a small effort. We've never pulled the battery down too far, but we feel we could get an honest 80 miles out of a charge (my wife could probably get 90),

But, they have a pedal assist up to 28 mph and that makes them Class 3. I have read that some trails are outlawing Class 3 E-Bikes so you may want to check up on where you like to ride. I'm not sure what kind of enforcement may be out there, but I'd hate to have my trip cancelled part of the way through.

We reached out to the shop we bought them from and they did a firmware patch that limits the pedal assist to 20 mph and Specialized is sending us stickers that proclaim them to be Class 1 E-bikes. Honestly, I'm not going to go above 20 mph on gravel so it's no great loss.

Go with one of the big three so that you can find a bike shop dealer that HAS to work on it. Lots of shops are refusing e-bikes.

Bought one a month ago from a local shop. Service after the sale is part of the deal. Thanks everyone for your input.

What is the typical weather like in April for the state of Missouri? Plan on riding during the 3rd week of April.
Thanks in advance!

It's Missouri. There is no "typical" weather. It has snowed in April. It has rained in April. It has been hot in April. It has been cold in April. We have a saying here: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few hours. It will change." I'd look at the weather 10 days in advance.

Be ready for some rain. Be ready for some cold. Be ready for some heat. Be ready for a dusty trail. :)

I'd be pretty surprised if you didn't get some rain.

I have had the pleasure of staying here multiple times, and each experience has been outstanding, thanks to the welcoming town. During softball nights, concessions are available, and the nearby bar/steakhouse and convenience store, situated just south of the ballfields, offer alternative options. The facilities are well-appointed with showers, numerous AC outlets, picnic tables, and a large carport, seems like last time I was their a firepit was handy, When arriving at the Marthasville trailhead, the ballfield and carport are visible to the south. In contrast, the caboose camp, located just down the trail, has left me with an unfavorable impression. Don used to be the man to call for the stay, he has retired good news you now can still call the friendly volunteer staff, the phone number is posted on the bathroom doors at the pavilion, or ask around in town. September 2024 (5.00 a person)

Thanks for your suggestions, Gary. We are staying the night in St Charles, then finishing out to Machens and back to Black Walnut TH the next day before heading back to NE Iowa with the KATY experience under out belts! We will probably take your suggestion to get off at the TH in St Charles and work our way back to the hotel.
Ann

Thanks for that information! My bigger concern is there a spur/sidewalk that leads off the trail to the streets to get to that hotel area? In a lot of places the view from Google Maps looks like there is construction, private property, weedy ditches, etc. Has St Charles, or the KATY trail management made an access point in that area?
Thanks
Ann

I was just figuring you were ending your ride at the St Charles Trailhead and it’s a small town vibe in that area and taking Main Street from the trailhead area would be less traffic and straight forward ride. Have you tried doing a navigation from the trailhead to your hotel using the bicycle mode of transportation selected and see what it shows you?

Hi,
Wondering how difficult it is to get from the KATY to either the Comfort Inn or Hampton Inn on S 5th? Our 1st Choice, Country Inn right in Old Town does not have rooms for our night. Some Google Street Views seem to show an access from the trail to Main Street, near where the trail goes under I-70. Others, do not. So, I am not sure what I am seeing. There will be riders, two of whom are not comfortable with street riding, so I am hoping we can get to the hotels by walking our bikes on sidewalks to one of these hotels.
Thanks,
AB from NE Iowa

I would use Main Street to go to your lodging, 5th street is the main entrance and exit for I70 and can get congested depending on when you go through there.

I would like to ride the Katy Trail in September. Will my road bike with 28mm tires work on the trail?

They should, but the type of tread is important. Katy is made up of packed chat that can become muddy and slick in places after a rain, which can happen in September. I would recommend tires with good overall traction. Good luck and have fun.

I rode just fine all December on my 28 slicks. That said, when it was wet after 4 days of snowmelt, trail was slimy and my narrow tires sunk in and became quite slow, but totally doable. So I would say 28 is fine, but minimal. It might also help that I don't weigh barely a buck and a half..

Your 28 tires might be doable but sink in the trail. People that follow you when the trail dries out will curse you for creating ruts. Bad karma will follow you. But hey, it’s your choice.

If you weigh 300lbs, then 28mm tires won't be too great. If you weigh 85lbs, you're good to go.

Planning our first trip. Initial thought is to go round trip. Retired so time is flexible. Any suggestions we should include as we plan?

We've done numerous out and back trips on the Katy.

It seems to be a completely different ride on the return trip seeing the landscape from the opposite direction.

Round trip or out and back eliminates the need for transportation back to the start point.

Time is in your favor....relax and enjoy the ride without having rigid deadlines to meet for transportation, etc.

Would recommend starting in Clinton and going west and returning to Clinton via Sedalia. A few reasons: 1) the only real elevation change is from Pilot Grove to Boonville; west to east it's downhill. 2) During baseball season, room rates go up in St Charles, and are pretty high as far west as Chesterfield. 3) You can catch the Amtrak going back east from Washington, Hermann, or Jefferson City, so you can skip riding a lot of miles going back to Clinton. Just have to time your route. You will want to leave the train in Sedalia, and then ride back to Clinton, about 35 miles, but that is a nice ride east to west; you can always stop again in Windsor. Good accommodations (going west to east) in Clinton, Windsor, Sedalia, Pilot Grove, Boonville, Jeff City, Rocheport, McKittrick, Hermann, Washington,... well, lots more: this web site will answer most of your questions with some research. You can get car shuttles back to Clinton as well. Can't comment on camping, but there are some options. The Clinton Community Center offers parking and camping, and you can check in there and leave an itinerary. It's about 1/2 mile from the trail beginning (or end) via separate bike path. Would agree that a rigid schedule won't work too well, especially if using Amtrak. By the way, forget about weather forecasts; I've never done a trip where the weather was as predicted. You'll need raingear.

Not sure how this works: Would recommend starting in Clinton and going west and returning to Clinton via Sedalia.

Leave Clinton and go west.....trail ends in Clinton, but anyway go west and then somehow go to Sedalia and back to Clinton??

I rode East from Clinton all the way to St Charles. Then took the Amtrak train from Kirkwood, MO back to Sedalia then rode back to Clinton.

I don't know the terrain of this trail. What type of tires would be best?

The fattest tires that your bike can handle with a lot of tread or even some knobbies. I've done the trail with tires as small as 700x25s and as large as 650bx47s. The small tires were too small, and the large tires were overkill but still better than the 700x25s. I found 700x32s were adequate.

Dear Anonymous Einstein: Thanks for the communications critique, but Billy from Yukon OK figured it out. FYI: Studies have shown that 99% of forum users that use "Anonymous" are creepy uncles (or aunts as the case may be). Happy trails and good riding.

My first time was with 25mm..not a great result. I have been happy with 28s in good weather, but would prefer wider.