Rock Island Trail Forum

I would like to know if there is any safe overnight parking at trailheads or places near the

katy trail? I am thinking of riding over Labor Day and spending only one night out and

then riding back to my car the next day.

The one place that comes up repeatedly that most don't feel comfortable leaving their car at overnight is the North Jefferson trailhead. I've left my car for several days in Sedalia, Boonville, Rocheport, and Hartsburg and never had any problems with doing so. I've also left it in the motel parking where I've stayed the nite before a ride too.

Check out Lococo House ll -----we are three blocks from trail headin St. Charles ---- we could help you out ----call 636-946-0619

You are welcome to park your car at Comfort Inn, Boonville, Mo in the Parking Lot for a couple of nights at no cost to you. Comfort Inn is located less than one(1) mile from Katy Trail and off I-70 at Exit # 101. Please exit trail at the entrance between milepost 194 and 195 to get to Comfort Inn when you return. Please feel free to contact us anytime if you need further assistance. Sincerely,



Rick

I was wondering the same thing, except for the starts and finishes like St. Charles and Clinton?

From above post.....Check out Lococo House ll -----we are three blocks from trail headin St. Charles. I don't know about Clinton, but have left my car at the Depot in Sedalia extended stay without a hitch.



Rick @ Comfort Inn....we have stayed with C.I. and left our vehicle there several times also. You all couldn't be more biker friendly. Thanks! (Now, how bout a few extra Choice Priveledge points??)

My wife and I go to Boonville in July and rent a motel, visit family, and check out the casino. We had been staying at the Comfort Inn, and each time we were met with some sort of problem. Lights didn't work. Coffee pot in room didn't work. The bedsheets on the bed had hair on them! We told management and they were very hateful.They made a rude comment about us getting a free room through the casino. We did get the room for free, but the sheets should have been clean! On top of this the ice machine didn't work! It's summertime, and no ice for our drinks! Well, we packed up and headed for Fredrickson a lovely hotel downtown by the casino! Nice very nice! The staff was eager to help us with every need! We will be back!

Sounds totally out of character for the Comfort Inn. We've stayed there several times as well as other Comfort Inn's and have never had sub par accomodations or rude staff encounters. How is it that your comp room was at the Comfort Inn anyway?.....I would have thought it would have been at the casino hotel. They don't like giving their expensive rooms away??

I am sorry, but we show NO RECORD OF ANY JEFF MASTERS staying at Comfort Inn of Boonville, Missouri during the month of July 2007 or any other time before that. We have also checked the names of casino's guests at our hotel in July, 2007---No Jeff Masters on that list either.



We take great pride in offering CLEAN, COMFORTABLE Rooms at reasonable prices and excellent service at all times. Comfort Inn of Boonville is AAA APPROVED HotelWe have several guests from Katy Trail who stay with us each time they travel to our area due to this reason and also because we are within one(1.0) mile from the Katy Trail at milepost 194.Comfort Inn, Boonville is Bike Friendly....Hose and towels to wash your bikes, bike racks outside for easy storage and guests are welcome to take their bikes into their rooms if they wish to.



Trek Biker , thanks for your support -----We appreciate the business and we will continuosly strive to be the best! Thanks



Sincerely,



Rick Thawani, GM, Comfort Inn, Boonville, Missouri

Friendly owners, good burgers, cold beer. Opens at 4pm. On Modays and Tuesdays it is the only place in town to get food.

Friendly owners, good burgers, cold beer. Opens at 4pm. On Modays and Tuesdays it is the only place in town to get food.

Hi Michele ~ (eileen here)

I had noticed your string back in July. How'd the knees hold up? How'd you do on tracking your cadence? And not to be blunt, but how'd your hind end hold out? And yep, that heat was unbelievable (just figures it would hit while you were out!).

And, last question, what about the winery in Hartsburg ~ we turned around at Huntsdale, cutting our roundtrip by half just because of the heat. But we are going to go again (such a pretty stretch!), and visiting the winery is on our list of places to visit in Hartsburg.

Hi Michele ~ (eileen here)

I had noticed your string back in July. How'd the knees hold up? How'd you do on tracking your cadence? And not to be blunt, but how'd your hind end hold out? And yep, that heat was unbelievable (just figures it would hit while you were out!).

And, last question, what about the winery in Hartsburg ~ we turned around at Huntsdale, cutting our roundtrip by half just because of the heat. But we are going to go again (such a pretty stretch!), and visiting the winery is on our list of places to visit in Hartsburg.

Hi, My knees held up better than expected. I think the hills here are what's hard on them. Other "parts" did ok too, but felt much better after being off the bike awhile! I didn't worry too much about the cadence since my knees seemed ok. In fact, with the trail being so flat, I hardly ever switched gears.



The Winery in Hartsburg looked very nice. Unfortunately it is not open on Mondays or Tuesdays, so we didn't get to try it... Same for Dotty's. The Hitching Post, however seems to be open every day by 4pm, and it has good bar food. Other than these three places and a farmers stand that had tomatoes and watermellon, there wasn't much happening in Hartsburg. We took naps from 11am until 1pm, read books and then went out for a burger and read some more.... Got up early and rode on. The trail was pretty, though! Have fun!

Hi, My knees held up better than expected. I think the hills here are what's hard on them. Other "parts" did ok too, but felt much better after being off the bike awhile! I didn't worry too much about the cadence since my knees seemed ok. In fact, with the trail being so flat, I hardly ever switched gears.



The Winery in Hartsburg looked very nice. Unfortunately it is not open on Mondays or Tuesdays, so we didn't get to try it... Same for Dotty's. The Hitching Post, however seems to be open every day by 4pm, and it has good bar food. Other than these three places and a farmers stand that had tomatoes and watermellon, there wasn't much happening in Hartsburg. We took naps from 11am until 1pm, read books and then went out for a burger and read some more.... Got up early and rode on. The trail was pretty, though! Have fun!

Thanks Michele!

Thanks Michele!

How cool can a hotel get! The rooms are awesome! I've never seen a bathroom like the one we had in our room...glass walls! But even for as sharp and chic as it was..it was still very comfy and welcoming.And the view was amazing! I totally recommend this hotel.It's rare to find sometihng this stylish with all the history and an awesome bar/eatery attached. I'm totally going back there!

How cool can a hotel get! The rooms are awesome! I've never seen a bathroom like the one we had in our room...glass walls! But even for as sharp and chic as it was..it was still very comfy and welcoming.And the view was amazing! I totally recommend this hotel.It's rare to find sometihng this stylish with all the history and an awesome bar/eatery attached. I'm totally going back there!

agreed! We stayed there on Aug 7th. It was so convenient to be right downtown, near the river and restaurants. Great towels and soaps and a safe place to store the bikes. They let us hose off our bikes on the sidewalk outside the hotel.

agreed! We stayed there on Aug 7th. It was so convenient to be right downtown, near the river and restaurants. Great towels and soaps and a safe place to store the bikes. They let us hose off our bikes on the sidewalk outside the hotel.

Wow! I'm a biker, and after seeing the reveiws on here, I stayed there! It was great being so close to the Katy Trail! The rooms were the nicest I'v seen in a motel/hotel! My wife loves the colors of the towels, and sheets. She is sick of the traditional white! We also liked having someone carry our luggage to our room after being tired from a long drive.

Wow! I'm a biker, and after seeing the reveiws on here, I stayed there! It was great being so close to the Katy Trail! The rooms were the nicest I'v seen in a motel/hotel! My wife loves the colors of the towels, and sheets. She is sick of the traditional white! We also liked having someone carry our luggage to our room after being tired from a long drive.

What a great little country store! Homemade sandwiches created before your eyes by a super courteous staff! It is much easier to get to than places in Sedalia, with there being minimal and usually no traffic to contend with. I highly recommend even if you only want to pick up a cool drink or just refill the water bottles and use the airconditioned potty!

What a great little country store! Homemade sandwiches created before your eyes by a super courteous staff! It is much easier to get to than places in Sedalia, with there being minimal and usually no traffic to contend with. I highly recommend even if you only want to pick up a cool drink or just refill the water bottles and use the airconditioned potty!

I've been reading your comments and it sounds like so many of you are serious bikers! I just turned 50, my aunt is 63. We both just bought new bikes...the comfort type. Mine is a Specialized Crossroads 21 speed and hers, a Giant Suede Coasting Automatic 3 speed. We are so excited about biking a small part of the Katy Trail in October (1st time) for the sheer enjoyment, scenery, shopping, stopping for lunch and dinner, and to say, "We did it." Since we are new to all this...and not as "in shape" as most of you, what would your suggestions be for a quaint little town to stay in and start our ride from? We would like to cover maybe 10-15 miles out and then turn around and come back to our starting point. Any suggestions for good little restaurants and shopping along the way too would be most appreciated. We are so excited about our new sport and all this information on the website has boggled our minds! Thanks for helping!

Augusta, Hermann and Rocheport would all be nice places. Fun B&B's and plenty of good restaurants.

Weekends in October can be pretty hectic at times, especially when the leaves have turned and the weather is nice.



Rocheport is always a favorite...quaint town....Les Bourgeois winery and bistro up on the hill with good food, wine, and a fantastic view...and on the trail the tunnel, bluffs, river, petroglyphs, ammunitions bunker, etc. all within a few miles of town.



If you are around the Rocheport area the weekend of October 13, the 5th Annual Missouri Chestnut Roast is in New Franklin on that day. It’s an interesting side trip with several vendors and information booths. You can buy roasted chestnuts, chestnut seedlings, and even quality crafted wooden bowls that are hand turned from chestnut and other woods. http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/events/chestnut/flyer07.pdf for more information.



Herman is a pretty cool little town with several wineries and nice restaurants. Every weekend in October is Oktober Fest though. Expect B&B’s to be booked well in advance. Herman Hill Vineyard and Inn on Wein Street and their cottages overlooking the Missouri river offer superb accommodations with nearly every amenity provided and seemingly nothing overlooked. Simons on the Waterfront is a good place to eat while downtown. The same owner has River’s Edge Restaurant on Ferry Road in Morrison which is a short drive west of Hermann on highway J. The highway dead ends at the Gasconade River where you ferry across the river to the restaurant.



Plenty to see and do along the trail in October. Enjoy!

Thank you Trek Biker and Arkie for your input to our trip planning. We look forward to a fun couple of days! Your time and knowledge is much appreciated!

These people couldn't be nicer. Don't hesitate to stay here. Friendly people, clean campgrounds, and right off the trail. What more could you ask for?

These people couldn't be nicer. Don't hesitate to stay here. Friendly people, clean campgrounds, and right off the trail. What more could you ask for?

I agree, these folks couldn't be nicer. They have a refrigerator with gatorade, soda, snacks, and they use the honor system. You put your money in a slot for what you want. And they don't gouge you. The campground with showers, was excellent. I'll use this again.

I agree, these folks couldn't be nicer. They have a refrigerator with gatorade, soda, snacks, and they use the honor system. You put your money in a slot for what you want. And they don't gouge you. The campground with showers, was excellent. I'll use this again.

We were riding to Herman a few weeks ago, & stopped here for "shaved ice". There were several tables with umbrellas for shade, a place that we could fill our water bottles, & friendly people all around. Definately a welcome site in the over 90 degree heat. There were also some basic snacks (candy, peanuts, sports drinks..)

We were riding to Herman a few weeks ago, & stopped here for "shaved ice". There were several tables with umbrellas for shade, a place that we could fill our water bottles, & friendly people all around. Definately a welcome site in the over 90 degree heat. There were also some basic snacks (candy, peanuts, sports drinks..)

The owner is very friendly and helpful. We stayed on a Tuesday night and were the only ones there. The day we arrived it was 103 degrees so we were happy to be staying in the cabin with airconditioning. It has 2 twin beds and a black and white tv with one channel. It is spotless and was heaven! Portapotty was spotless, and the shower room was very clean as well. Very good place to stay and a great value. Only $30 for two people! We ate our "dinner" out of the honor snack bar. We had chips, drinks, candy and a sandwich. It was a welcome feast because we didn't want to bike an extra 5 miles and back to the next town in the heat. We felt very safe there even though we were all alone. Great place! FYI, the two story cabin for $75 sleeps more people and has a kitchenette and indoor plumbing!

The owner is very friendly and helpful. We stayed on a Tuesday night and were the only ones there. The day we arrived it was 103 degrees so we were happy to be staying in the cabin with airconditioning. It has 2 twin beds and a black and white tv with one channel. It is spotless and was heaven! Portapotty was spotless, and the shower room was very clean as well. Very good place to stay and a great value. Only $30 for two people! We ate our "dinner" out of the honor snack bar. We had chips, drinks, candy and a sandwich. It was a welcome feast because we didn't want to bike an extra 5 miles and back to the next town in the heat. We felt very safe there even though we were all alone. Great place! FYI, the two story cabin for $75 sleeps more people and has a kitchenette and indoor plumbing!

We had a nice time here. We got firewood, hot showers and the camp ground was nice and

clean.

We stopped at Katfish Katy's. They had fresh bananas and cold V-8! The clerks were amicable and the grounds clean. We thought there'd be more of a menu, but didn't mind peddling on to Rocheport. That was a disappointment. It was not quit 2:00. The sign said open, until 6. There was a man at the register and two in the back. No one greeted us. No one looked at us. We pondered the menu, we walked back out to check the sign. Walked back in...still no recognition. One of the men came from the back: still no acknowledgment. It was 100 plus heat ~ had we melted into invisibility? I think not... there were no other patrons: several sets of people were however outside sitting and laying on the benches under the trailhead pavilion, but no one was inside the air conditioned Cafe sipping water or what have you. That should have been a clue. The place was unwelcoming and uninviting. We were ready to drop $15 - $20 for sandwiches and beverages. They completely ignored us. What's up with that???

Good comments, but kinda confusing -- did you get the bad service at Huntsdale or Rocheport? Which business? specifically? Just curious.

sorry ~ the dismissive, nonchalant, can't even bother to look up and greet you attitude was at the Rochport "Trailside Cafe"....and i'd read good things about the place!! That's why the dismay....

Seems unusual to me as I've always found them to be friendly and kind. When it's hot....everyone is hot. Did you speak to them.....acknowledge their existence??

Trek Biker ~ as i said, we were pondering the menu; and yes, out loud. The older man behind the register may have been deaf, but not blind; he was shuffling some slips of paper back and forth. He was less than two or three feet from us, whatever the width of the counter top is: he refused to look up. Even when we came back in from rechecking the hours and reviewing the posted lunch special; and that being after we'd said (yes, trek: OUTLOUD) "what is the lunch special?". Like i said, we'd read good things about them...thus our dismay.

We've always had good experiences here, but not so good at the General Store or the Katy B&B.



The gentleman I believe you are referring to, we have always found to be on the quiet side, not overly friendly, but usually accomodating. Perhaps he was tired, concentrating on his task, and just did not notice you. I don't normally find that they say anything unless you stand right in front of the counter, because people also come in the same door to go to the bike shop.



The food here is great, generous portions, but I have always found the service to be slow, likely because everything is prepared when you place your order. And they bring everything out to the table.



Sorry you missed the great food, and I hope you give them another chance.

Can anyone tell me if the trail is suitable for our Cannondale R3000 tandem with 700Cx32 tires? We would like to start at the Creve Coure Connector, and ride West from there.

Thanks

I do not know anything about tandems, but I did ride the trail end to end this summer using those size tires and I believe they are the perfect size for the trail.

I've ridden a road tandem from Sedalia to St. Charles with 700x28 tires twice. The first time, I had three flats. I learned from that experience. The next time, I had kevlar belted tires and tried to avoid running over anything.

Just rode my recumbent on 1.35 inch smooth tires, which is about 34mm, and I agree with the above posts that you will be fine with those tires...the surface is VERY compact crushed limestone, so you roll very well. Can't comment on the stickers/thorns, never had one...Good luck.

I forgot to mention that on the second ride, I had no flats.

We just rode the section from Sedalia to Hermann with two road bikes. We used 700 x 25 Gatorskins on one bike and 700 x 23 with Kevlar belts on the other. We had slime tubes on both bikes.

You should be fine with either solution. I never saw any serious threat to flat over the 135 miles we road on Aug 7-9, 2007.

We have ridden our Cannondale tandem while pulling a trailer on extended parts of the trail with 700x25 tires with no problems and no flats. I would suggest 700x 28 or 32 for comfort on chat surface.

Earlier this month my two older daughters and myself planned a 3-day trip from St. Charles to Sedalia and then Amtrak home. The excessive heat slowed us considerably so we revised our plans on the fly and caught the train in Jeff City instead. (I had work Monday morning and was concerned about missing the train in Sedalia on Sunday night). None-the-less it was a great time. Here's a link to a slide show on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=-dCoT0kPv6I

cute! and as a "newbie" I couldn't believe all the other shows posted!

Great video and sound track. I recognised all my favorite spots along that part of the trail. The Missouri Department of Revenue should use it as a promotional video for the Katy.