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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!!
I've been looking at riding the entirety of the KATY for a few years as a milestone ride for myself. I was able to check this off of my bucket list over the Labor Day week of 2024. Given the length of the KATY Missouri does an outstanding job keeping it in such good condition despite the Missouri River posing a flood risk. There were two very small closures along the entire trail that were well marked and required a very short on road detour to bypass. I completed the trail in five days of riding.
I utilized a shuttle service at Bike Stop Café in St. Charles to take me to the Western Terminus at Clinton. I highly recommend Bike Stop Café as you can leave your car there during your ride and the owners are great people! Riding from Clinton to Booneville is definitely the hardest part as there are long sections of rolling hills that are barely perceptible to the eye but you will feel them as you have to pedal harder. Sedalia provides a good option to stay the night with many places to eat and sleep. I also stayed in Rocheport, Hermann and St. Charles all of which provided many dining options and were beautiful places to stay.
I completed the trail on a gravel bike and only had one flat during the entire ride. Most people along the trail were very friendly and the sense of community you have in riding such a trail is really felt over the course of many days. During the few times the trail is in an urban area it is extremely well marked and almost impossible to loose. Any time there were even slight washouts or rough trail the areas were well marked.
The KATY is not the most breathtakingly scenic trail I have ever ridden but its combination of length, multiple towns along the way and its great overall condition earns its place in the Rail Trail Hall of Fame
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.
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.
Has hills Nice views with cool bridges one of are first we did will try again when get better at bicycle
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.
We live 10 miles from the Clinton trailhead as such we ride it often. We have risen rails to trails in many states. Shot of being concrete one of the best. Crushed limestone is the next best and they do a fr job of maintenance. Come to Missouri and enjoy a great trail
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