Rock Island Trail Forum

HI,
I am planning a family bike trip on the Katy for next summer ( 2019)- We go with another family and when we did the GAP/C&O we had 13 riders total between our two families- so I think we will have at least 12 riders this time. I am wondering about transportation to Clinton from St Charles area. Our other family is from CT, and I think we will ride from West to East and have them leave their van in St Charles so the trip home would be shorter. I am wondering about getting them and their bikes to Clinton- I heard the Amtrak only goes to Sedalia and only takes 4 bikes? There would be 6-7 bikes and people. I am just beginning to look into shuttle services. Any suggestions? Thank you!

If you would like to do a supported ride, there should be the Katy Trail Ride 2019. Part of the package is a bus ride from St. Charles to Clinton plus they shuttle your bikes.

Here's the web site for 2017 when we rode from Clinton to St. Charles. It should be similar in 2019.

https://mostateparks.com/2017ktride

Just completed a group ride a few weeks ago with a group of 8 and will make a couple suggestions:

1)Ride in early June. We had some hot days, even starting @ 6AM.

2)Start planning now! Figure out how many miles you can do in one day and figure out lodging arrangements. Unless you want to camp, not all towns on the trail have lodging.

3)Finding food in the small towns can be challenging, especially on Monday or after noon.

4)Consider riding the new RIT from Pleasant Hill to Windsor (50 miles). You can get to Lee's Summit, MO on Amtrak and probably find a way to Pleasant Hill. Call the local bike shops for ideas.


5)Do not stay at the cycler's roost in Treloar or the Barn in Bluffton. Look in Hermann instead.


6)Don't bother riding to Machens, stop in St. Charles. The trail is rough, there's nothing to see and it literally just ends in the middle of nowhere.

7)The Bothwell hotel in Sedalia, school house in Rocheport, Cliff Manor BNB in Jeff City, Redbrick inn in Augusta and Country in in St. Charles are highly recommended places to stay.

You may have a challenge a couple nights finding a place for all 12 to sleep, so start planning & calling places now.

I've ridden the trail two years in a row now and hope to do it again in 2019. Maybe we'll see you out there!

Interesting, I have not had a group of 8 to stay here. I wonder if Cyclers Roost has either. Oh well, just another anonymous post.

Two comments: (1) We've only heard positive comments about Doug in Bluffton. (2) Globe Hotel Bed and Breakfast in Hartsburg can accommodate your large group; give us a call: (573) 657-4529.

We would like to ride the RIT from Pleasant Hill to where it meets the KT, ride to Clinton and camp there the first night. Then ride the KT to St. Charles, camping along the way. We can probably average 50-60 miles a day if the weather isn’t rainy or otherwise inclement. We’re planning to do this in late September or October. Here are some questions:
Is there long-term parking (7-10 days) near the Pleasant Hill trailhead?
Is there a shuttle that goes from St. Charles to Pleasant Hill?

Any other suggestions about this plan are welcome!

I have heard that best long term parking is in front of the old RR station. That is also the PH chamber of commerce. For return, Amtrak to Sedalia and ride to PH or Amtrak to Lees Summit and ride or shuttle to PH.

Trail conditions are okay, but large gravel was used in areas so it creates some
Rough surfaces in areas. Not alot of places to get food or drinks next to the trail. I only remember one park bench in the 36 miles I biked yesterday.

If you find yourself passing through Windsor, MO, for work or for play and are in need of a place to stay, look no further than Fitzgerel's Nightly Rentals. An historic home that combines character and charm with modern amenities, Fitzgerel's Nightly Rentals has a nicely appointed kitchenette, updated bathroom and two spacious bedrooms. There is a large living area that would accommodate a family or two couples
Melinda and Charlie Fitzgerel are friendly, welcoming and will take great care of you!

Does anyone ever try to do a loop using the KATY out to Clinton and then roads back to St Charles?

Way back in 1996 the CAMP (Cycle Across Missouri Parks) rode from near KC to St. Louis. I remember that we were very close to Whiteman AFB and Sedalia. So 20+ years ago there was a route that would be close to what you want. Unfortunately I don't have the cue sheet / map of that route any more.

While I have ridden an out and back on the Katy from Clinton to St Charles, I have always uses the trail both ways. Most Missouri highways are 2 lane with no shoulder and sometimes very poor sight lines, and hi speed traffic. There are exceptions to this, but hiway 52 and 94 the main hiways along the trail are this way. If you use the trail both ways you get the opportunity to see some of the things you may have missed on the initial trip. Just my 2 cents others may feel differently.
Have a good trip either way you choose to do it.

Allen.

I believe you can do what you are describing. I would disagree with the notion that the roads are somehow dangerous. I have ridden the Katy Trail, on several occasions. On all of those, there were places where I either got bored with the trail, the trail became rough, or both. When those things happened, I jumped over to the adjacent road, which appeared smoother and offered a different view of the area through which I was passing. I rode extensively on Route 94 and found it to be essentially deserted in many areas. The few vehicles that did pass me gave plenty of room. There is also an extensive network of county roads that have letters, rather than numbers, such as E, PP, DD, etc. You could use a mapping program, such as Ride with GPS, to plan your route. Using Strava Global Heat Maps would also alert you to roads most commonly ridden by cyclists. However, in the hinterlands, there might not be very many cyclists that have used some of those roads. Go for it! Plan a bit and you will have a tremendous adventure.

Found a brief video I took while riding along Route 94, in May of 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHmqStBPFE&t=47s

Had the road to myself!

There is some up and down, but I guess you know that and are prepared for it.

Here is another:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp3YnEGdHWg

Damn, i'm ready to go back!

Hey, thanks for the videos. That's what I thought, looks like Louisville and no way there is as much traffic as around here with the sprawl!

If you're going to take 94 back to St. Charles, I highly suggest you hop back on Katy at Defiance.
Curves, hills, sections with no shoulder, and heavy fast traffic at certain times of the day.

http://www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2018/jul/29/bizbeat-dottys-cafe-bids-hartsburg-farewell-again/736527/

Our beloved Dotty is retiring and has sold her cafe in Hartsburg to a couple who plans to reopen it as a restaurant this fall.

We will miss her but wish her the best in retirement!

Amen!

Bummer, we had planned on stopping there in 3 weeks.

Have no fear! September 8th or very close to that... Dotty's will re-open as 35th on Main... Open lunch and supper Wed-Friday and breakfast-lunch-supper Saturday and Sunday...- Americana cuisine with a California fresh twist!

Who is Dotty and WHAT business are you all talking about, where?
Thanks.

Open 7:30 at 2:00 Tuesday tru Saturday, Sunday 10:30 at 2:00 telephone: 660 5273305

Thanks for the info - I have updated the Green Ridge listings

Get your place listed on Google maps. That's how I've been planning food for our trip. Cyclists like to eat and we work up an appetite. A Facebook page and some pictures of your food will increase traffic from the trail.

We might see you in a few weeks.

In September I plan to ride the Katy from my home to Clinton. My question concerns transportation back towards St. Louis. I looked at catching a train in Lees Summit but Amtrak doesn't allow bicycles. Or so it seems. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Only 4 bikes total are allowed to be rolled onto Amtrak's Missouri River Runner, so you have to keep looking for open "bike ticket" slots on the Amtrak website. Eventually the Amtrak Missouri River Runner will get new cabins with more bike capacity, but until that time, you have to be somewhat flexible with your train return date if you expect to get one of those 4 bike tickets...and you need to reserve that train and bike combo ticket way in advance.

Wow. Thanks for that informative reply. I will look into doing that.

We booked our tickets 6 months in advance to avoid this issue.

Just want to alert everyone to a recent route change in Sedalia. There are signs posted all over the trail about the change as well. Evidently the Sedalia/Pettis County Community Association has terminated their lease with Missouri Parks and have closed off a section of the trail through town. The trail has now been detoured over several miles on a hilly country road with traffic. We asked a Sedalia resident about it who said that the Association is hoping to entice new businesses to build in the area where the trail has been closed but that most residents know nothing will come of it. Sounds like some stupid politics to me. I'm very unhappy about this change and the shortsighted decision of the Community Association. Hopefully this can be resolved and a better route can be set up in the future.

fyi... I called the community group in Sedalia... they really are planning for the route change to be temporary while they improve trail access through that area... please be patient and dream of how cool the upgrades will be as they come hopefully sooner than later! Happy Trails! Don't let it stop you from hitting the Katy (and heading east to see us in Hartsburg!

Sedalia is making America great again:

http://sedaliademocrat.com/news/20228/sedalia-losing-a-mile-of-the-katy-trail

This is the other side of the railbanking law. They can take it back and use it for a railroad again.

What road did they use, and how heavily traveled is it? I am going to be heading that way soon with my daughter. I dont want us to get run off the road by a driver that is tired of bikes on the road.

And here is a more recent article about Sedalia's efforts:
http://sedaliademocrat.com/news/11116/officials-seeking-katy-trail-funding

Actually Sarah, that is an older article. The trail is now cutoff north of Boonville Avenue at Griessen Road. Like I said, trail advocates should be happy with what Sedalia is doing there as the railbanking law is working as it was intended.

I would ignore the man posting from the swamp.

And it is confusing! Be sure to get a picture of the map posted on the trailhead board to go by! The roads are not super busy, but the markings fade away the further out you go. I got lost with my 6 year old, we had to turn around and get directions. Wasted a good 45 minutes on a 60 mile day.

Thanks Barefoot,

We will be riding Sedalia to Booneville on Saturday. Do you know if that map detail can be found online or just at the trailhead?

Found the map:. https://mostateparks.com/advisory/64281/temporary-detour-sedalia-katy-trail-state-park

I wonder if taking Booneville St has less traffic?

We rode the detour last Friday at 10 am. I'm not sure what all of the concern is about. The trail from the Depot was well marked. There were a few short hills but nothing unmanageable. Parts of the roads were narrow but there was little traffic. Plus the road was paved. A nice change from the gravel.

In my opinion, this is the easiest route:
* right on Griessen Rd
* left on Randall Rd (first intersection after leaving the trail)
* right on Boonville St
* left on Engineer
(try the new, authentic and yummy Mexican taqueria on Engineer, 1 block south of Boonville St, https://www.facebook.com/zalpa.stacruz/)
* right on 3rd St
* a few blocks and you're at the old MKT depot

You can follow 3rd St a few more blocks into downtown. Good restaurants there are Fitters 5th St Pub (has patio), Ivory Grille in the Hotel Bothwell (good breakfast every day, only open for lunch and dinner certain days, http://www.theivorygrille.com/breakfast/), and we have a new Craft Beer Cellar, https://www.facebook.com/cbcsedalia/.

Also, Pro-Velo, bike shop owned by Ebby Norman, is in downtown and he'll take good care of you. Closed Sunday & Monday.

I should have stated the directions above are from the Griessen Rd (NE) trailhead, for riders coming in to Sedalia from the east.

Another new downtown restaurant has opened recently - Malone's Irish Pub, 404 S Ohio. Right across the street west from the courthouse square.

Rode the trail through Sedalia in Oct 2017. The disconnect is a bit disappointing, zig-zagging through the edge of town and on into country. Cars travel fast on the narrow rural sections, lots of hills, but very scenic. Anyway..is the trail still disconnected in Sedalia?

This detour is still in place. I rode through it both ways over the weekend on a 200 mile round trip, and it definitely stands out as precarious compared to the rest of the KT.

You're on a hilly narrow country road for nearly 2 miles with no bike lane. I'd be surprised if there hasn't been an accident here yet because of the blind spots created by the hills. It wasn't very busy for me (only 3-4 cars total, each time through) but obviously traffic would fluctuate depending on time of day, etc. It was well-marked though, with signs at every intersection.

The description we read on the trailhead sign just before in Clifton City made it sound like the detour would be on residential streets in town for a few blocks. NOT SO!! We rode on paved roads for 2 or 3 miles, with no lane markings, no shoulder, rolling hills, a semi truck roaring through, and lots of cars. My wife and I did not feel safe riding into Sedalia with our 4 children - 2 on bikes, 1 on a tagalong, and 1 in Burley.

Avoid Sedalia from the East on the Katy Trail, especially if children are in your group.

Sedali, PLEASE FIX THIS!!!

So is it better going east from Sedalia to take Engineer to Boonville to Griessen? It seems like it would be safer than the official route and is suggested coming west, so hoping it isn't all uphill or very narrow leaving town.

We are riding from Sedalia to Boonville Memorial Day weekend and going by google maps it's 2.7 miles from turning onto Engineer Rd to get to the trail via Griessen Rd. It says it is mostly flat and the road looks to be in good shape on street view. If you are going west to east it will be mostly downhill but a very slight one at that.....here is a link: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/300-398+N+Engineer+Ave,+Sedalia,+MO+65301/38.7230215,-93.2123791/38.7221342,-93.1783258/@38.7188697,-93.1958567,15z/data=!4m10!4m9!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c3843428681e21:0x31949e5700945288!2m2!1d-93.2132369!2d38.7105705!1m0!1m0!3e1!5m1!1e3?hl=en

I rode the new route through Sedalia last Wednesday around 3:30 from west to east. The instructions I got from the katy depot were clear and the route was well marked. East on 4th to left on Engineer till it ends then right to the trail entrance on the left. Engineer was plenty wide without a lot of traffic. And I didn't find the county road after Engineer to be a problem. No center line or any lines at all so no shoulder. But I didn't meet much traffic and only one vehicle at a time so they had plenty of room to move over. Same kind of county roads I ride every time I leave my house. A few rolling hills, but nothing big. Since it's paved I found it easier to pedal than the crushed limestone trail and I was self supported carrying 30# of gear. I prefer it to the old route.

We rode the Sedalia route west to east at 9:30am and only saw 2 cars.
Seemed safe to us.

My husband and I haven't ridden this section of the trail in years, but decided to go yesterday afternoon. We "knew" the route so didn't consult anyone and got lost when the usual connection was not there. (A very nice local businessman even drove around and found the new route for us!!) We were not prepared for what we found....The asphalt was in good shape, but the drivers were scary! Had 5 vehicles pass us and did not give us much room even though we were all the way to the right. One guy in a jeep traveling the same direction passed so close he almost clipped my husband with the outside mirror! We had another one honk at us and we didn't feel safe or welcome on this strip of roadway. They would pop over the hills in the middle of the road and of the two vehicle coming the opposite way, neither bothered to move over, just came barreling through around 50 miles an hour. With so many safer parts of the trail to ride, we will not be returning to Sedalia.

I think I will boycott business in Sedalia!!