Rock Island Trail Forum

My wife and I are planning a trip to Sedalia to ride the trail for the day. I hear that the downtown area is a good starting point for access to the trail. Would anyone have a suggestion on which direction to take out of Sedalia? I also hear that there are some decent restaurants in Sedalia near the trail - any thoughts?

My wife and I are planning a trip to Sedalia to ride the trail for the day. I hear that the downtown area is a good starting point for access to the trail. Would anyone have a suggestion on which direction to take out of Sedalia? I also hear that there are some decent restaurants in Sedalia near the trail - any thoughts?

We were in Sedalia last weekend. The trail between Sedalia and Clinton is very straight and consistently adjacent to farms. The trail east of Sedalia has slightly more variety, so I would recommend you go that direction. Have fun!

We were in Sedalia last weekend. The trail between Sedalia and Clinton is very straight and consistently adjacent to farms. The trail east of Sedalia has slightly more variety, so I would recommend you go that direction. Have fun!

We rode the trail Memorial Day weekend on our tandem. We camped at Windsor's Farrington Park (great managers...extremely nice and helpful!)@ $5 a night. We rode from Windsor to Clinton and back one day...Windsor to Sedalia and back the next. The honeysuckle smelled great. The first day, a thunderstorm came up at the end of our ride. Sort of scary. The two Sedalia trailheads are not in the downtown by the courthouse, and it was too late to catch any businesses open for us so we just ate our pb sandwiches and apples and oj, water and made the return trip. We didn't see any restaurants near the trail except maybe a Hardees.

We rode the trail Memorial Day weekend on our tandem. We camped at Windsor's Farrington Park (great managers...extremely nice and helpful!)@ $5 a night. We rode from Windsor to Clinton and back one day...Windsor to Sedalia and back the next. The honeysuckle smelled great. The first day, a thunderstorm came up at the end of our ride. Sort of scary. The two Sedalia trailheads are not in the downtown by the courthouse, and it was too late to catch any businesses open for us so we just ate our pb sandwiches and apples and oj, water and made the return trip. We didn't see any restaurants near the trail except maybe a Hardees.

Correction...I had Clinton and Sedalia mixed up. I don't know if Sedalia even has a courthouse!! Yeah, that Hardees was in Sedalia, on 50 I think.

Correction...I had Clinton and Sedalia mixed up. I don't know if Sedalia even has a courthouse!! Yeah, that Hardees was in Sedalia, on 50 I think.

We just got back from riding the whole trail from Clinton to St Charles and my favorite part was from Sedalia to Boonville. It's very wooded and there is actually some downhill between Pilot Grove and Boonville! We averaged 10.5 mph for most of the trip, but hit 16-17 mph in that section. Like some others who posted replies, we loved Pauline at Polly's Tea House in Pilot Grove. While we were eating lunch, several of her friends came for lunch and they were just lovely--all ladies and very friendly.

We just got back from riding the whole trail from Clinton to St Charles and my favorite part was from Sedalia to Boonville. It's very wooded and there is actually some downhill between Pilot Grove and Boonville! We averaged 10.5 mph for most of the trip, but hit 16-17 mph in that section. Like some others who posted replies, we loved Pauline at Polly's Tea House in Pilot Grove. While we were eating lunch, several of her friends came for lunch and they were just lovely--all ladies and very friendly.

We were biking the trail and ventured into Downtown Sedalia. There is a really good place called the Ivy Cottage Tearoom. Cute decor and the food is great. There is patio seating and a bike rack available if you want to eat inside. I don't think they are open in the evening but definately worth a stop if you are there for lunch or a morning break.

We were biking the trail and ventured into Downtown Sedalia. There is a really good place called the Ivy Cottage Tearoom. Cute decor and the food is great. There is patio seating and a bike rack available if you want to eat inside. I don't think they are open in the evening but definately worth a stop if you are there for lunch or a morning break.

We had a good dinner at DelAmici's, in the Hotel Bothwell, right on the courthouse squire. They are not open on Sundays.

We had a good dinner at DelAmici's, in the Hotel Bothwell, right on the courthouse squire. They are not open on Sundays.

We stayed at Cliff Manor in Jefferson City. We picked us up at the N. Jeff trailhead very shortly after we called and let him know we were there. We went with the "deluxe katy trail" package which includes dinner and also a packed lunch for the next day. Thom is a wonderful cook, we had a 4 course dinner, best dinner for me of our trip. 2 rooms with 2-person jucuzzi tubs, very relaxing after a day on the trail. Thom even washed our tandem off for us and filled our water bottles for the next day!!! The packed lunch was very tasty: sandwhich on a sub type roll, chips, canned drink, and either an apple or an orange.



While with this stay was the most expensive of our trip, when you consider what you are getting, it is worth it if you want a little pampering with the trailhead pickup/ bike wash/ dinner/ room w/ jucuzzi tub / wonderful breakfast / lunch for the next day / etc...



We'll definetely stay at Cliff Manor again!

We stayed at Cliff Manor in Jefferson City. We picked us up at the N. Jeff trailhead very shortly after we called and let him know we were there. We went with the "deluxe katy trail" package which includes dinner and also a packed lunch for the next day. Thom is a wonderful cook, we had a 4 course dinner, best dinner for me of our trip. 2 rooms with 2-person jucuzzi tubs, very relaxing after a day on the trail. Thom even washed our tandem off for us and filled our water bottles for the next day!!! The packed lunch was very tasty: sandwhich on a sub type roll, chips, canned drink, and either an apple or an orange.



While with this stay was the most expensive of our trip, when you consider what you are getting, it is worth it if you want a little pampering with the trailhead pickup/ bike wash/ dinner/ room w/ jucuzzi tub / wonderful breakfast / lunch for the next day / etc...



We'll definetely stay at Cliff Manor again!

Very nice B&B. This B&B was the best decorated B&B we stayed at on our trip. Breakfast was very good. Nice back yard area to sit and chat with other guests. My wife and I spent our evening chatting with 2 couples that were in their 60's riding the Katy Trail. Down/feather pillows and feather topped bed were very comfortable. There is a guest refrigerator where you can freeze your water bottles for the next day (fill them up 1/2 way and freeze them, then top it off w/ water the next day). Felt more like an "inn" rather than a staying in someone's house with 10 rooms and large upstairs commons area. We would recommend this to anyone and would stay their again ourselves.

Very nice B&B. This B&B was the best decorated B&B we stayed at on our trip. Breakfast was very good. Nice back yard area to sit and chat with other guests. My wife and I spent our evening chatting with 2 couples that were in their 60's riding the Katy Trail. Down/feather pillows and feather topped bed were very comfortable. There is a guest refrigerator where you can freeze your water bottles for the next day (fill them up 1/2 way and freeze them, then top it off w/ water the next day). Felt more like an "inn" rather than a staying in someone's house with 10 rooms and large upstairs commons area. We would recommend this to anyone and would stay their again ourselves.

Kim and Mark were both very friendly. We got the Katy Trail Package which includes pickup at the train station and also a packed snack for the next day's ride. My wife's comments were "best snack ever!!!". In our snack bags we each got cheese, crackers, fruit (orange or an apple), small trail mix, and a energy type bar. Kim's breakfast was wonderful and we defientely will stay there again on our next trip through Sedalia.

Kim and Mark were both very friendly. We got the Katy Trail Package which includes pickup at the train station and also a packed snack for the next day's ride. My wife's comments were "best snack ever!!!". In our snack bags we each got cheese, crackers, fruit (orange or an apple), small trail mix, and a energy type bar. Kim's breakfast was wonderful and we defientely will stay there again on our next trip through Sedalia.

My husband & I would like to try a trail ride this fall. Any suggestions on length of ride,sections of trail to ride with hotel,food suggestions or hints would be appreciated.

Also, do you find it better to do 1 way or round trip rides?

My b/f and I went from Sedalia to St. Charles in 6 days. We like to take our time and enjoyed our ride. The best section was from Rocheport to Jefferson City. We stopped in to have lunch at Dotty's Cafe in Huntsdale (excellant). Capital Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City sent a shuttle to pick us up at N. Jefferson T/H. They were prompt and accomodating. In the morning the front desk asked us to at least give them a 15 minute heads up when we would be ready to head back to the T/H. We loaded up and went from Jefferson City to Mckittrick.

The length that you can ride depends on you! The distance I ride is much longer what others like to ride.....and I'm sure that some riders wouldn't bother loading the bike to ride such a short distance! Consider how often you ride......how far you ride when you do.....thats probably a good distance for you to ride on the Katy!



This site is a very good tool to help you determine where to go and what to see and do. Only you know what you like! The Mileage Chart is very easy to use and can help you determine distances between trailheads, rest stops and places to eat.



All that aside.....and I know we all differ in opinion.....I am partial to the Rocheport area. It is very easily accessable from I-70, has a very nice bike shop with a very friendly owner and staff, has several nice places to eat (the view from the winery is great as well as the food!), has some very nice B & B's, and the scenery is some of Missouri's best from open fields, wooded hills, limestone bluffs, to the mighty Missouri River.



See ya on the trail!

From St. Charles to Clinton, May 29-June 4, 2005

1) It’s fun to adventure from east to west as Lewis and Clark did when they headed out; however, I recommend if you’re doing the whole trail that you start in Clinton. The stretch between Clinton and Sedalia is the straightest and has the least varied scenery, so I think it’s better to do that section when you’re fresh and the trail itself is novel.

2) If you plan to picnic, buy your lunch supplies at the first store you see, maybe even before you leave the town where you spent the night. The KATY goes through very rural countryside, and stores are limited. Towns are miniscule, many virtually abandoned after the floods of ’93 and ’95.

3) If you have a cell phone, definitely bring it. Although Cingular makes it almost impossible for a Verizon user to make calls in some parts of the trail, generally our cell phone was a tremendous convenience in calling ahead to reserve B & Bs.

4) The trail is level and easy to ride. The heat makes the biggest challenge, seconded by wind. Get up early and get started before that midwestern climate starts beating on you too much.

All of the replies add up to good suggestions and thus the only thing I can add is that all along the trail although there are many listed places of business for eating and lodging, but staffing can at some towns be "iffy". Rocheport is absolutely wonderful....just don't go through there on Monday's expecting to eat or have service at the Bicycle shop...unless things have changed since the Dalton Boys ride of '02. I would bypass Coopers Landing, go just a little bit further to Wilton and camp there. One thread that I totally agree with is if you are going self-contained then do shop for food at grocery stores when you get the chance as most of the small towns don't even have a convenience store. I personally like the "out there" nature of the KATY...just be prepared when it comes to re- provisioning, lodging, etc. My brothers and I were totally self-contained so when it rained we hoveled under a bridge. KATY Roundhouse Campground is too good for words. Jefferson City (Capital of Missouri), has a couple of hotels/motels which if you are going to get a room, will come get you on the KATY (bridge across Missouri River on Bike so-o-o-o not recommended), take you back, and usually include ammenities just by virtue of you being a KATY cyclist/hiker. Those ammenities as I recall hink) an included continental breakfast, and coupons for discounts at restaurants, and even tickets to movies. Enjoy the Voyage Mark of the Dalton Boys

Yes.....a few years have past since the Dalton Boys rode through. Air yer tires up and come on back....we're still have'n fun up here!

The Trailside Cafe and Bike Shop is under new ownership....this being his second season.

They are open everyday.....hours and services at http://www.trailsidecafebike.com/

Thanks, Marty and Joe. We really enjoyed reading your account. You may recall that we ran into you as we were riding from Clinton to St Charles. We had a great time too. I like your description of Doug's place. Here is our e-mail address; let us know if you're planning any more long-distance rides. smcg21@hotmail.com.

My wife and I just returned from our first trip on the Katy. We too wondered about a lot of the same things. We called and emailed a number people. Final Decision: to rider West to East for the winds and to start at Sedalia and go to St Charles (total 190 miles). Since it was our first trip without kids in YEARS we didn't mind spending some $$ so we stayed in great B&Bs the entire route. Itinerary: Sedalia (Bothwell) to New Franklin (Riverscene) 40 miles, to Rocheport (Yates House) 12 miles (a VERY short day but we wanted to spend some time in Rocheport), to Jefferson City (Hotel De Ville-no B&Bs) 44 miles, to McKittrick (Meyer's Hilltop Farm) 42 miles, to Augusta (The Red Brick Inn) 34 miles, then the last leg was 27 miles back to our car in St Charles. It was a wonderful trip!



I ride about 150 miles a week here at home but my wife is totally new to cycling and this was fine mileage for her (It did get a little harder in the rain as the rolling resistance goes up). We took our road bikes but with 700x32 Conti Top Touring tires, Spinskin liners, and Thorn Proof tubes and we had NO flats. We had all our stuff in just rear panniers since we were not camping. We both had a wonderful time, even with three days of rain. Victoria is ready to go again and that says a lot for the itinerary. All of the trail is an easy ride and the people were great!

Is the Touring Cyclist in St. Charles the only place near the eastern end of the trail that rents bikes? Wen to their web site and the available rentals sound quite, shall we say, family-oriented. I am looking for something quite quick since we will be riding the whole trail from E to W. Can you help?

You'll find that the bike rental options along the Katy Trail are heavily weighted toward "comfort bikes" and hybrids, because these are the most popular types of bikes for the trail. Sounds like you're looking for a road bike, which can be used on the trail but the trail is not ideally suited to skinny tires. But if you call around, you may find that some of the renters have a road bike or two in stock (I'm really not sure about this). Here's a list of bike rentals along the trail, in east-to-west order.

No...I am not looking for a road bike. I know my 23c road bike wont work well !!. I am looking for a trail/hybrid bike, with about a 1 1/2 inch tire, maybe 35c or so. I called one shop and the only bike they rent in the hybrid range has a 1.95" tire. That's a mountain bike tire. Thanks for the help you are giving.

I did not realize that hybrids would be hard to find for rental. It seems that the "cruiser" style is most popular at the rental places, but I would think there would be a demand for hybrids (that's what I prefer to use on the Katy Trail). If Touring Cyclist in St Charles doesn't have what you need, you might try Katy Bike Rental in Defiance, which is 20 miles down the trail - their website says they offer "hybrid mountain bikes". Hopefully their definition of hybrid matches your definition.

If you want to go end-to-end and have any concern about rolling resistance, use your road bike. However, put on some 700x25 Kevlar belted tires. Those tires will be cheaper than any rental bike you'll find.



Last year, we rode a TANDEM road bike on 700x28s from Sedalia to St. Charles and had 3 rear flats. All between Clifton City and Huntsdale. This weekend, we're doing the same ride, but we'll have Kevlar belts and puncture resistant tubes. I'm hoping for 0 flats. I'll report Monday on our results.

Just curious, were your flats the result of rough trail conditions, nails on the trail, or something similar? I will be starting out on almost new 700x38 Kenda tires, and am feeling pretty confident. However, I just want to be prepared for whatever trail conditions I might find!

The first flat was something on the trail. I don't know if it was a glass, thorn, rock, nail, or gremlins.



The second flat was in the trailhead parking lot on Highway 87 near New Franklin. This parking lot is not the crushed limestone of the trail, but made up of rough rocks over 1 inch in diameter. We'll carry the bike through the parking lot this time.



The third flat was from a very small, flat, triangular rock that stuck in the tire.

I'm pleased to report that we did not get any flats on our 700x28 Kevlar belted tires between Sedalia and St. Charles. Certainly, there were a number of places the bumps were unpleasant and I always had to keep an eye on the trail to pick a smooth line. The worst of it was that between mile markers 118 and 119, there was a section about 1/4 mile long that is not packed down. I stand by my original recommendation.

We just finished the ride from Sedalia to St Charles, rear panniers only, on Binachi and Windsor road bikes. Before I left we also questioned what type of bike we would need so I emailed and called a few people and bike shops along the trail. After talking to them I put Spinskins and, as added protection (and a LOT of weight), we used the Thorn Proof tubes in our Conti Top Touring 700x32s. We did NOT have any flats. Maybe the Thorn Proof tubes were overkill but even if they are VERY heavy (I have removed them since returning home and will keep them for future trips) the weight is not really an issue at Katy Trail speeds. We also had three rainy days. The first day, out of Sedalia, we were caught in a torrential downpour for hours, and the bikes handled fine on the soaked trail. IN fact, the only riding issues we ever had were "washed out" rivulets across the trail in only a few spots. East to avoid in bright sunlight but a bit harder to see in the canopied sections on the overcast, rainy days.



Now I would not take my carbon fiber Kestrel but a good road bike with the right tires is a great and easy ride for the trip. Hope this helps.

We stayed a night at the Red Brick Inn and I think it was our favorite night of the trip! Corinne and Gary Post were wonderful hosts and the inn has been magnificently renovated! Our room (the Blue Room) was the most beautiful room we have stayed in an any B&B and the company was great! We were the only guests that night. There was only one place in town open for dinner that evening but we had brought wine, cheese, summer sausage and such with us so we sat on the raised patio in back with our hosts and treaded storied of the world. I think we kept them up long after they needed to go!

While the enire breakfast was great, be sure to sample Corinne's Pecan Muffins!!!! We took a few "for the road" for our last 26 miles to St Charles and they were the perfect snack to end the trip!!!

Thanks much to Gary for all the help too! Semper Fi!

While riding the Katy, one constantly sees signs about what property you CANNOT go on. Imagine the fun of seeing a sign that says "Trespassing Encouraged"! What fun! It was an invitation to visit Terry at Scenic Cycles who's new location (many acres) adjoins the trail. We visited with Terry and bought a T shirt and he kindly loaned a Torx driver and some blue Loctite to tighten a fender bracket that kept coming loose. A well stocked bike shop and a great owner! THANKS TERRY!

Conrad, owner of the Yates House, told us about Les Bourgeois Winery so on our way out of town we stopped for lunch at their A Frame Wine Garden. You reach it either by car just outside of town or from the Katy Trail. There is a sign and bike rack where the winding, steep, trail goes up the bluff to the Winery. Be forewarned! The walk is further than the " 0.3m" the sign claims BUT it is well worth the hike! The relaxing view of the Missouri River from the many shaded, wood patios built out on the bluff is magnificent and the food and wine was perfect!

GREAT food and Great service (thanks Debbie!) Note: it is no longer "on the trail" in the "old church". It is up the tiny hill near the post office. Well worth the price! Todd cooks wonderfully and his wife bakes the amazing desserts.

We spent a wonderful night at the Yates House. We arrived too early so Conrad took the bikes to his garage while we walked the tiny, friendly town. Our room, (as is the entire B&B) was beautifully done. Breakfast by Dixie was "to-die-for"! She has a new cookbook out (it arrived just after we left!) and we will be getting one! The weather was iffy so Conrad got the weather up on the computer for us too. If you want to take an elegant trip on the Katy make sure you stay here!

We stayed here on our second night of our Sedalia to St Charles trip and it is a neat place with a LOT of history! Good buffet type breakfast too. Make sure you see the video about the '93 flood, take the mini tour and the time to see the historical photos and docs all over the house! Thanks Mary Jo and Joanna!

By the way, a walk to and from the Casino over the bridge is easy and the food there, like in most casinos, was good and reasonable.

What a fine place for the middle aged crowd. The younger ones come in around 10pm. The food is real good, the manager is a real sweet heart. She has a great attitude to everyone that comes in there. The regulars are frendly and make me feel like home. I will always make a point to stop in everytime I am in town.

What a fine place for the middle aged crowd. The younger ones come in around 10pm. The food is real good, the manager is a real sweet heart. She has a great attitude to everyone that comes in there. The regulars are frendly and make me feel like home. I will always make a point to stop in everytime I am in town.

I was out one evening looking for live music when came across your cozy spot on Main Street.



I made a connection - one of the core infrastructure components of my company’s product (a Java component installed on computers) is called a tuner.



In I went. Not being much of a barfly, I would normally have left after a set or two. Something or someone kept me there all night.



More to come...

I was out one evening looking for live music when came across your cozy spot on Main Street.



I made a connection - one of the core infrastructure components of my company’s product (a Java component installed on computers) is called a tuner.



In I went. Not being much of a barfly, I would normally have left after a set or two. Something or someone kept me there all night.



More to come...

Just wanted to post that Ebby at ProVelo was a great help with info about the trail. He happily took time to chat with us about the trail, Sedalia, diving, you-name-it! Great shop with a kind and friendly owner! Be sure to drop by!

We just returned from our Katy Trail ride from Sedalia to St Charles and wanted to post about the trail and the places we stayed. Our first night was at the Bothwell and it was a great way to start the trip. It is a beautifully restored hotel with an elegant lobby and great rooms. When we arrived (way early) our room was not ready so we left our loaded bikes in the lobby and wandered around town and the Ragtime store. When the room was ready they just told us to take the bikes in the elevator up to the top (7th) floor! great hotel and wonderful people!

My niece and I recently stayed at Loutre Lane B&B. The B&B was very clean and comfortable. Lucy made you feel right at home and made the best breakfeast we had the entire trip. I would defintly stay at her B&B agin.

My niece and I recently stayed at Loutre Lane B&B. The B&B was very clean and comfortable. Lucy made you feel right at home and made the best breakfeast we had the entire trip. I would defintly stay at her B&B agin.

We just finished a 4 day round trip from Hartsburg to St. Charles. We left our car in the care of the owners of the local bike shop. These are very accomidating folks, even moving their vehicles to protect ours when a large group came though. We did not worry about our car.

Upon our return we enjoyed the very excellent smothies they serve at the bike shop.

This trip with stops in McKittrick (we recommed Penrond's View guesthouse) and return is a good one. We are in our 60's and the temperature was 95 but we left at first light and had a very enjoyable trip.

jgault@socket.net

On a 4 day round trip from Hartsburg to St. Charles we spent two very enjoyable nights (one going, one coming) in Penrod's View guest house. Because it was hot we started our trips early and arrived at the guesthouse about noon enjoying the waiting snack and cool drinks. We enjoyed eating on the wraparond porch. We made the 5 min bike trip to the well stocked grocery store and ate our supper on top of the hill as well. We traveled about 60 miles both days and still were able to make it up to the top of the hill but we must confess we walked our tandem up the somewhat steep and uneven road. We liked having the cold drinks ready when we arrived and having the good baked goods brought over in the evening so we could leave when we wished. We declined the offer of rides to Hermann. We enjoyed the wine they furnished. If you have any questions you may contact us at jgault@socket.net.

On a 4 day round trip from Hartsburg to St. Charles we spent two very enjoyable nights (one going, one coming) in Penrod's View guest house. Because it was hot we started our trips early and arrived at the guesthouse about noon enjoying the waiting snack and cool drinks. We enjoyed eating on the wraparond porch. We made the 5 min bike trip to the well stocked grocery store and ate our supper on top of the hill as well. We traveled about 60 miles both days and still were able to make it up to the top of the hill but we must confess we walked our tandem up the somewhat steep and uneven road. We liked having the cold drinks ready when we arrived and having the good baked goods brought over in the evening so we could leave when we wished. We declined the offer of rides to Hermann. We enjoyed the wine they furnished. If you have any questions you may contact us at jgault@socket.net.

Shuttle service offered, from beginning to end, along the Katy Trail!!!

Contact: B&L Shuttle and Courier Services

660-221-4406

b-lshuttle@charter.net

24 hour service

We will take you to any place you need to go to enjoy the Katy trail!!

We highly recommend B&L Shuttle--we used them twice in June. They were prompt, accommodating, and reasonably priced.

This is a really nice old home in a beautiful old village. I enjoyed my stay there. Comfortable bed, private bath, spacious - with access to porch. Combined with the beauty of the KatyTrail, which was just outside the door, this was a great weekend for me. Thanks!

This is a really nice old home in a beautiful old village. I enjoyed my stay there. Comfortable bed, private bath, spacious - with access to porch. Combined with the beauty of the KatyTrail, which was just outside the door, this was a great weekend for me. Thanks!

My son and I stayed at the Doll House for one night in May 05. Clean and plenty of room. Ask to see the flood lines on the doors. We highly recommend and breakfast was fanatastic.

My son and I stayed at the Doll House for one night in May 05. Clean and plenty of room. Ask to see the flood lines on the doors. We highly recommend and breakfast was fanatastic.

My husband and I stayed at the Hartsburg Inn in mid-june. The owner is very hospitable, she even had newly baked chocolate chip cookies waiting for us and fresh flowers in the room. It's air conditioned, has a fridge and a microwave. Nice place to stay and reasonably priced.

My husband and I stayed at the Hartsburg Inn in mid-june. The owner is very hospitable, she even had newly baked chocolate chip cookies waiting for us and fresh flowers in the room. It's air conditioned, has a fridge and a microwave. Nice place to stay and reasonably priced.

A friend of mine and I want to overnite near Defiance, but need

two beds, so am wondering if all the B abd Bs in the area are the

only option Thanks for any help you can give.

check out concord hill b & b. one of the bedrooms has 2 full beds and the owners are great! they are friends of mine and i would highly recommend this place without any hesitation. they have a hot tub too!

We had a very pleasant Katy trail experience. We are very gratefull to the State of Missouri for supporting the sport of bicycling and for making a trail like this available to the public...for free.

We were very impressed with the Sadalia depot. Definately a must see. Stop by the little bike shop along the trail in Defiance. The proprietor is very nice, helpful and grateful to cyclists. Another good place is the Trailhead Brewery in St. Charles. I could go on and on about positives with our ride, but I would like to address some issues that will affect whether or not we would return.

The big one - the trail needs to be paved. I know big $$$. The poor trail conditions in several areas just makes for a long frustrating ride. The softness of the trail in certain areas was hard to deal with. Ever pedal in sand? It's not fun. Working my tail off for 7-8 mph is demoralizing and then coming to a complete halt when I stop pedaling. Got a great workout though.

Next are the horses. Stay off the trail please. If anything is going to ruin this trail for sure it's horses. Ruts and poop, not a good thing on a bike trail.

Maintence equipment - also a problem with ruts. We encountered several sections where someone drove a tractor on the trail when it was wet and by the time we got to it, we were riding on a washboard.

Dust - Well, we rode 290 miles on the trail and my bike is filthy (we did some backtracking).

Paving the trail will no doubt be expensive and it will create a whole new set of challenges, but I just cannot see ever coming back to ride it again until it is paved. Where we live in Ohio, there are a lot of paved trails and they are thriving. We ride them often and spend $$$ in the communities. Take a look at the Little Miami trail in southwest Ohio. It is a long trail 70+ miles and it is totlaly paved. It is nice.

In closing I'm glad we rode the trail, we met a lot of nice folks and I would not discourage anyone fro

I would agree that the horses and maintenance equipment have damaged the trail BUT, paving the trail would not be the answer. Part of the adventure of the Katy, to our group, was that it isn't paved. It took time and effort to ride it, even though it's flat. If it were a paved, flat trail, then there's no challenge. We could have ridden it in two days, missed the great towns along the way, and gone back home. Where's the fun and accomplishment in that?

Glad you had a good time John. What time of year did you ride the Katy? I think the soft and rough places are worse in the spring.



If you wait for the trail to be paved before you return, well, it will be a very long time! This ain't Ohio! I don't believe bike trails have as much support from the general public in Missouri as they do in some other states. There was a lot of opposition to the trail from landowners, and while many of them now think it is a good thing, many others are indifferent to it and a few are still very much opposed to it (did you notice the little white signs along the trail encouraging you to "maintain your progress through this area"?)



I believe the most ambitous improvement to the trail now is connecting it to Kansas City. If/when that happens, I think the trail will really take off! I'm 40 years old, I hope to see it in my lifetime.



I am looking forward to riding the Little Miami Trail in July (if I can afford the gasoline to get there!).

Can someone tell me where the worst of the soft and rough places are? We are riding at the end of May approximately 100 miles over 4 days with some older children. Suggestions on the best stretch for this?

I would start at either Booneville or Rocheport and ride east. This portion of the trail runs along the MO river and is beautiful. My second choice would be to start at N. Jefferson City and ride east to St. Charles. This portion travels through wine country.

I'm surprised anyone even mentioned the roughness of the trail. We just finished riding from Clinton to St Charles and thought the surface was fantastic! No, it's not paved,and, as someone else said, that's part of the adventure, but for a gravel trail it was great. We averaged almost 11 mph on our hybrids (we're in our 50's) and were very comfortable. We have shock absorbers on the front forks and under the seats and comfortable saddles. I think we ran into one soft spot and a very few bumps on the eastern end. We rode the Mickelson trail in SD a couple of years ago (another really wonderful ride--check it out) and the Katy's surface is better.

I'm surprised too....the Katy seems to be pristine compared to other trails that are in a country setting.



I also like paved trails, but it is very difficult to be out in the middle of nowhere and have all the comforts of home. I stay home when that's what I'm after.



From your posts, you had a wonderful time on the Katy. It is a terrific experience and I'm glad that you traveled to our state to enjoy it.

I too agree with the opinion that there is no way this trail will ever be paved, and I don't think it needs to be. Just to be able to get to some of the remote sections of the trail with concrete would be so hard. The trail is normally actually in pretty decent condition - at least the parts that I see the most. If you rode right after some heavy rains or storms there can be washouts - but they do get them fixed. Part of the trail is rough in a few places right now between Jeff City and Hartsburg but it looked like they were working on it - but these were very short areas, over and done with in a few moments. Around 147-148 they have put in a new bridge and it is still a little rough for a short distance there as well but again, I hope they will have this smoothed over soon.

Hello, just curious if anyone has ever eaten at the little Thai Food shack at Cooper's Landing and lived to tell about it. I have ridden by there a couple of times and was extremely hungry but was too intimidated to actually sample it. I was just wondering if someone has eaten there and if maybe it might be really tasty and missing something. Please let me know!!

See the end of this post: http://www.bikekatytrail.com/talk.aspx?thid=205

Alright, that's one to nothing in favor of the Thai shack. I give you props for giving it a whirl!!

When the 3 brothers that are the Dalton Boys did the KATY in '02, and when passing through Coopers Landing we shared the thought "...does river pirates mean anything to you?" We did the KATY in April, the trail was bone dry and compacted and our average speed, (caused by the slow out of shape brother) was 10 mph.

I have been to Cooper's landing - got caught in a thunderstorm - had to wait inside a couple hours, then a woman voluntarily drove us to our car, bikes in tow. Had some chicken off the grill that was excellent (nibbled off my husbands plate cuz I was intimidated, also) - I don't remember the side orders, but I do remember it being really good. I don't even remember it being called Thai Food Shack. But there was a bird, and dogs, a guy there that carved tables and chairs out of wood ... Probably the same place? But we lived to tell! I think I might have been intimidated because their lifestyle is so different to ours in the city - but yes, the food is good!

Yes, by all means, eat the Thai at Cooper's Landing. It's sort of an institution in the area. It's great food - the owner also has a Thai restaurant in downtown Columbia now.

Below is a link to a map showing the MKT side trail in Columbia and a few connecting trails:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Documents/mkt_mu_conect.pdf

And other info is located at:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Parks/MKT_Trail/index.html

NOW HEAR THIS! THE DUTZOW DELI HAS LIVE MUSIC ON SUMMER WEEKENDS!MUSIC IN THE AFTERNOON, MUSIC AT NIGHT. APPEARING JUNE 11,8pm-12:00

"triac" COME AND VISIT WITH US AND ENJOY THE ROCK AND ROLL! FOR A GOOD TIME CALL 636-433-2309 OR CONTACT samschmidt@excite.com

enjoy the Katy Trail/Good Food/Great Music!

NOW HEAR THIS! THE DUTZOW DELI HAS LIVE MUSIC ON SUMMER WEEKENDS!MUSIC IN THE AFTERNOON, MUSIC AT NIGHT. APPEARING JUNE 11,8pm-12:00

"triac" COME AND VISIT WITH US AND ENJOY THE ROCK AND ROLL! FOR A GOOD TIME CALL 636-433-2309 OR CONTACT samschmidt@excite.com

enjoy the Katy Trail/Good Food/Great Music!