Rock Island Trail Forum

Is the Katy Trail Shuttle service the most economical way to go from St. Charles back to Clinton? Has anyone used them?

I was not aware of a shuttle service back to Clinton. Cn you give me details? Thanks

I recommend B & L Shuttle in Sedalia--very accommodating and reasonable. You might check out the comments re Amtrak on this site too.

WE shuttle to and from Clinton ----- we are a Bed & Breakfast(Lococo House ll) and we shuttle our guests ---- contact www.lococohouse.com --- for information

I don't know how prices compare, but we have found Gary Creason of Creason's Shuttles to be very reasonably priced

I'm planning a ~150 mile trip in late October.

>which part is most scenic?

>advise on going one way? Train back, other transport service?

>better to book overnites on own or thru a Guide?

THANKS!

The most scenic question comes up time and time again....and it seems that Rocheport and points east wins repeatedly. We also like Portland to Hermann. Other posters will probably offer varied opinions....we all have our favs. If I wanted to do 150, I'd probably go to Jeff City and ride one day to Rocheport and back (70). The next day I'd ride to Hermann and back (approx 85)or stay over in Hermann to enjoy the town some. Planned right, the Amtrak can take you back to Jeff City from Hermann. People here rave about Birks Guesthaus in Hermann as the only place to stay. We've not been there yet, but do know that Hermann Hill Vineyard and Inn is a very, very nice place to stay with a spectacular view of the town. Sunrise is well worth setting the alarm clock for, followed by an early morning ride before breakfast. As far as making a call myself or paying someone else to do it for me....I'd rather spend my money at the bistro on the hill at Rocheport or at Stone Hill in Hermann. Typically Fall color is best the third week in October. The Missouri Department of Conservation website tracks the color throughout the state. Enjoy!, however you plan your trip.

ditto to the majority of what trek biker said. i did not care for the ride from rocheport to new franklin. otherwise, everything i have ridden is great. have fun, safe bikin.

We will be visiting family this weekend and will be looking to do a run. I've heard the Katy trail is a great place to get in a good run. Could someone tell me where to start in Jefferson City and which way to run. Is it pretty self-explanatory once you get on the trail? I'm assuming it's safe etc?

The trailhead is actually in north Jeff City. Just drive north across the MO river bridge and watch for the signs, it is easy to find. It's a great place to run/bike. Go west for more shade and prettier scenery.

Great thank you! Just what I needed to know!

My wife and I are planning to ride across the entire state of Missouri the first week of October. We are staying in Motels and one B&B,once we hookup on the Katy in Clinton. Has anyone stayed at "The Littlehouse B&B" in Marthasville? It looks nice, just wanting to make sure. Thanks, and see you on the trail! We love it!

We have stayed here. It's been a few years, but we really enjoyed it. As I recall, the hostess leaves a cold breakfast, like a homemade pastry, juice, cereal, coffee making supplies, etc, so it's a tasty do-it-yourself continental breakfast. We did have some trouble finding a place we could ride to easily for supper (we were constrained by having young children, and not wanting to get out on the highway, so there may be more available than I remember.

I've stayed at Homestead Motel; and it is not that difficult to get to. You exit the trail at Sombart Road (actually you have clamber down from the overpass; but no big deal). This is approximately mile 193, 1 1/4 miles west of downtown Boonville. Westbound from downtown Boonville, turn left; eastbound from Sedalia, turn right. Go to the T at W. Ashley Road and turn left. It is on the right. Total miles: 0.28.

I've stayed at Homestead Motel; and it is not that difficult to get to. You exit the trail at Sombart Road (actually you have clamber down from the overpass; but no big deal). This is approximately mile 193, 1 1/4 miles west of downtown Boonville. Westbound from downtown Boonville, turn left; eastbound from Sedalia, turn right. Go to the T at W. Ashley Road and turn left. It is on the right. Total miles: 0.28.

The address listed for the Homestead Motel, I-70 @ hwy 5, is misleading, making is look like it is on the interstate. The actual address seems to be 610 W Ashley Road, much closer to town and to my liking. Ashley Road is also Mo. 5 and US 40.

The address listed for the Homestead Motel, I-70 @ hwy 5, is misleading, making is look like it is on the interstate. The actual address seems to be 610 W Ashley Road, much closer to town and to my liking. Ashley Road is also Mo. 5 and US 40.

In Oct. I plan a five day tour beginning in Sedalia and would like to rent a recumbent bike but am told that Pro-velo Cycle shop in Sedalia doesn't rent them. Does anyone know a shop that rents recumbent bikes, somewhere between Lawrence, Kansas and Sedalia?

Hartsburg Cycle Depot rents and sells Cycle Genius recumbents which are great bikes. If you

are willing to go a little further, they could set you up. Plus, the trail is beautiful and close to

the river near Hartsburg.

trailside cafe and bike rental in rocheport also sells and rents recumbents and will let you try them first. thot i'd pass it on.

Thank you for the replies. I left a message at Traiside but wondered if anyone knows of shops in the Kansas City area that rent recumbents for the week. I would like to rent one to try it out some time before the actual trip.

Why not Google/call/email Bike America or the Trek store in Kansas City? I've done business with both while working in Olathe...not sure if either rents or not, but they would probably know if someone local did.

River Market Cyclery or the Bicycle Shack in KC may rent recumbents. Last time I was there

they carried them I encourage you to support locally owned bike shops.

I bought my recumbent from chris at Bicycle shack a couple of years ago. He does rent bikes, not sure about recumbents, but I bet he will work something out with you. Great group of guys there. I'm glad to see you want to try one before you take to the trail. I love my bent, but they do use different muscles and you should train on one awhile before heading out on too long a ride,

River Market Cyclery sells, but does not rent recumbents.

Isle of Capri just opened their hotel. We stayed there last Tuesday nite. Let us take our bikes right up to the room. The staff was very proud of the new accomodations. Very nice.

Isle of Capri just opened their hotel. We stayed there last Tuesday nite. Let us take our bikes right up to the room. The staff was very proud of the new accomodations. Very nice.

Isle of Capri's new hotel is very nice! I've Stayed there right before they opened it to the public and loved it. The rooms are very nice. You have a private safe, a large flat screen T.V. with cable, a coffee maker with gourmet coffees and a large bath/shower with lots of extra little bath shampoos and soaps. The room I stayed in didn’t have a fridge or anything. I think they want you to enjoy the casino and the restaurants. The staff is very friendly. There are vending machines, an Ice machine. I loved the room and plan to visit them again for two nights this week!

Isle of Capri's new hotel is very nice! I've Stayed there right before they opened it to the public and loved it. The rooms are very nice. You have a private safe, a large flat screen T.V. with cable, a coffee maker with gourmet coffees and a large bath/shower with lots of extra little bath shampoos and soaps. The room I stayed in didn’t have a fridge or anything. I think they want you to enjoy the casino and the restaurants. The staff is very friendly. There are vending machines, an Ice machine. I loved the room and plan to visit them again for two nights this week!

You've never seen potato skins so worth your money! Lots of bacon, cheese, sour cream on the side. These still have a significant amount of potato on them...very filling. We were charged no tax. It's a no frills place with bottomless lemonade, good food and a friendly owner.

The coconut cream pie was to die for!

We throughly enjoyed our two night camping stay at Klondike. We met Dee Dee and Jerry who work there...two very nice people. The night breezes were comfortable through the tent and it was a quiet weekend. We were in the basic campsites near an extremely clean shower house/restroom building. I believe the park is only a few years old. Take the challenge...Ride from the trail up the winding, steep trail up to the Park.

We were not impressed at all with this establishment and we didn't need to go in to form an opinion. Some live band was revving up the crowd blasting out some song about someone being an A.H. over and over...we could hear it for a mile or so down the trail because the volume was so LOUD. I felt sorry for the nearby residents of Defiance...especially those with children.

Considering putting together an impromtu trip of the Katy trail from St. Louis area (near Hwy. 40)to Sedalia. Tent camping, trail snacks, etc. Not sure what to expect of mileage per day. Also are there hills? Would like to do the trip between a Monday morning to Friday afternoon. What does anyone think. I'm in late 30's, don't bike but jog about 15-20 miles per week consistently.

I'd use the Plan a Ride feature of this website to actually see where camping options are. That may help you determine the milage between those places that you'd like to end the day.



Roughly 190 to Sedalia.....divided by a Monday morning to a Friday afternoon equals roughly 38 miles per day. Camping options may adjust that for you tho.

I'm sure with your jogging schedule that your fit enough for a 190 mile ride but if you don't put in some seat time prior to your trip you will probably have a major case of "bike butt" by the end of your trip.

Guessing how many miles other people can do is tricky, because people have differing riding styles, habits, strength, etc. Here's my best advice, assuming you are on the trail more for touring more than racing.



Unless you are carrying a lot of weight on your bikes, you should easily be able to 50-60 miles per day and still have plenty of time to dawdle around, have a nice lunch, etc. If you like to ride fast and don't spend a lot of time in the towns, most people should be able to do 70-80 miles without difficulty. If you like to ride at a quick pace and push your limits a little, 100 miles is very doable, but in my opinion if you are going to ride that far in a day you are not going to have time for any fun along the way.



We usually estimate 10 miles per hour (not counting long breaks for lunch and dinner) when planning our day on the bike. For example, if we want cover 80 miles in a day and we are going have lunch at noon in a town that is 40 miles away, we need to be pedalling by 8 a.m. to get to the lunch town by noon. If we take two hours for lunch, we will pedal from 2-6pm to reach the overnight town.



That has always worked well for us. We can pedal faster than 10mph, but that planning system allows for us to ride at a comfortable pace and still take a break here and there to stop and see the sights. When we rode the Katy, we aimed for approx 60 mile days and that worked pretty well for us.



As for the hills, the ride is virtually flat from St. Charles to Boonville, then you will encounter long easy grades from Boonville to Sedalia. If you are riding both directions, it is best to ride the way you are from East to West first, because it is more downhill from West to East on the return.

Thanks for the detailed info. It is very helpful and seems to fit in to the plan I had for myself. I plan to do at least 30 to 40 miles per day, but it appears maybe I can even do 50 miles per day. Doing extra miles is a plus time wise. I believe I'm ready endurance/cardio wise but I'm realizing my lack of recent seat/saddle time could be interesting. Thanks.

A decent pair of padded bike shorts or two may be a good investment to keep the "interesting" numbness from settling in your.......bottom end.

I agree with the comment that you best have some mileage down pat on your bottom end. Otherwise after about 50 you're gonna feel it GOOD!

May I suggest quality bike shorts and a good chamois cream to prevent chafing? Available from any reputable bike shop

My husband is a cyclist and we are considering going to MO so he can ride the Katy Trail. I understand it is a multi-use trail; are dogs permitted (on leash, of course) on the non-road segments? I would like to walk some of it while he is riding. Thanks very much.

dogmom, i have seen dogs on the trail between st. charles and green bottoms road with their owners. so i reckon they are.

From the DNR website: KEEP PETS ON LEASH. Unleashed pets can be annoying to other trail users and adjoining landowners.

I hope it's also understood to be responsible and clean up after your pet as well.

THE FORECAST FOR THE DAY WE ARE GOING TO RIDE A SECTION OF THE TRAIL (AUG 14TH) IS WINDS OUT OF THE SE AT 8 MPH.IS WIND A FACTOR ON THE TRAIL AND IF SO SINCE THE WIND IS OUT OF THE SE THAT DAY SHOULD WE RIDE FROM W TO E THAT DAY BECAUSE OF THE WIND?

What kind of weather do you listen to, they can barely predict tomorrow's conditions let alone something 10 days from now. I don't think an 8 mph wind is too significant, 15+ is another story.

The wind can definitely be a factor. Most often, the wind is from the west, so if you are going one way, it is best to ride west to east. If you are going out and back, then it is best to start riding into the wind and have the wind behind you for the last half of your ride when you are tired. But much of the trail is surrounded by bluffs or vegetation that blocks the wind. So some of it depends on where you ride. There have been days I wanted to ride, but haven't because of the wind----but I live close and can ride the next day if the weather is decent.

I highly recommend the Globe Hotel. It's very laid-back and relaxing. You can make yourself at home there and just be yourself. Jeannette is a fine hostess. What's great about it is that it's virtually right on the trail, so it's unnecessary to wait for a shuttle to take you across the river, as is the case in Jeff City and Hermann. Jeannette puts on a fine spread at breakfast, the rooms are comfortable, clean and cozy, and Hartsburg is a cute, tiny little town completely away from the hustle and bustle of this modern world.

I'm not real familiar with the trail thru Booneville. How close does the trail get to the Comfort Inn?

The Comfort Inn is about a mile east of the Katy...just north of I-70 and a few miles south of Booneville.



If you are riding east to west on the Katy, after you pass the depot in Booneville you will pass through a long stretch of residential district, up a grade for quite a ways and through a small tunnel under a roadway. It's probably 4-5 miles from the depot to the Comfort Inn.



There is a clearing on your left side near mile post #194. A trail through the clearing leads to the Fuqua Homes manufacturing plant. Somewhat confusing there......but, ride through their parking lot toward the south and onto the blacktop road....it will lead you to the Comfort Inn (about a mile) which will be on your right with a truckstop on your left.



We have found the Comfort Inn staff to be very friendly and accomodating. No problem taking your bikes to your room or leaving your car in their parking lot for a few days while you are on the trail.



Enjoy your trip!

- posted 6/29/2005 8:56:48 AM by Trek Biker , St. Joseph, MO

- posted 7/14/2005 8:50:51 AM by Trek Biker , St. Joseph, MO

Thanks for the info. Can you see the Fuqua homes plant from the trail?

I dont recall being able to see it.....the trail is tree lined. You can see the mile maker and the clearing tho.

Want to be really comfortable in Boonville? Try the River View suites--right on the Missouri next to the trail, kitchen, luxurious, soft beds, a deck that overlooks the river..and the price is pretty reasonable.

Both the Comfort Inn and the Holiday Inn Express are right off the trail.....for about half the price.