Rock Island Trail Forum

Can anyone give me some pros and cons of camping at Farrington City Park vs the Katy Rock Junction? I usually think in terms of traffic noise, sketchy people, access to restrooms/running water/electricity, trees for my hammock, tables to sit at, etc. Thank you!

Many use both Farrington Park and Katy-Rock Junction. The Park is a little further away from the Katy and from restaurants, but you have the beautiful lake and might spot a bald eagle. There are hammock stands at Katy-Rock

Thanks, Kim! As soon as I posted, I thought, you know, I gotta go with the small business, so I made reservations at Katy-Rock Junction. Farrington Park sounds really nice, so I will have to try it the next time. Thanks again for the guidance!

Awesome and enjoy!! Give a shout to say hi when you're in town. Appreciate all your help to trail users!

Please note that while the info above states closed on Mondays, on 4/23/25 it was actually closed on Wednesdays, as posted on the door. This is inconvenient as the next food available was pre packaged at Cooper's Landing, 16 miles. Don't know if this is only off season hours, but be advised.

Sorry to hear it. Meriwether's is a nice place. Glad you were able to find something at Cooper's Landing, and I hope you enjoyed watching the river go by.

In general I advise people to contact any amenity a month ahead, a week ahead, and the day before, just to make sure that they will be open.

I hope the rest of your ride was great!

Is it possible to rent bike in st Charles

Ride it to Clinton

Leave it there to be pick up by the company that rented it to me

Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles can provide this service.

Does anyone know why they discontinued the annual ride held in late June?

Between floods and Covid, there were a number of years in a row where the ride had to be cancelled around 2020. So that ride sadly lost momentum.

There was also the issue of the Missouri DNR competing with private companies that also put on Katy Trail rides. Big BAM on the Katy and Bubba's Pampered Pedalers are just a couple of those companies.

I really enjoyed the DNR's Katy Trail rides and did most of them. However there are still great options for riding the Katy.

This was by far our favorite place to stay along the Katy Trail (KC-> STL).

Jerry was incredibly welcoming with fun stories and thoughtful touches throughout our stay, in a home that couldn't be closer to the trail.

We three ladies sincerely hope this wasn't our last visit to the B&B, we'd love to come back - thank you Jerry!

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.

Getting slightly lost in Boonville was great for me, as I just recently moved here, twelve years later!

Response to inquiry about last use of Boonville railroad bridge and last railroad use before rail abandonment.

The last train on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad, commonly known as the Katy Railroad, before it became the Katy Trail, ran on October 4, 1986, from Sedalia to Machens, Missouri. Floodwaters damaged the tracks, and the railroad deemed repairs not worthwhile, leading to the abandonment of the right-of-way.

And thank goodness we now have this jewel.

What will I need for outdoor camping along the route? Also, any suggestions for good 2nd hand biking supplies?

Thanks!

We’re trying to plan a short Rv trip and hope to ride a
part of the Katy trail, we would like to camp near the trail, and enjoy local features also.
We would welcome ideas

FYI: this restaurant closed in March 2024.

Riding the trail between Dutzow and marker 70 and my performance trip computer feel off my bike...it wasn't snapped in securely....my bad...if anyone finds it LML....thanks...

The trail is great...enjoyed the ride despite the wind that day. What a Missouri treasure!!

Looking for a place to park a vehicle for 10 days in Marthasville. Is it safe to overnight park at the trailhead? Other suggestions?

We stayed here while bicycling the Katy Trail. My wife loved it because she is a retired teacher. The place keeps it school house theme and is very nice inside. Little details are considered with their decorations and furniture. They even have an original chalk board up in the common room. Breakfast is great too.

They have a shed for your bikes which is convenient. We highly recommend the "General Store" restaurant for lunch and dinner - very good meals and reasonable pricing.

We rode the Katy Trail April 7, 2025 thru April 15, 2025. We li=ucked out and had great weather - no rain at all whereas the week before had severe weather, tornadoes, and flooding.

The Lindenhof Bed and Breakfast is a great place to stay. Very comfortable. Kathy is very nice and caring.

Go to the two wineries that are walking distance from the BnB. The further one at the top of the hill serves food and the food is very good. Both wineries work together - same owners and the wine tastings are fun.

Buy some wine and enjoy the sights and return to the BnB and relax in the hot tub. You don't need anything else to do - just take your time and relax.

We were riding the Katy Trail and this place was our favorite stay out of 7 places along our trip. We liked all our stops but this one stood out. Highly recommend.

We are ending our trip in St. Charles and would like to take the train home from Kirkwood, MO. We need a ride from our hotel to the train station with our bikes in tow, of course. Some Ubers may work but hard to know ahead of time so would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on shuttles or private transportation options? Thank you!

Hello,
AM riding with 2 others around the end of May, and have the same need.
Thank you
-Fred

Bike Stop Cafe has a shuttle service its right on the Katie trail at Frontier park

Thank you!

Cssie; What day and how many?

Bill R. two of us with bikes on June 4th. Thanks!

I have a 10 a.m. appt. to keep that day in Ballwin. Depending on when you're headed out, I would be able to help.

I see there are times posted for riders that have completed the Katy Trail one way. Are there any times posted for riders that have completed the Out and Back in one shot. Machen's to Clinton to Machen's.

A small section running along side our town is marked NO TRESPASSING. It is NOT being worked on. I'm a little frustrated as it would be a nice section to walk

Is the Katy Junction at Pilot Grove still open. I've read posts about Jerry's hospitality but havent seen anything posted since July '24.

I'm planning a trip for first week of Oct and would like to stay there.

Anyone know anything?

I haven't heard anything lately. Maybe just send a text to the phone number and see if Jerry replies. Hopefully he's still doing it.

Yes the Katy junction B&B is still open, It never closed down. Pilot Grove was hit by a tornado last week, heavy damage outside of town but the B&B had very little damage.

Thanks Jerry!
We'll be seeing you in the Fall!

Jerry,

I hope all will recover soon from the tornado. Unfortunate that Pilot Grove was in its path.

This was a fantastic B&B experience and the perfect stay for our last night on the Katy. It is incredibly convenient to the trail, just about 1/3 of a mile, and provides locked bike storage. The space is beautifully decorated and incredibly welcoming. There was rain in our forecast for the day, so we got an early start from our previous stay in Hermann. Our host Kathy was able to kindly provide an earlier check in to help us avoid the weather. The common area was super comfortable and allowed us a much needed rest, coffees, and baked treats. The room was adorable and provided a great night's sleep. Breakfast was absolutely amazing and got us well fueled for the last 27 miles into St. Charles. I would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend it.

question about travel direction on Katy trail. Obviously starting at the West end of trail and traveling east makes the most sense. However we would like to travel westward the end of April...from Dutzow to Clinton...wondering how protected the trail is...we can deal with some wind but if it is mostly open...we might re think this.

Google maps is a good tool to use to follow the trail along your path. Zooming in you can see where the tree canopy covers the trail. That can help you decide if the trail is too open for your comfort zone.

Hello, We are trying to decide between staying in Augusta or Marthasville. Any advice? We are looking for something close(ish) to the trail as well as food in walking distance to where we stay. Thanks in advance!

We’d love to have you in Marthasville at our Katy Haus or Bank Haus! We’re right on the trail and next to Philly’s Pizza, Mavericks and the new coffee shop. Book direct at https://missourihaus.com/marthasville

Of course, the Lindenhof in Augusta is a nice place. But Marthasville has places to stay and eat right on the trail, with no big hill to climb. I'd stay in Marthasville.