Rock Island Trail Forum

We are plannig on riding the katy trail in July, three of us. We will be riding

a total of 4 days from Rocheport to St. charles. Is there anyone that knows

how we can have our luggage transfered each day, to each days destination???



I apprciate any info you have for me, Thanks !

Bob

One Option:

Find a fourth that would be willing to drive a support vehicle - he or she would be able to visit the local wineries, micro breweries, shops, etc. while waiting for the rest of you to reach your destination. You might end up fighting for the support vehicle spot though in July - it can get really hot and humid that time of the year here and rapidly zap the energy out of you if you are not use to it.

Luggage sounds pretty huge and cumbersome......maybe panniers or a cargo trailer that you take with?

As mentioned above, having your own support vehicle works well if you should drive into Rocheport to begin with. Riders will sometimes take turns driving the vehicle/gear to the next destination. The driver then bikes back on the trail to meet the group somewhere for the final ride into that destination. It can be handy to have your vehicle with you at each destination for taking in extra sites etc.

Oh...a good stop the nite before your trip would be the Hotel Fredrick and Glen's Cafe in Boonville. We've stayed there several times and would recommend it, plus they used to give a discount to Katy riders.



If you are renting bikes in Rocheport, Larry at the Trailside may have trailers that you could haul your overnite gear in. I'm not sure that they do, but it may be worth checking out.

I want to thank all of you that have responded to my luggage transfer help question. You

have given me some good ideas, along with the places you have mentioned to stay at. I

sure appreciate the responses.



Bob

I anticipate a trip with just my husband in May and had the same concern....I was thinking that planning to use shuttle services might come in handy (though I think those are more readily available on the eastern side of the state). I think we might get up in the morning, drive to the town we want to stay in that night, shuttle back to our starting point, and then bike to our car & luggage in the overnight town. Not sure if that will work, logistically, for us or for you, but it is worth looking into.

I think that carrying your clothing and stuff could be done with two panniers and a rear rack quite easily, many people do this. With the trail being almost flat the extra weight isn't much of a concern. Also a trailer would work well.



Allen

You can always do the state sponsored ride at the end of June which includes shuttle services for 2 begs per rider.

http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2009ride.htm

We have a group of three (3) who want to bike the Katy Trail, need to know if baggage can be transferred from designated towns daily beginning at Clinton, MO to St. Charles. We plan to bike the trail in late October, 2019. Also need to know cost. We plan to average about 65 miles per day and will book accommodations in advance. We plan to ride the trail in five (5) days.

Appreciate any information you can provide.

Thanks,

Ralph

I too would like to know if this is an option. Most of the feedback is from 10 years ago !

Hey, guys, I think that your question got buried in the old thread. If you want to know about shuttle services, I'd recommend that you see the list of services for each town, which includes shuttle services, contact those providers, and then if you have any questions, start a whole new post here.

https://bikekatytrail.com/towns.aspx

Call Doug at The Bluffton Barn to discuss fees for doing this

I have been walking the length of the Trail around 50 miles at a time and would like to walk east from Hermann. since I am walking, a mile makes a difference so I need to be sure there are not current detours. Any spots to avoid right now? I want to finish my "across the state" trip this fall if possible.

First thank you for everyone contributing on comments on this site..though I am a little concerned. My husband and I plan to ride the Katy Trail from Sedalia to St. Charles beginning 9/14/19 - 9/20/19. We already have hotels and campsites reserved, but now worried we may not get the mileage in per day as we've figured due to all the detours. We will be on recumbent bikes, carrying panniers - I'm wondering if we need to cancel this trip and wait another year. Do we dare take the chance? Thoughts anyone?

I just did Clinton to St.Charles over 5 days over labor day weekend. I wouldn't cancel your plans. There are some minor washouts and rough spots along the trail, but it didn't stop us from enjoying it. It probably took us a little more time to bike it because we were on Mountain Bikes and the soft and silty/sandy spots were harder for us to get through, but i wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

The only major issues that I found were these:
1) Detour on Hwy 40 between Boonville and Rocheport - for approx 2-3miles. Our plan was to attempt it, but that plan changed when it was pouring rain that day. We don't have much experience on road, so we opted for a shuttle around the road because it is a busy highway, cars are speeding through at 60mph+ and with the rain, we felt it wasn't safe at all for us. We used a family member for the shuttle, but I think cbamshuttle could help if you wanted to arrange something. 660-621-3488

2) 10 Miles of closure between Easley and Hartsburg. Based on information found on this site, we didn't even attempt it. Sounded like it would have taken us a long time due to the damage. We had family shuttle us to Hartsburg and we continued on from there.

3) MM117-118 closure due to Logan Creek Bridge being out under Hwy 94 near Portland. Hwy 94 was down to one lane due to flooding on the road - not sure if this was because the Mo River was coming up again or if it has been one lane since the rains this Spring. Either way, we opted to get shuttled by family around this road detour as well. Hwy 94 isn't awful, but the one-lane section is around a corner and we just felt safer to get transported around it. We met another group that did the Hwy 94 detour and they didn't have any issues with it, but they are road bikers as well.

Ultimately, I think it just depends on how comfortable you are with roads. I'm not, so I got shuttled around them. It's definitely doable, but I just chose not to. The trail condition varied - there were washouts, there were ruts, soft spots, silty spots. But it wasn't anything that we couldn't handle. I say go for it. Don't cancel your plans. I know nothing of recumbent bikes and what types of challenges that might present, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck!

Just an FYI River's Edge is still open for business. Tent sites and full RV hook-ups. Still have a detour around a rock slide a little west of Portland. Once you ride under the 94 bridge take Schmid Lane up to 94 and ride hwy 94 for approx. half mile take 1st right gravel back to trail to continue west. Reverse directions for East. right after you cross trail on 94 small bridge over Logan creek take left on Schmid lane back to trail to continue East.

This is a great spot with showers right next to trail the river and a bar with good food. And to top it off you will be welcome here!

I rode from Green Ridge to McKettrick 8/20 - 8-22 had a great time had some detours but nothing unmanageable although I did get lost East of McBaine going around a washed out trail section.
Had great stays at:
Katy Junction in Pilot Grove
The Globe in Hartsberg and
Joey's Bird House in McKettrick

My trip was not well planned but worked out great due to good luck and very little traffic on the trail. I loved every mile have great memories and hope to do the whole trail next year.

Rocheport tunnel is still closed per call to the bike shop a few minutes ago.

It looks like the official detour is 4.5 miles of a poor bike / unsafe Hwy 40 then spur 240 into Rocheport.

On Google maps, there is a farm road / 4-wheel trail - something large enough to show up well, as smaller than the katy trail, from just West of the tunnel up the hill (also down to the river), then into 240 - which I measure about a mile.

Even if it's too rough for our hybrids and we walk the whole mile, ? better than 4.5 miles of road ?

Does anyone have any info on this ? We will be coming in from the West on 9/14.... worst case is no info, does not work out, we can turn around and then take the road (I will post here after attempting IF there is not info)

I think that trail goes to one of the Davisdale Conservation Area parking lots. The area is public land so you could walk it. That said the trail that goes over the tunnel might be closed. I thought there were issues with the stability of the ground above the tunnel. Maybe someone will chime in with more concrete info..

Mo Dot says bridge at salt creek is out also, that’s close to where 40 hiway goes over the trail, several miles west of the tunnel. I don’t have information that’s it passable. I read somewhere that bridge was off its pilings and the creek was wider there now than before. Maybe a local can chime in on feasibility of getting over it. There is also an area that always floods between salt creek and Rocheport I would expect a lot of silt there if it hasn’t been cleaned up.

Yes, West of the Rocheport tunnel the bridge is off the pilings and it is a sad mess. Here is one of the pictures I took from Hwy 40.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2796375273709381&set=pcb.2796375380376037&type=3&theater

Hopefully the pic comes through. The left of the pic is the trail and the center and right shows the bridge decking that was pushed/pulled off the pilings.

Sorry Karen, unfortunately Facebook won't let us see that photo.

However, if you go to the Trail Conditions page (click the "Trail Conditions Report from trail users" link in the yellow highlighted section at the top of this page) - then scroll down to mile 181 and you'll see a photo of that bridge - or what's left of it.

Yeah, that does not look like it will be ready anytime soon. :-(

Hey everyone, my friend and I have ridden the trail twice over the past two years and it's become one of my favorite places on earth.

I just published a blog post that offers up local recommendations, lodging, and how to do a car-free trip from the Kansas City area in case you'd like to check it out: https://blog.yelp.com/2019/09/katy-trail-guide-across-missouri

We couldn't include every gem along the way but tried to pack in as much as possible. Cheers and hopefully this fall the trail is able to rebound from such a rough weather season.

We rode the trail between Jefferson city and Mokane on Sunday, September 1.

The trail was in excellent condition. A couple rough spots and that was all. Thanks to parks for fixing the trail up!

Charles

We were planning a bike trip from Dutzow to Hartsburg soon, but keep running into cautions about trail damage due to the flood. Has anyone been over that stretch recently? We could really use some accurate information. Also, it sounds like sections just west of Hartsburg had very bad damage--washouts and big trees blocking trail. Who is doing trail repair, and how much is going on? Many thanks for the information.

Going to leave from St Charles in mid September. Where is a safe place to park the car for a week or two?

Larry, happy to help. I just finished riding about 350 miles of trails in your beautiful state last week (actually drove through Birch Run).

You may leave your car in the parking lot at Frontier Park in St. Charles, right near the river and on the Katy Trail. Best place is near the boathouse under one of the parking lot lights. I strongly suggest that you notify the St. Charles Police that it will be there for the amount of time you specify so that it does not get towed.

Some people have suggested leaving a note in the dashboard with your cell number in case they need to contact you. I dunno. Definitely remove all your valuables from the car or at least make them invisible. It's not a bad area at all, but the number of days parking means the chance increases.

Have fun!

Called, spoke with her on 9/1/19. She no longer has the guest house, said she did it for 20years and is now retired. Hope this helps!

On Saturday 08.30.19 I rode from Sedalia to Jefferson City including the section of the trail from Huntsdale (mm 171) to Hartsburg (153.6). It has rained significantly on Friday so the trail was damp or muddy the entire way with a fair amount of debris. This included the section of the KATY that is officially closed between just west of Easley (mm 162.5) to just west of Hartsburg (mm 153.6). The section that is closed is clearly marked by an orange plastic fencing crossing the trail. Although this section is rideable I would not recommend it. Almost the entire section was filled with either deep mud, large rocks, fallen trees and/or significant erosion. Given these conditions I can not see any time in the immediate future that it will be easily rideable. I would recommend arranging for a shuttle service from either Rocheport or the Columbia spur if you're traveling east and Hartsburg if you're traveling west.

ALSO the official KATY Trail map shows the eastbound connection to the KATY from the City of Sedalia can be found by taking Emmett to Boonville Road. THIS IS WRONG. Instead take Engineer Avenue out of town and follow the KATY Trail signs.

Also, the detours out of Booneville and from the Davidson Conservation area are clearly marked. I did not have any trouble with the motorist while riding Hwy 40 but I ride the roads a lot. There are several descriptions on this site that were helpful

Having been bumped off the trail when we hit the river in Boonville in May, we returned the week of August 18 to complete the trek, as you would expect from stubborn Irishpeople.

Posted detour from Boonville to Franklin is easy to navigate. Bike lane over the bridge is on the west side (facing traffic if you're biking the KT downriver), so we chose to bike opposing traffic on US 40 till you hit the county road. Wide turnout lane, so there were no problems.

There is no official detour at Davisdale, but we crossed US40 and rode with traffic for a little over a mile to County Road 440 for the trip into Rocheport. 440 is gravel and the last downhill is extremely steep - if you don't have disc brakes, opt for another mile on US 40 to County Road 240.

GRIPE HERE - I am sure the highway folks have those nifty electronic / solar signs for traffic announcements. Placing them between on 40 between Davisdale and 240 with a message alerting drivers to bicyclists would be a nice touch. Our host in Rocheport says the bridge at Davisdale is just a part of the problem. DNR Engineering has an ongoing argument over the potential of falling rock just upriver from the Rocheport tunnel. This section could be closed for a LONG time. C'mon, man. You are KILLING these river towns depending upon Trail traffic.

From Rocheport we got all the way to Easley / Cooper's Landing, but the trail got quite soft and we retreated up the MKT trail to Columbia for a shuttle to Hartsburg. You can get about 3 miles upriver from Hartsburg before the trail is blocked. Downriver to Jefferson City was fine, and the bridge access ramp was a hoot.

The "no detour" blockage west of Portland at MM 117-118 forces a ride to MO 94 on Schmidt (?) Road, okay gravel. There are two hills into Portland - the second one is a real groaner, even for bikers like us used to the hills of East Tennessee. We walked up the second. The right turn to the Portland TH is clearly marked.

The closure west of Case at MM 96.9-97.1 was clear when we passed, but they were doing work on the trail and I managed to puncture a tube on the big gravel there.

The closure at Treloar on the DNR website is new. Whatever you do, find your way to the Treloar Bar and Grille. Nice folks.

The detour upriver from Augusta is a breeze.

The detour between Augusta and Matson, through Klondike Park, is a bit more challenging. There are some washouts and a steep (85') climb on the upriver / west side of the detour that required walking the bikes. Once we got to the park roads and around what looks like an abandoned quarry, the biking was a bit slow, but quite managable.

From there to St. Charles was generally in good shape, with the exception that we could find no water hydrants from Klondike to St. Charles.

If you were considering a fall trek on the Katy, DO NOT CANCEL YOUR TRIP!! Generally speaking...with those two highway detours...the trail remains quite passable with tires 28MM or wider. Don't attempt road tires like the guy on the official map! The businesses along the route need your business, and they were consistently friendly despite having such a lousy season.

I have an upcoming ride from Clinton to St Charles and I have a question for you since you've recently ridden it. Hopefully you can help.

On the blocked trail between Easley/Coopers Landing and Hartsburg... I've read that this section is closed, but I've also read that people are making their way through that section. Getting conflicting information. Can you elaborate on that section? When you say "blocked" - do you mean that there are trail closure signs? Or is it blocked by debris and unrideable?

Also, I'm a little nervous about the Hwy 40 detour from Davisdale into Rocheport as I'm not comfortable riding on the highway. We will be going through that section midday during the week, so we are hoping the traffic won't be too bad. Did you have any issues on that section of highway? I've read the shoulder is small and the cars are zooming by pretty fast.

Thanks!

TO HP - We did not go downriver from Coopers Landing / Easley. The sand and silt was much too soft for our 28 / 32MM tires.

There was a fence up about 3 miles upriver from Hartsburg.

I've read people have snuck around and ridden / walked over the 4 - 5 miles that appear to be closed on the DNR website.

We're in our sixties, so we chose to go the legal route.

Good luck. It is an awesome ride!

Oops - second question. We were on 40 about 3 in the afternoon on a Sunday. Cars and trucks were courteous. We are road bikers and have LED lights that poke drivers in the eye pretty good, so taking on a little over a mile to 440 wasn't too stressful.

As I mentioned, if you don't have disc brakes, the last downhill on 440 would be SCARY. It's another 3/4 mile to 240, which is paved and much less hilly.

If you're spending the night in Rocheport, ask your host about picking you up in Davisdale. Might only cost you a few bucks.

Huge thank you!!! I appreciate it!

I looked at the detour to Rocheport on Fri. at 2:00 and there was a lot of traffic. I am pretty brave but it looked to dangerous for me. It's a narrow road with 60mph traffic. I agree, get a ride if you can.

The trail 3mi. up river, at gravel road to Cooper's is passable with a few short stints of walking your bike thru silty/rocky areas. The key is to ride the packed part of the trail which includes the grassy edge. There is an alternative route at the gravel road to avoid area into Wilton. Turn right and follow gravel road into Wilton. There are a couple hills and nice views above the river. Coming down the hill into Wilton you will cross a bridge, just past the bridge turn left onto the connector back to the trail. This next 1/4+ mi. section is the worst imo. Heavy silt, original railway rock bed, tree over trail easy to walk under. From here to 1/2 mi or so East of S.River rd. is not bad. The rest of the way into Easly is where you will run into deep silty areas. At Easly, to the right of trail(where there are two homes on left) there is a fresh gravel drive that takes you to main gravel road. Turn left on gravel road back to trail or follow gravel road to Coppers. Last week they were laying fresh gravel on road into Cooper's so could be pretty harsh. I'd take the trail. Just keep an eye out for numerous potholes. The above is about a 5.5 mi section. Depending on your skill level I. Would say it adds anywhere from 10 - 30 minuets to your ride.

This is SO helpful! We have a Sedalia to St. Charles trip planned, and are not experienced road riders. Sounds like we’ll walk a lot. We are planning to ride the MKT into Columbia for a night, then get shuttled to Hartsburg the next day. Does anyone have recommendations for a hotel near the MKT?

Bill and Bonnie - Who did you use to shuttle you from Columbia to Hartsburg?

Boonville to Rocheport has two separate problems. #1 is a washout of trail surface and railroad bed including a trail bridge at the point where old highway 40 crosses over the Katy Trail. This is a big problem and will probably require heavy equipment, etc. to repair. #2 is some kind of issue with the Katy Trail tunnel at Rocheport, not the Moniteau Creek bridge at the Katy Trail tunnel. We have not had success getting information about either of these problems from DNR. The problem at Hwy.40 and Katy Trail is obvious. Less obvious, in fact, not clear at all is what the problem might be at the Katy Trail tunnel. No information has been made available to us and this is concerning. We would like to know what the problems are and what plans are to fix these problems. September and October are the highest traffic months on the Katy Trail. Several of our businesses are dependent on Katy Trail traffic. These trail blockages are serious problems for Rocheport businesses and Katy Trail users. Information is needed for trip and business planning. Heads UP!, DNR Staff. What is going on? All of us want to know.

Thank you for info I have Portland to McKittrick and then will have covered to full length of the trail. am 74 years old and this is on my bucket list.I plan to finish this fall, not excited about the steep hills near Portland but I'm not to proud to walk along side my bike .

Hardcore Cyclists
Best Bike: any aggressive geometry bike (frame flimsy; <12 lbs)
Min Cost: $5000
Max Cost: $11,000
Unacceptable Bikes: any bike without drop bars at least 6 inches lower than saddle or with frame >12 lbs

Semi-hardcore Cyclist, >50 yr old
Best Bike: steel frame (touring, gravel, adventure, bike-packing)
Min Cost: $1000
Max Cost: $2500
Unacceptable Bikes: aluminum frame (mountain, trail, road, comfort

Novice (millennial or younger; not riding more than 5 miles)
Best Bike: any; has to look good (get a helmet, you’re going down)
Min Cost: rent; you’re only doing this to impress your new “special friend”
Max Cost: N/A
Unacceptable Bikes: cruiser (doesn’t look right)

Beginner (older millennial or old; not riding very far or often)
Best Bike: comfort; lifestyle; step-through, ‘flat foot’ (get trendy color)
Min Cost: $350
Max Cost: $850
Unacceptable Bikes: drop bar; tiny saddle

College Student
Best Bike: used
Min Cost: $50
Max Cost: $450 (if you get money from the folks)
Unacceptable Bikes: anything that looks good enough to steal when you get drunk and leave it locked up somewhere downtown with a flimsy little cable

Rich
Best Bike: titanium or carbon frame; looks good
Min Cost: $11,000
Max Cost: none
Unacceptable Bikes: anything <$11,000

Hopelessly Out of Shape; Environmentally Aware
Best Bike: electric
Min Cost: $1400
Max Cost: $17,500 (you’re replacing your car, after all)
Unacceptable Bikes: any non-electric

This is the perfect guide for Katy Trail bike selection. I think all the bases are covered. My personal favorite is your advice to students.

Looking for any updates on the new closure (8/26) just west of Treloar. We are headed through that section on Sunday and just curious what we have to look forward to. I have found alternate routes for all other "closed" sections of our trip.

Hi NEM from KS
Sorry can't help you with the west of Treloar question, but I am curious to know from you the latest on detours and ways around closed sections. There has been lots of very useful information on the forum - many thanks to all who post, but the latest from the ground would be really valuable.
We plan Sedalia to St Charles over six days starting 26 September.
Thanks in advance
Michael

I've been a big fan of bikekatytrail.com for many years. I now live in Pittsburgh and I know that Ray the webmaster had a very similar website for the Great Allegheny Passageway (GAP) trail. But I can't seem to get to it on my computer. Ray, are you out there? Are you still the webmaster for the GAP trail website? I had to take a few months off from biking but am getting out now and could really use the mileage charts. Thanks in advance. Cathy (formerly of Jefferson City, now from Pittsburgh).

Hi Cathy, the website you're thinking of is BikeCandO.com (bikeGAP.com will also get you there). It's a combined website for both the GAP and the C&O Canal Towpath, since those two trails link together nicely and can take you all the way from Pittsburgh to DC.

Good luck with your adventures on the GAP, and hopefully the C&O too!

Happy trails!

Thanks Ray! I am really enjoying the trails here. But I really miss the Katy Trail.

Cathy. Welcome to PA and some really great trails. Check out some of my favorites within 75 miles of steeler town. Panhandle, John Oliver Trail around Lake Wilhelm, Allegheny River Trail in Emlenton, Sandy Creek Trail in Franklin and Oil Creek Trail in Titusville. The GAP trail is off the chart great and scenic. Especially east of West Newton. Enjoy and keep the rubber side down

The hammock sites are ready for use. They are in a shady area, and there is space to set up a tent close by. The cost is $13.

This B&B is now permanently closed.

Sorry to hear that - I have removed that listing. Thanks for the heads-up.

The services listing for Pilot Grove does not have water listed. It DOES have a water fountain and spigot at the trailhead, just checked today! Any idea on how to get it added back?

Thank you for the heads-up. I have added water to the Pilot Grove Trailhead listing.

Happy trails!

My neighbor and I took the dogs and hiked Rocheport to see how the bridge was. Looks fine from the top, don't think my skinny ass would knock it over, must be something underneath. We walked the dogs, then drove the detour, 240 I was thinking it might be do-able, then got on to 40 and it was a definite no go, 2 lane hi way w/little shoulder, what shoulder there is has a rumble strip, and lots of traffic going 55/60 mph. I would feel much safer riding over the bridge than I would riding on 40.

Upriver of the tunnel is closed, so your plan is problematic!!

Is there water at the restrooms in medford?

Negative

Hi, all - folks on a St. Louis cycling forum have shared a Facebook post from a woman who found a silver-looking wedding band or ring on a bench near the trail access point to I-64 (which I believe is the Boone Bridge, to many folks) on Aug 20, 2019. If you know anything about it, search for Valerie Osborn Barr on Facebook and let her know. (I'd share the photo, but am not able to do so in this format.)

We have a shuttle booked from the Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles going to Pleasant Hill on Saturday, September 14 at 8 a.m. We have space for one or two more riders - one additional rider would make the price $105 each, two would be $80 each. If interested, respond to this posting and I will send you contact information.