Explore the best rated trails in Rolla, MO, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Katy Trail State Park and Jefferson City Greenway Trail . With more than 4 trails covering 255 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Rode from Frog Hollow hiking trail parking lot W. Nice paved trail, but needs better signage. Also dangerous road crossings especially by the two schools alongside the trail. Tried heading E, first took paved trail along creek and ended up near High School. Returned to parking lot, then had to cross busy 6 lane road (painted crosswalks and signs to yield to cyclists) but cars weren’t slowing down. The next crossing was a busy highway with too much traffic due to rush hour. We turned around and went back to our vehicle and left.
Rode the trail the first week in October! Perfect weather, beautiful tree tunneled trails most of the way. Don’t have any more to add than has already been said. Only improvement would be more guaranteed water at the depot stops. Good job Missouri and Thank you!!
Rode from Sedalia to Hermann. Nice trail, mostly shaded. Most scenic section is around Rocheport. Sedalia to Boonville section has a slight elevation and goes on for a few miles. Most towns along the trail are small and there aren't many services (water, restrooms, etc.). Enjoyed riding the trail (marked it off my bucket list), but at times it became a little boring seeing nothing but trees and rocks. Like I said, it is very scenic, but 130 miles of the same scenery......
I rode the Katy trail from Clinton to St Charles in 5 days . I started before Mother’s Day and completed the ride after. What a lovely gift to myself. The trail is well maintained, easy to follow, and I always felt safe riding alone. The towns on the trail are very accepting of bicyclist . Make sure to refill your water bottles every chance you have, especially towards the end when closer to St Charles there are fewer fountains. I look forward to riding this again !
Sure the Katy Trail is very long with some scenic parts but it is no GAP/C&O Canal Towpath. I rode every mile as part of my Astoria to Pittsburgh cross-country ride. Clinton to Boonville had interesting ups and downs but the surface needs a resurface all too much of the way, especially on slopes. Seems they use a different crushed limestone than they do in the east and it just doesn't compact as well. If you ride Boonville to Jefferson City, you've seen the best part. Jeff City to the eastern end is just more of the same for another 150 miles. Access to services was a problem, especially in the east although a do strongly recommend staying at Joey's Birdhouse in McKittrick. If you play the internet right, you can get a cheap room at the plush casino hotel in Boonville.
The Acorn Trail is not what I would call a trail, but more of a sidewalk route around Rolla. Even though there are sections of the trail that are wide and nice for biking, much of the trail has hazards such as cracks, curbs, fire hydrants, and uneven pavement. The only off road portion through Southview Park is about two miles in length. The rest is of the route is on sidewalks that are often narrow. From the signage, it appears that the city of Rolla is slowly adding to the Acorn Trail
In my opinion this is really one of the benchmarks that other trails in the Midwest and nation should look towards when designing their own trails. Not everything on the KATY trail is perfect but when you combine the length of the trail with the services and available activities it is really hard to beat a few days riding the KATY trail. Not many trails in the nation are able to provide an experience like the KATY.
Monitor trail closures / conditions ahead of time and be sure to plan for gaps in water. You get spoiled thinking all trailheads will have water but some do not.
Did the entire length in October 2013 and are planning to go again soon.
We took the week and rode the whole thing. So much fun and very rewarding. There are a few places with ruts from rain and wear on the trail but plenty of crews out doing improvements and they are fairly well marked. Can’t wait to do it again.
I rode from Frontier park in St Charles to Defiance and back and thoroughly enjoyed the Katy trail. The trail was well maintained overall with a few spots of looser gravel around construction near St Charles. The rest of the trail was hard packed and a great surface for riding. Had lunch at the Defiance Ridge Winery not far off the trail. There is a sign on the trail pointing you in the right direction. They had great food with lots of variety. Enjoyed the peacefulness of the trail and the glimpses of the Missouri River. There were quite a few people out on the trail on a Friday morning and early afternoon.
Rode 15 miles east from Rocheport and then back for a total of 30 miles in Sept 2022. Weekday ride with a few other riders around. Trail is in great shape and very much worth the trip. Surprisingly my wife saw 5 snakes and I saw 1 along our out and back. All were small and hopefully harmless (we didn't stick around to find out).
Lunch at the Meriwether Cafe was nice for us too. All in all that section of the Katy Trail was worth the visit. We are east coasters and targeted this trail for our vacation.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!