Rock Island Trail Forum

We are debating if we should ride the trail from Sedalia to St. Charles or ride from St. Charles to Jeff City roundtrip. Is the West half more scenic? Will we get plenty of scenery if we stick to the East half?

That's a tough one, FloridaGirl. I think the most scenic area is east of Rocheport and I highly recommend riding it. You would miss that area if you turned around at Jefferson City, but if you are planning to ride Amtrak to Sedalia you will need to be extremely patient and flexible with your schedule.

I enjoyed both ends of the trail, each for it's own beauty. I would have to say though, that the eastern end is more scenic and also more heavily travelled. Have fun wherever you decide to ride!

It really depends on what you want to see. The western leg (Clinton to Boonville) is farmland, rolling hills, long stretches across prairies and through woods. The eastern leg (New Franklin to St. Charles) is entirely in the river bottoms, with lots and lots of corn and soybean fields on one side, broken up by views of the river, and some pretty majestic river bluffs on the other. You really should see it all.

If I had to chose, though, I would hit the trail in the Boonville/Rocheport area and head east to at least the McKittrick/Augusta area

I agree with GC, don't waste your time with Clinton to Sedalia (unless you like boring farmland and dodging horse manure). I do, however recommend Sedalia to St. Charles, because you get to see all the good parts of the trail.

We enjoyed the entire trail, I would recommend doing as much of the it as possable. Personally I found as much or more "boring farmland" East of Booneville as I did West of Booneville but it was all beautiful. The "personality" of the trail changed several times over the course of the ride. I would like to return and ride it again this summer, but my wife says other trails need ridden as well.

I will be biking the trail and am wondering about the weather in August. How hot is it in Missouri at that time? Any suggestions?

Check this link from this website:

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/weather.asp

It is hot in August.....I'm native and used to it so to me it's not unbearable. Prime time tho is Spring and Fall when it's a tad cooler.

What Trek Biker said... it can be HOT in August, especialy early in the month. I would plan on starting as early as possable each morning to get most of your riding in before 2pm. Many areas are shaded in the morning due to trees and/or bluffs next to the trail. Top off your water bottles whenever you have the opportunity. Are you in Wisconsin?

Yep, August can be hot and humid. While the actual temp can do you in the humidity can be a big factor too. Sweat does not evaporate as quickly in humid air and the body can not cool itself as well. I've seen larger-sized folks suffering from heat exhaustion even in the shade (greater mass = more heat retention). Bring plenty of water, not only to drink but to pour on your head to cool you off. Be sensible and you should be OK, I bike almost year 'round and my least favorite time is Spring when the pollen is flying...

It is hot in August...and very easy to get dehydrated, regardless of your size. My favorite

times of the year to ride the Trail are in early May and October...I enjoy the changing seasons

and the weather is usually more temperate. If you go in August, drink lots of water and mix

in some Gatorade to help replace the electrolytes you sweat out. Sharon

I biked the trail in August of 2006. The temperature hovered right around 100 degrees the entire ride, topping out at 104. The first two days were torture because I drastically underestimated my fluid needs. But the last two days were cake once I figured out a hydration method that worked for me. I stuffed my camelbak and two spare bottles completely full of ice, then filled up with water and powdered gatorade. I put the bite valve in my mouth and didn't let it drop until I stopped riding. I drank slow small sips constantly all day. I never went more than a few second without taking a sip. I think that going solo helped me to stay better hydrated than people riding in groups, because I didn't have to worry about talking to anybody. I could keep the bite valve in my mouth all day without it ever getting in the way of a conversation. I topped off at every trailhead to assure I wouldn't run out. I tried alternating one camelbak of gatorade with one camelbak of water, but the water just didn't replenish me enough in such extreme heat. I felt much better when I stuck to gatorade, so I drank it constantly when I was pedaling and switched to water after I stopped for the day. Believe me, if you hydrate yourself correctly, you will be amazed at what you can do! During those last two days of 100 degree weather, I rode faster than I ever have before and barely seemed to notice the heat or the miles slipping by.

We rode the trail the first week of October last year. The first 4 days were around 95...record heat each day. The last days were cooler, but still not bad. My point is...you never know about the weather. I would make sure to be prepared for everything...hot, cold, rain, etc. Spring and fall are the best times to ride though...in general.

My husband and I rode during the third week of August. We had a great time (celebrated our 30th anniversary) and loved the weather! We were very disciplined about drinking water and replacement beverages. We started around 9am, we rode hard in the mornings, read most historical signs (good opportunity to hydrate), stopped in most towns, ate late lunches in restaurants/cafes, finished daily around 3 pm, stayed in B & B's. We almost had the trail to ourselves the entire time - 6 riders and 2 walkers...total! In my opinion - ride during August!

august is usually ALWAYS hot.

one thing to remember.. many of the accomodations along the route are closed in the heat of summer due to low turnout/population of users.



you must keep that in mind for lodging, food and most importantly water.



while most of the trail markers have a water station, it's not cool/cold. and some markers are absent of water posts.



GOOD luck ...hope you enjoy it was much as i do

Just recently, we returned from an absolutely lovely stay at the Amber House. After seeing some of the comments posted on this site, I felt compelled to write about our experience. The inn is absolutely gorgeous. Our room was so comfortable - great bed (could have used a flatter pillow - but have you ever had to ask for a FLATTER pillow??!!), separate shower and air jet tub, in room fireplace, complimentary snacks, soda, coffee... wine and cheese at check-in. Just wonderful. I've not had such a relaxing weekend in a long time. I found the hosts to be quite friendly, but not intrusive on our privacy. Breakfast was delish. I will highly recommend this place to my friends, and definitely plan to go back. You should check it out!

Just recently, we returned from an absolutely lovely stay at the Amber House. After seeing some of the comments posted on this site, I felt compelled to write about our experience. The inn is absolutely gorgeous. Our room was so comfortable - great bed (could have used a flatter pillow - but have you ever had to ask for a FLATTER pillow??!!), separate shower and air jet tub, in room fireplace, complimentary snacks, soda, coffee... wine and cheese at check-in. Just wonderful. I've not had such a relaxing weekend in a long time. I found the hosts to be quite friendly, but not intrusive on our privacy. Breakfast was delish. I will highly recommend this place to my friends, and definitely plan to go back. You should check it out!

Some friends and I are planning a ride from Columbia to St. Charles. We are all mid-40s, ride our bikes to work, and are in reasonably good shape. My question is, should we do this in 2 days or 3 days? Also, any info you can provide concerning B&Bs and resturants will be appreciated.

Two days is not a push if you're used to doing distances. If you are actually riding from Columbia (riding the spur down to the trail) you would hit McKittrik at around 70 miles leaving you a little under 60 miles for the second day. You could do a trial run from Columbia to Hartsburg and back......I think that's around 70 miles.......and then decide if you want to add a day to your St. Charles ride.

I am planning a trip with some friends this summer to ride from Sedalie to st. Charles. This summer i will be 17. I was wondering if any of the campsites allow you to get a campsite at this age. Does anyone have any information on the minimum age for getting a campsite?

If I were wanting to know that information, I would rather hear it directly from the person in charge at the campground.....straight from the horses mouth, as each place may have a different rule. You can use the Towns & Services feature on this website to find links to various campgrounds. From there.....make a call or email the owner/manager to find out their specific policy.

I'm doing the Katy Trail later this week, and I was wondering if there were any cool trails from Jeff City south to Wardsville.

What are the plans to extend the Katy Trail past St. Charles to Machens and beyond?

Rich,

The trail is pretty much there. Head east from St. Charles along the grassy path. The grass eventually turns into gravel on top of a flood dike for about 2 miles. You then come to the good old level, crushed rock trail we know and love. There's a pavilion (Katy Trail style) at Machens. Black Walnut has a good parking lot if you want to explore west to St. Charles or east to Machens.

I am a leader of a Boy Scout troop and am making some preliminary plans for a bike trip for the scouts on the Katy Trail. My interest would be to find a camping spot we could spend Friday night, then do an out and back trip on Saturday, returning to the same campground. I am guessing 20-30 miles reound trip would be about right. Thinking about early March but I have some concerns about facilities being open that time of year. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Im not trying to be negative but there is one thing I have against the boy scouts on the

katy trail.



Virtually everytime I see a large group of scouts on the katy they are allowing the boys to

trespass on other peoples property. One example is the bluffs between rocheport and

mcbaine. That is all private property yet I see scout leaders watching proudly as boys

roam and climb and have fun all over the bluffs.



Rule of thumb...the katy trail state park extends to the width of the trail and that is it. The

only time that you can roam the countryside is if there are signs saying "missouri

department of conservation."



You might want to pass this information on to other scout leaders. Im sure its more fun to

let them off the trail but I doubt you want to teach these boys to trespass. Its also the very

reason why so many landowners hate the trail.

Tom, I would recommend riding somewhere in the Rocheport - Hartsburg section of the trail. For my money it's the prettiest part of the whole trail and I think there are several places to camp along that stretch. If you haven't already looked, go to the "Towns & Services" link at the top of the page for camping options. Good luck and have fun.........usually when we pass a group of scouts at the end of a ride it looks like the scoutmasters have spent the whole day herding cats.

These places come to mind as being ideal for scout troops, ie: owned by the city or civic groups, have shelter house, picnic tables, etc. Call the appropriate contacts listed on this sight to see if facilities will be available that early.



Closer to home: Farrington Park in Windsor

Middle of the trail: American Legion Park in Hartsburg

Far from home: Community Club Park in Marthasville



Speaking of herding cats - I would avoid Sedalia due to the trail crossing several streets and part of the route being on city streets.

Rocheport to Hartsburg, camp overnight in Hartsburg as savage24 suggests, then back to

Rocheport the next day...or go on to Jefferson City the next day.



I have a couple of friends who have taken their boy scout troops on the Trail and have had

good luck with this route. In fact, last time one of them did it, they encountered other

troops camping at Hartsburg who had come from the other direction and so it was not

only a great bike ride, but they met some new friends as well.



Make sure the boys know the rules of the road, that their bikes are in good working order,

everyone has a water bottle and drinks from it, and carry some extra tubes and a tire

pump. This could be a great opportunity to call your local bike shop and arrange for a

lesson in bike maintenance for your troop.



Have fun!

Two nice mid-trail campgrounds that would put you within easy riding distance of the pretty stretch around Rocheport are the Katy Roundhouse in Franklin and Katfish Katy's in Huntsdale.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. Robert, I don't take your comments as negative, in fact, I appreciate the heads up. You can be assured that this troop WILL understand the limits of our welcome.

food sucks

food sucks

We love to eat there it is our favorite restaurant.

We love to eat there it is our favorite restaurant.

I have eaten there before and thought it was awesome.

I have eaten there before and thought it was awesome.

Hi everyone,



I understand that people are nervous about the booneville bridge because it could break

the rail bank and put the entire tail in danger. What about the break in the trail in Sedalia?

Is that section still in use as a railroad? Is that the difference?

yes, I believe the Union Pacific still uses that section.

My two high school age sons and I are planning on riding (camping) Sedalia to St. Charles

in mid-March, when they have their spring break. I'm finding that campgrounds are either

closed or at least, showers are closed. I'm thinking of a 4-day ride. Any current info on

campgrounds, or anything else being opened or closed would be appreciated.



Also, planning on taking Amtrak from Kirkwood to Sedalia to begin the trip. Any hints?



thanks a lot, Doug

doug, best thing to do is get the katy trail guide book from brett defur at peeble publishing, and use this web site. good luck, have fun, be safe, happy bikin.

Doug, Don't count on Amtrak arriving in Sedalia on schedule. Check with the city of Pilot Grove about camping in the city park. It is only 25 miles from Sedalia, but if the train is really late that may be where you end up the first night. If the train is more or less on time you should be able to make it to New Franklin the first night. I don't know about showers at either place in March. If showers are a must you may have to stay in motels. I would definately check out the Turner Katy Trail Shelter in Tebbetts (should work out for your second night). Hot showers and being indoors might feel pretty good in March!

Quite a few of the DNR trailhead bathrooms may not be open that time of year either.



MIght sound gross but I would pack some toilet paper and be prepared.

I would wager that the phone number that is listed is incorrect. Most of the towns and cities around Windsor/Calhoun have a 660 area code now~ the area code was 816 several years ago.

I would wager that the phone number that is listed is incorrect. Most of the towns and cities around Windsor/Calhoun have a 660 area code now~ the area code was 816 several years ago.

Actually that is the correct number. The Cruces divide their time between the Kansas City area and the train car B&B near Windsor - that is their KC number. Or maybe it's their cell phone, I'm not sure... Anyway, they have either answered the phone or returned calls pretty quickly on the couple of occasions when I've called that number a few months ago.

Actually that is the correct number. The Cruces divide their time between the Kansas City area and the train car B&B near Windsor - that is their KC number. Or maybe it's their cell phone, I'm not sure... Anyway, they have either answered the phone or returned calls pretty quickly on the couple of occasions when I've called that number a few months ago.

I drove down to Calhoun today to "scope out the lay of the land". I found Cruce's on at 781 (train said 811) NE 901st. It looked unkept and drab. Are you sure they're still in business??

I drove down to Calhoun today to "scope out the lay of the land". I found Cruce's on at 781 (train said 811) NE 901st. It looked unkept and drab. Are you sure they're still in business??

The Cabooses are closed for the winter. All of Missouri looks drab in the winter. You should be here just after a fresh snow. The 811 is the orginal train number on the Caboose.

The Cabooses are closed for the winter. All of Missouri looks drab in the winter. You should be here just after a fresh snow. The 811 is the orginal train number on the Caboose.

Next week, I will be riding the full length of the Katy Trail by myself. I am just wondering as to the safety of a woman riding the trail by herself. Have there been any incidence of problems as a result of this, over the years? Of course, the ride will be during daytime hours and I will have a cell phone. Thanks for any comments.

Here's a similar thread from last year about safety on the Katy Trail. Consensus seems to be that it's very safe, and there are many solo riders out there of both genders.



Since you'll have a cell phone, you may want to bring this list of emergency phone numbers (Sheriff's offices serving the Katy Trail), for added reassurance. Just be aware that cell phone service is not available on some parts of the trail.

We rode 290 miles on the trail last month and, for the most part, felt very safe. There are a lot of areas that are very desolate, but it wasn't too bad. As with anything nowadays, anything can happen. I think that during the daytime, the odds of something happening are very low. We were a little concerned some nights that we camped. I think you will be fine though. Just pay attention and definitely carry your cell phone. Have fun!

The third week in October, I rode by myself from Sedalia to Hermann, taking four days, and hardly saw another soul the whole way. I missed lunch one day because several of the places mentioned in the Katy Trail book were no longer open, and there were few "signs of life" in many of the very small communities. I was more aware of the isolation of the ride than worried about being bothered by anyone.

I had my cellphone and wore a spray on my wrist.

Where the hoosiers of St. Charles go. Or where the wannabe bikers roar into the area, drinking, fighting, urinating, and whatever else hoosiers do.. good food, horrendous crowd, most of whom are NOT local on the weekends. A dive comparable to Fast Eddies, but without the upscale IL clientelle... and that's saying something.

Been to both Fast Eddie's and Dave and Jacquies.....I'll take Dave and Jacquies! It's probably my age showing but I've had my fill of noisy, crowded, overhyped and overpriced bars. Plus....you've gotta love the stuffed squirrel collection.

I concur this place is nicer than Fast Eddie's. The local people there are great. However, wannabe suburban bikers riding Harleys who invade the area during spring and summer ruin the place. And their bikes are way too loud to enjoy anything. I figure the smaller a certain body part on a male biker, the louder the bike..

Hey Blah! Learn to spell.

Sound like Blah has a serious case of Harley envy!