Riding from Kansas City to Clinton, MO (trailhead)
- + Anyone have any suggestions re riding from Kansas City to Clinton MO? Looking for best route, lesser traffic/safer the better.
Discussion started 05/28/2014 10:04 AM by Jerry - 10 replies (last reply by gina greene at 04/14/2019 07:28 PM)Jerry from Maine on 05/28/2014 10:04 AM
Anyone have any suggestions re riding from Kansas City to Clinton MO? Looking for best route, lesser traffic/safer the better.
ArkyKenny on 05/28/2014 11:59 AM
The general thought on this topic is to not do it: The roads are not real safe. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but.....
There is a spur off the Katy that will eventually make it to KC, but it is not complete, so that is not really an option. One day....
Since you are a Maine guy, I am guessing that you want to fly to KC, then ride to Clinton and ride the rest of the trail. If that is what you want to do (thus avoiding shuttles, etc. to Clinton), what most people have taken is an eastern route around KC to Sedalia from the KC airport (which is quite a bit north of KC), then done an out and back to Clinton from Sedalia. To me, that is a better alternative than playing "Dodge the cars and bullets" in KC and "Dodge the cars on roads with no shoulder" elsewhere.
You could also take a wide 2 day counter-clockwise "3/4 of a loop Tour around KC", ending up in Clinton. That might be a fun way to do it.
'
That said, IMO, there is not a good direct way to ride a bike from KC to Clinton.
Trek on 05/28/2014 01:02 PM
You may be able to ride to from KCI to Union Station and take the Amrak to Sedalia from there. It would be best to contact Amtrak about putting a bike on in KC, beings there is a fee for doing so.
An alternative plan would be fly to St. Louis, have Locco House B&B in St. Charles pick you up and at the air port, spend the night at the B&B and start your ride the next moring from St. Charles.
Jerry from Maine on 05/28/2014 02:46 PM
Anyone have any suggestions re riding from Kansas City to Clinton MO? Looking for best route, lesser traffic/safer the better. We will definitely be riding and do not want to shuttle or take the train. We are parking the car in KC (West 43 Street).
Trek on 05/28/2014 07:06 PM
Have you searched this site? This topic comes up over and over again. I'm guessing that either you don't like the prior suggestions or you haven't read other prior threads. I haven't the need to ride from KC to Clinton and haven't, but it's been done before. If you can't find a route by searching here, try searching on crazyguyonabike.com. Lots of transam riders have ridden the Katy and may have past through KC.
ArkyKenny on 05/28/2014 09:35 PM
The Trans-Am Trail is 20 miles north of Springfield--No where near KC.
I'm telling you, there is not a good direct route on bike from KC to Clinton. If I HAD to do it, I'd get on Google Earth and piece together a farm road route because the larger roads really don't have any shoulders in that area, and people fly down those curvy things at 75mph. NOT SAFE. Then there is also the whole KCMO situation too: I have never ridden with body armor, and don't want to try it.
Reconsider. Maybe start from Springfield. Ride the Frisco Highline Rail Trail to Bolivar, there is a good wide shouldered highway from Bolivar to Clinton, then have a great time on the Katy.
Trek on 05/29/2014 12:26 PM
You are absolutely right Arky. Following the ACA maps, the TransAmerican Trail passes south of Kansas City and the Lewis and Clark Trail passes around Kansas City from the north to the east side and then eastward. It was foolish to think that anyone on a transam route of their own making, or on either of the ACA routes would have ever passed through Kansas City who had journals on crazyguy. When riding 2,000 miles, an extra 40 mile detour would probably be totally out of the question.
ArkyKenny on 05/29/2014 03:24 PM
Trek, you are proving my point for me. Neither the Tran-am or Lewis and Clark trail go near KC. Why do you think that is?
Jerry wanted to know a good, safe, direct bike route from KC to Clinton.--all I'm saying is that some of those can be done, but I'm not so sure that all of them can be done at the same time based on what I know about the roads in that area.
1) I'd re- think that plan. That is part of what this website is about isn't it? 2) If he is going to do it anyway, the way I would do it is straddle the Kansas line on dirt or small farm roads south out of KC (a not-so-direct, but safer route), then once 30 or so miles out of town, I'd cobble together a route on farm roads to Clinton, staying off the larger (if that is what you want to call them) roads. I'd use google maps to find my route.
Or.........good luck. Do it your way.
Trek on 05/29/2014 05:48 PM
Well......I wasn't trying to help you out Arky. You wasnt the one who asked for help in a route.
My point was simply that bike travelers very often get off the route to see attractions, visit family, etc. A few extra miles when riding across country is petty. Even though there is no published ACA route through KC, there are several crazyguyonabike journals with routes from KC to the Katy, and there are some on this site as well. The opinion of those who have put the rubber to the road could be of greater value than one's hypothetical Google route.
Seek the knowledge of those who have blazed the trail before you. Or....good luck. Do it your way.
Bike Rider from Kansas City on 05/30/2014 02:34 PM
http://www.mapmyride.com/us/mission-hills-ks/kansas-city-to-clinton-mo-route-35228280
Jerry from Maine. Here is a link to a MapMyRide route that someone created in 2011. I'd take a look at it and see if it fits your purpose. I hope you do come to Misssouri and ride the Katy Trail, it will be wonderful to have you visit! Good Luck!
gina greene from ventura on 04/14/2019 07:28 PM
Please let me know what my options are for a shuttle ride to trail head in clinton from kansas city
Cecils Cyclery in Sedalia
- + Thanks for the nice words about my dad.
Discussion started 04/14/2019 03:08 PM by GC - 0 repliesGC from Sedalia on 04/14/2019 03:08 PM
Thanks for the nice words about my dad.
Lindenhof Bed & Breakfast in Augusta
- + We spent last weekend 4/07/19 at the Lindenhof with another couple.
Loved the home and patio area. Beautiful home and rooms. Luv the antiques and decor touches. Kathy was very welcoming and accommod...
Discussion started 04/14/2019 03:07 PM by Mark and Linds - 0 repliesMark and Linds from Chesterfield on 04/14/2019 03:07 PM
We spent last weekend 4/07/19 at the Lindenhof with another couple.
Loved the home and patio area. Beautiful home and rooms. Luv the antiques and decor touches. Kathy was very welcoming and accommodating. We highly recommend this B&B and will definitely return. Saturday was a perfect day, so we rode the Katy trail, hit the Defiance Winery and then drove to Augusta to the B&B. Rain was predicted for Sunday, but was light and blessed us with a double rainbow. It was a wonderful weekend. Do stay at the Lindenhof.
Katy Junction B&B in Pilot Grove
- + Our group stayed at the KATY Junction B&B recently and it was awesome. Jerry is the nicest and most helpful person you’ll know. He certainly knows what excellent customer service is. Rooms are stylish...
Discussion started 04/13/2019 12:13 PM by John - 0 repliesJohn from State College PA on 04/13/2019 12:13 PM
Our group stayed at the KATY Junction B&B recently and it was awesome. Jerry is the nicest and most helpful person you’ll know. He certainly knows what excellent customer service is. Rooms are stylishly appointed, clean with comfortable beds, and the breakfast was surperb. He’s a great chef. Jerry is also the town’s historian (official or unofficial, he knows the area). Stop and stay a spell. Ride safe.
Camping in Mokane
- + Do they allow camping at the trailhead in Mokane? The Katey Trail website shows a camping emblem but does not have a pin on the map showing where. I have tried calling the Mokane City Hall several tim...
Discussion started 03/27/2019 09:25 AM by Troy - 4 replies (last reply by Troy at 04/11/2019 10:38 PM)Troy from Monroe City, Mo on 03/27/2019 09:25 AM
Do they allow camping at the trailhead in Mokane? The Katey Trail website shows a camping emblem but does not have a pin on the map showing where. I have tried calling the Mokane City Hall several times but nobody ever answers the phone...
Allen from Shawnee on 03/27/2019 10:13 AM
Camping at trailheads is not allowed. I have never found camping in Mokane. Tebbits next town west has a hostel. Next town east Portland has camping.
Allen
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 03/27/2019 04:05 PM
The campsite emblem may be referring to the Mokane Missouri river access which would be accessed by dropping down to Hwy 94 from the trailhead, turning right, taking the second gravel road on the left (county road 479) and going to the end where there is a fairly large parking area and boat ramp. I do not know if any campsites are there.
Ray (webmaster) on 03/27/2019 10:39 PM
I'm sorry for the confusion - the camping icon at Mokane was incorrect. This was an error that occurred in the recent website update, but it is completely fixed now.
Here is a list of all camping locations that I know of along the Katy Trail: https://bikekatytrail.com/planner.aspx?scid=11&ecid=59&rt=0&svcs=|4|
Again, sorry for the trouble, and happy trails!
Troy from Monroe City on 04/11/2019 10:38 PM
City Hall in Mokane contacted me and said they allow camping at the Lions Club Park. Its on the North side of the trail head..
Planning Your Trip - Trail Closures
- + I didn't understand this when we planned our trip, and I think maybe it will help others who are planning trips.
The state parks department, without warning, closes sections of trail. They do lots o...
Discussion started 04/11/2019 02:35 PM by Bill in Houston - 0 repliesBill in Houston from Houston on 04/11/2019 02:35 PM
I didn't understand this when we planned our trip, and I think maybe it will help others who are planning trips.
The state parks department, without warning, closes sections of trail. They do lots of planned maintenance during the prime riding season.
Make sure that you check out this page:
https://mostateparks.com/page/58843/potential-flood-locations
and the closures listed on the right side of the page.
It can be pretty disappointing when you see the sections that are closed, but it's better to know ahead of time rather than being surprised.
Bluffton Barn in Bluffton
- + we will be in your area the first week in june and are interested in staying with you one night. we are not campers, and would prefer 2 beds. could you email us or post here with rates and availabili...
Discussion started 04/10/2019 04:36 PM by lambchop - 1 reply (last reply by Rider at 04/10/2019 10:04 PM)lambchop from northwest arkansas on 04/10/2019 04:36 PM
we will be in your area the first week in june and are interested in staying with you one night. we are not campers, and would prefer 2 beds. could you email us or post here with rates and availability for that week for 2 people.
thanks
Rider from Missouri on 04/10/2019 10:04 PM
You would be better off contacting him directly. He has an ad on the Bluffton page. I doubt if he has your email address and might not want to conduct business on an open forum.
Black Walnut Trailhead in Black Walnut
- + Safe to leave car here for 5 days?
Discussion started 04/09/2019 12:37 PM by Chris - 2 replies (last reply by BikerBoy at 04/09/2019 03:25 PM)Chris from Cuyyahoga falls ohio on 04/09/2019 12:37 PM
Safe to leave car here for 5 days?
Anonymous on 04/09/2019 01:02 PM
It may be, but I would not do it. It's in the middle of pretty much nowhere.
St. Charles is a much better choice.
BikerBoy from Maryville, IL on 04/09/2019 03:25 PM
No place there to leave a car. Not in Machens, either. Lots of parking in St. Charles.
Trail closure at Boonville
- + Is a section of the trail currently closed through Boonville? The state park website shows a closure from MM 191.8 through MM 194.5 through Apr 30 for culvert replacement.
Discussion started 04/03/2019 03:38 PM by Olive - 14 replies (last reply by Bill in Houston at 04/09/2019 11:44 AM)Olive from Sparta, IL on 04/03/2019 03:38 PM
Is a section of the trail currently closed through Boonville? The state park website shows a closure from MM 191.8 through MM 194.5 through Apr 30 for culvert replacement.
Deron Kazmaier on 04/04/2019 09:09 AM
The trail was still closed as of yesterday morning. We ride the trail there often, and really miss riding into town. Spoke to a couple contractors who said they would be done today with their part (tunneling in the new culvert), but someone else still has to come in and do the dirt work. We only went down there because the barricade was down and we were hopeful. They had just pushed it into the ditch to get the big trailer in as it turns out. I'll try and remember to post here when we see they have reopened, but I expect the state web site will be updated when it happens.
Olive from Sparta, IL on 04/04/2019 10:45 AM
Can I detour around the closed area of the trail and get back on KT if I am on foot? I will be walking from Pilot Grove East to Rocheport.
Deron Kazmaier on 04/04/2019 12:20 PM
"The section of trail between MM 191.8 (Boonville Trailhead) and MM 194.5 (access point near the MFA Building) is closed through April 30 to allow for a culvert replacement. There is no detour during this closure so trail users should avoid this area."
I really can't answer that for you. If you believe the Trail Closed signs and the orange snow fence from tree edge to edge don't apply to you, and the stream/swamp/gully on either side (roughly 20 ft down) is not too muddy, I suppose you might be able to.
If you mean is there a way around via roads, it is long and not marked, but yes you can get around it. About 3.5 miles according to Google Earth (vs 2.7 on Katy). Not sure how I can post it, but I drew it up in Google Earth to see how long it was.
Olive on 04/04/2019 02:15 PM
Deron, thank you so much for your help. It was definitely a road detour I was looking for. I had searched the forum and there was no other mention about this closure. I thought maybe seasoned riders knew of an alternate route. I will check out Google Earth.
Mark from Strafford on 04/08/2019 03:51 PM
We are planning to ride Katy Trail from Clinton to St. Charles. Is there a way around the Boonville closure? We need to get to Hotel Frederick. According to Google Maps, there is a spur from Katy Trail to the MFA training building. Is the trail closed before you get to that spur? We are riding from Pilot Grove to Boonville. I know the trail is supposed to be open by April 30, but?????
Mark from Strafford on 04/08/2019 03:53 PM
Deron: would that route around the closure use hwy 5?
Bill in Houston from Houston on 04/08/2019 05:55 PM
I tried to come up with a ride-around, and would appreciate it if a local could tell me if it's crazy. I was trying to stay Off Hwy 5. Here it is.
As you get close to Boonville, and are almost to I-70, the trail crosses Prairie Lick Rd. Go left on Prairie Lick, next to Lion’s Light Farm and Stable. Go Left on Dunkles. Pass Fairgrounds on right. Cross I-70. Dunkles ends at Santa Fe. Go right on Santa Fe Rd. Take Santa Fe all the way to town.
Does that look reasonable? There are no shoulders, but I am hoping that the roads are not busy.
RP from Kansas City on 04/08/2019 09:09 PM
Sorry I’m a little uneducated. Is it closed east or west from Boonville?
Deron Kazmaier on 04/08/2019 09:50 PM
Hi Mark,
The closure starts at the spur. You can indeed get off the trail there.
My wife and I moved to the area this past summer, so I don't feel comfortable giving people directions for a "safe" route through town past the closure. Obviously the state did not either. I can only tell you how it might be done, and how I would do it if I _had_ to. However, we live between Pilot Grove and Boonville and love to ride the trail into Boonville and eat at the downtown diner. We have not done so.
So if you get run over, lost, or otherwise, don't say I didn't warn you!
I drew up a little map in Google Earth. It should at least give you an idea where the two ends of the closure are, and one way to go between those points via a vehicle.
The link for the Google Earth file is https://razercut.com/KatyDetour.kmz
If the powers that be would like to share this some other way, or do with it as they please, I release this into the public domain. I claim no ownership of it :-)
Deron
Don from Dallas on 04/08/2019 10:15 PM
We're riding from Sedalia to St Charles. We will make the Pilot Grove to Boonville section (where the closure is) on April 26. Bill and Deron's detailed suggestions are helpful, but can anyone post a picture and description of Deron's Google Earth directions in another format. I don't have Google Earth on my device yet.
Thanks to Ray and everyone helping on this topic.
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 04/08/2019 10:20 PM
If you are comfortable riding on blacktop county roads, this would be a way to get to Booneville:
East of Pilot Grove the trail crosses a blacktop Hwy 135, turn left, follow Hwy across I70, turn right on old Hwy 40, take left at “Y” which is Sante Fe Rd, follow Sante Fe Rd all the way into Booneville (pay attention to road signs to stay on Sante Fe) take left at West Spring St. This will bring you back to the Booneville Trailhead or you can continue on to Main Street, turn left and it will take you across the Missouri River and put you back on the trail east of Booneville.
Ray (webmaster) on 04/09/2019 07:09 AM
Here's a picture of the route that Gary suggested. It's 13 miles, so actually about the same distance as riding on the trail, but you just have to be comfortrable with road riding.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Boonville,+MO/Pilot+Grove,+MO+65276/@38.9286177,-92.90294,12z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x87c33f8563f90b5b:0xab30f924ea062caa!2m2!1d-92.7432418!2d38.9736392!3m4!1m2!1d-92.8311814!2d38.9430288!3s0x87c36b307f647823:0x7f92e2395f514f36!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c36ddbfab821e9:0xca1956a28eacf1ba!2m2!1d-92.9115825!2d38.874744!3e0
Unfortunately I don't have any more info on the closures than the rest of you. DNR's website says the Boonville closure runs until April 30. No date given for Augusta.
You might want to call the State Parks Department - if you talk to someone there, they might be able to fill in more details. Their number is 573-449-7402
This is a frustrating situation, especially for anyone who planned an end-to-end ride for this nice time of the year. Good luck!
Ray (webmaster) on 04/09/2019 07:38 AM
Disclaimer: The above link is provided for informational purposes only. I am neither encouraging nor discouraging the use of a detour. Regardless of where you ride, you assume all risk.
Bill in Houston from Houston on 04/09/2019 11:44 AM
This has less road riding, and uses Gary's route into town.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lion's+Light+Farm+and+Stable+LLC,+12754+Ct,+Katy+Trail,+Boonville,+MO+65233/Boonville,+MO/@38.9548654,-92.8024667,14z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x87c36ae26c4db499:0x1e40600f666faf61!2m2!1d-92.817208!2d38.926135!3m4!1m2!1d-92.7998423!2d38.9544505!3s0x87c36acd04a808fd:0x7652bc9c2006ee39!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c33f8563f90b5b:0xab30f924ea062caa!2m2!1d-92.7432418!2d38.9736392!3e0
Bill in legislature
- + Please keep the Katy trail motor free. The volume of usage and economic impact as a walking and cycling park are huge!
Discussion started 04/08/2019 08:41 PM by SE - 0 repliesSE from SW MO on 04/08/2019 08:41 PM
Please keep the Katy trail motor free. The volume of usage and economic impact as a walking and cycling park are huge!