Beautiful trail with great access and not crowded in early May. Many birds (including a turkey.) Rent bikes right on the trail in St Charles from the Bike Stop Cafe. read more

For my thousandth review, I had to pick somewhere special and to me, there's nowhere more special in the state of Missouri than the Katy Trail. My friend and I rode this trail in its entirety; just over 240 total miles of trail spanning Clinton, MO to Machens, MO east to west, and the three and a half days out here were paradise. The trees recently bloomed (mid-May) and formed a shaded tunnel for several miles along the ride. Aside from the occasional rural highway to cross, you'll ride free of cars in peace on this classic rails-to-trail state park. I don't know if it's the constant endorphins from riding, the unique sights and smells of nature, or just the unknown adventure of heading across the state by bike, but this equated to one of my favorite trips I've ever taken in my life. For the next trip, we're taking Amtrak straight to Sedalia so we don't have to get dropped off, plus, who doesn't love traveling by train? I want to break it down day by day below, as well as shout out to some great local spots that we found along the way. But first, trail details if you're planning a trip: It's crushed limestone, which can be dry and dusty some years, or a bit sloshy during others. I have a road bike but opted to take a cross bike for this one with 35 mm tires. While the trail packs down very well and is ridable from nearly any bike, I highly recommend at least 30 mm or wider tires. No need for mountain bike tires, but at least something wide enough to be more comfortable as you log miles. Day 1: We were dropped off at Clinton and had a destination of Boonville; all told it was around 78 miles with a break halfway in Sedalia. The Clinton stretch is a bit boring compared to the rest, with looser gravel and not a ton of scenery. Sedalia was a nice change of pace and we broke from the trail to find Kehde's BBQ in an old MKT train car, along with Ozark Coffee which is by far the best cup of coffee in Sedalia. There's a stretch after Sedalia with no trailheads, no water, no nothing, so plan accordingly. We finished our first day by staying in the historic Hotel Frederick in Boonville, ready to set out and get river views for day 2. Day 2: By far the most epic day. The bluffs as you approach Rocheport are towering and unlike most of Missouri's somewhat limited scenery. The Rocheport tunnel is amazing and you've got to get a photo there, and then shortly after you'll find Meriweather Cafe... the best spot along our trip. Not too far after that is the landing with music, Thai food (Chim's) and scenery. We dodged some thunderstorms in mid-May, but were able to get into our hotel at Jeff City right before the skies opened up. Day 3: Jeff City is not my fav, so we waited out storms and headed through a workmanlike, dodgy part of the trail. It got better as we got further away from Jeff City, and the sun popped out and the trail met the river again. Scenery slowly changes as you approach Hermann, MO, famous for all their wineries and festivals. Crashed at an AirBNB in the middle of nowhere that night, and got up before the sun to finish the trail on the final day. Day 4: My friend and I were up and out by 5:45 a.m. so we could make our train back to KC. Beautiful early morning ride through the country, then into Weldon Spring and a nature preserve just outside St. Louis. This was a beautiful stretch, but it starts to feel more suburban the closer in you get which feels weird after nothing but nature. We made it to St. Charles, took photos with the Lewis & Clark statues, and crushed some food at Bike Stop Cafe. All that was left is a somewhat odd 13 miles of loose track out to Machens, a total map dot. Not sure why the trail goes here, but we had to finish it all so we did it just this once. It would be a much more natural ending, or beginning, to situate in St. Charles as there are tons of places to stay and eat, plus a classic river landing. We got picked up from a scheduled shuttle with Bike Stop Cafe and they took us out to the Kirkwood Amtrak, about 45 minutes away for $80. We hopped aboard the train (only an extra $10 per person for bikes, but they can only accommodate 4 per train so make reservations) and took it back to Union Station back home in KC. This place is a win-win-win: A major win for cyclists/hikers/nature enthusiasts, a win for cars who hate cyclists on the road (c'mon man), and a win for Missouri as it showcases the longest rails-to-trails conversion in the entire US. They take good care of it overall, but I'd love to see some more water stops along the way as you really need to ration it at times. The Katy really is a special place, and whether you set out to do the whole thing, ride a day with friends to a winery/brewery, or take the fam to explore, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Typically when I take trips, I want to get AWAY from the state I live in, but having this one in my back yard makes for an unforgettable trip and one I'm hoping to make into an annual tradition. read more

We haved lived in the area for two years (Scott, AFB). People always talk about the Katy Trail. We finally went on Sunday, started at Green Bottoms trailhead and rode East towards Machen (26 miles out & back). The trail is nice enough, primarily flat, hard packed dirt, some small pea gravel, occasional sand. A hybrid with tires at least 32mm is probably best (what we were on after having done some reading about the trail surface). There are some nice views on that stretch. There is also no reliable water refill available so plan accordingly. It was not our favorite surface, we probably won't make the trip again. No knock on the resource, it is good,maybe just not a "destination" for us. My negative is the other riders. We encountered very few pleasant faces/smiles/acknowledgment. I am not expecting a party or anyone to stop and carry on a conversation, but the little nod or casual hand flick is much more common in other trails we have ridden. I was one of 3 brown people out of the 100 or so we saw during the day (I hope that wasn't the reason for our reception). I have to say that while I felt safe, I did not feel welcome. read more

See all

Love the Katy trail, it's an awesome trail for biking or running with facilities along the way. Great trail with some great views and small Missouri towns along the way read more

A beautiful walking/running/biking trail that is perfect for a long morning outing. Had the pleasure of walking this trail for nearly 4 miles and rarely ran into other patrons. The trail also has plenty of little outlets to get you closer to the water that make for a beautiful scene. A great place to spend with oneself or another! read more

See all

A 230 mile long trail is really long! But the Katy is even a few miles longer! This is the longest rail to trail conversion in the country and runs from Kansas City to just past St. Charles, Mo. Much of it travels along the banks of the Missouri River so it can be very scenic. We live right next to the trail and realize how cool it is every time I ride on it. Lots of wildlife can be seen and much of the trail by us is in a tree canopy. Where else is something this cool? The Katy is a Missouri State Park and you will need to be off at dusk, but there are lots of little towns to stay in along the way. I just ride locally. I am NOT what anyone would consider a cyclist, but on the Katy in an hour it is very easy to ride 8-9 miles in an hour. There are no cars to contend with. I normally go 4-5 Miles west, then come back. It is very relaxing and in a tree canopy, cool even on a hot day. Another favorite thing is to go to old St. Charles to a coffee shop. There are people who make the Katy a week long vacation, and some travel great distances just to get here. I remind myself not to take this for granted. Oh...how did it start? A very wealth man and his wife had a vision this would be cool. It was a St. Louis couple, Edward and Pat Jones. Edward, aka Ted, started Edward Jones the financial company. He gave $10 million to get it started and pushed the State. Yes, it's great to have wealth people around..they can do a lot of good and Ted and Pat make a lot of people happy starting this State Park. read more

See all

Rode the Katy Trail today for the first time from St. Charles to Weldon Spring and back to St. Charles (28 miles round trip). I live in California and this has been on my bucket list for three years to experience the Katy Trail. It was a beautiful ride along the Missouri River. One of my highlights was seeing Cardinal birds flying about! They're too quick to snap a photo of however. Thank you Missouri for allowing me to enjoy such a great day on the Katy Trail :) read more

See all

Great peaceful trail. Time to enjoy nature, beautiful weather, thoughts, social distancing, and John Mayer music!! read more

Katy Trail - Hiking Near Me

Great trail system in the St. Louis area. I've biked parts of the trail twice & it's a terrific outdoor activity while in St. Louis. The trail is dirt/gravel, so you might get a bit dusty. The tree canopy cools you off in the sections between Defiance and St. Charles. I've riden in July (start early to beat heat & humidity) and in late September (lovely). It's decidedly less scenic just west of St. Charles, but if you do take the trail as far as St. Charles, it's a quaint little town to enjoy! read more

See all

We finally explored the Katy Trail yesterday and it was awesome! I highly recommend it if you like biking, or even jogging/walking. We started from the Greens Bottom parking lot and biked 20 miles to Augusta, had lunch, then biked the 20 miles back to our car. The whole trail was quite peaceful with a canopy of trees above us most of the time, sporadic views of the Missouri River, a few small bridges, and fun "historic landmark" placards describing the Lewis and Clark expedition. The website http://www.bikekatytrail.com/ has everything you ever need to know about housing (if you decide to stay at a bed and breakfast on the multiple stops of the Katy Trail), food, things to explore in each town, wineries, where to rent bikes, etc. We rode past Defiance where a ton of people were renting bikes to start the Katy Trail from there. The only thing I'd recommend is knowing your limits on how far you can bike! I'd personally never biked more than 15 miles at once, so 40 miles was a LOT for me and I was sore by Mile 25. Also, keep in mind the general rules of biking on a trail and passing other bikers or joggers (yell out "on your left" when passing). Bring lots of water/Gatorade. Katy Trail is definitely one of my new favorite things about Missouri with its beautiful quiet scenery! The trail is all gravel but it's packed down enough that the ride is pretty smooth and I didn't have any difficulty with loose gravel or anything. I loved that the whole trail is pretty flat and easy--not many hills at all. The bed and breakfast places book up pretty fast in the fall (pretty colors in the trees), so make plans ahead of time if you want to rest and sleep overnight before biking back to your car. read more

The Katy Trail is such a simple thing --- a path of packed gravel, a railroad track's width but a whole state's length. It meanders through towns, cities, countryside, wineries, an miles and miles of beautiful Missouri countryside. One of my favorite times on the Katy Trail was renting bicycles in Defiance, and riding down to Mattson. That area is right along the Missouri bottoms, and there were flat fields of row crops as far as the eye could see. The trail itself was flat and open, yet shaded with tall trees. There were many interesting rock formations along the way, and a nice cool breeze coming right down the trail. We had a nice cool drink in Mattson and then rode back. We passed people now and then along the trail, and nodded our greetings...and then made up stories about how they came to be there. We had a lot of laughs, and still managed to get exercise. When we were done, we knew that there was still a lot of Katy Trail waiting to explore -- and plenty of time to do it! read more

This is a great bike and walking trail. It is near many wineries and has great scenery. Here's a few tips; bring lots of water in the summer, for people who ride on the street often careful when turning. I was riding with someone and the where turning on the gravel and fell. My favorite winery out there is Defiance Ridge. Also the river views are stunning. I hope that you have a great time. read more

Love the Katy Trail and Frontier Park. I sometimes start my ride here and go to Creve Coure park and back. I really want to do the entire trail from here to Clinton but haven't worked up to that yet. Great Park and Trail. read more

Katy Trail - Hiking Near Me

See all

Scenic route that's easily accessible for all ages. Saw some beautiful animals the last time (owls, hawks, etc.) and it made the hike even more enjoyable! read more

It's a nice trail and parts go along the river front, it's pretty level so the gravel is the only challenge, great for kids and beginner riders, also great for walking read more

How could you give anything but five stars to the Katy Trail? It's just the perfect weekend recreation for St. Louis if you have a bike or don't mind springing for a rental. Okay, it's not the place to go if you want a challenge. The hills are, well, non-existent pretty much, which makes it a great ride for the whole family. Pick your spot to set out. We recently took off from Klondike Trail Head and rode down to Augusta and back. It's a short ride, and the Augusta Brewing Co. has a great patio area for you to enjoy a craft beer in the shade. On a previous visit, we headed west from Augusta and that was a fun ride, too. Lots of farmland. If you don't have a bike, it's very easy to find a rental spot, including one we used in Defiance and a new one on the Trail in Augusta. read more

I took my new bike out for its first real ride yesterday at the Katy Trail. I was really happy with the flat trail, as being new to riding, I am in need of a good flat ride to get my body used to the motions and work, adding elevation changes at this point are just exhausting to both me and my legs! Katy Trail has plenty of "jump in" points, seemingly every half a mile or so I was passing small lots or makeshift parking areas where people were stopping to take a hike or ride on the trail. If I had one disappointment it would be the smell. I rode a section of the trail that travels through the Old Town St. Charles area, and the further north I went, the stronger the smell got. I cannot say for sure what it was, but it reminded me of the smell from the steel mill in Granite City. It's not so much the smell that bothered me, as the way it kind of takes your breath away. When riding several miles, it's hard enough to regulate breathing, it's even harder when your breath is being zapped by an odor! Other than that, I cannot complain about the trail itself. I'm sure the odor is a by-product of one of the factories or shops around the area. It's just something to keep in mind when choosing which section of the trail to enjoy. read more

Great for biking or running. Think flat. Really flat. It can be beautiful though. The trail follows the Missouri river valley and the area is often beautiful. The trail goes most of the distance across Missouri, and people often bike from Kansas City to St. Charles or vice versa. For a fun day trip, you can rent bicycles in Defiance and ride to the wineries in Augusta (about 7 miles away) or go much further out and spend the night in Hermann. If you stop in Augusta, I recommend the Grouper sandwich at the Augusta Brewing Company (beer instead of wine - lord knows Missouri wine isn't great, but the beer is great). On nice days, expect the trail to be somewhat crowded with families. Most people take it easy on the trail, but you'll still find some serious athletes. read more

I've heard about the Katy trail for years, but had never even knew where it was. I'm always looking for new places to yelp about, so this past week I sought it out because everyone who ever bikes it seems to love it. I don't have a bike, so I just drove there, parked and was set to walk it. The scenery was nice, but I ended up going on a day when the allergens were high [when are they not, right?]. I have pretty severe allergies and so I didn't get very far - I walked about 45 minutes total. I was on it long enough to talk to some cyclists who thought that I was in trouble - I'm guessing because I was on foot and holding my nose with a tissue and both hands on my face - and they went on and on about how great it was. So, even though a lot of the city is flooding along the rivers, the Katy Trail is still a go - at least in the Weldon Spring and Jacobs area. If you don't have allergies you should check it out because I'm the only person I know who's had a less than spectacular time. read more

If you enjoy cycling or trails or the combination of the two, then the Katy Trail is what spring break is a college student as the Katy Trails is of cyclist. Starting here in the St. Louis area, the Katy Trail stretches across most of Missouri, but here the trail offers a lot to see. Biking along it you get to see the river and make your way into wine country, which, makes for a nice afternoon pit stop. Of course after riding your bicycle and drinking some wine you might not feel up to riding all the way back, so you could always have someone who is more athletically challenged or just doesn't feel like riding a bike meet you at the winery or you can ride back. read more

Can't say I am much of a fan of riding my bike on gravel. It has always been something that I struggled with more than enjoyed. However, I love this trail for all that it's worth. The trail is enormously long and you can either bike the flatter parts near old town St. Charles or really go for it and ride it all they way out to Herman. The scenery on this trail is amazing. You are biking along the Missouri River and the views are just gorgeous. If you are biking through wine country, it's very popular to stop along the wineries along the way. I must warn you, this seems like a better idea when you are doing it than when you have to bike back to your origin. I suggest parking a car at the end of your trail and then piling in that car with your bikes to get to the car at your point of origin (with a designated driver of course). It's great to bike or to walk, and if you don't own a bike, you can rent them easily from a store in Old Town St. Charles (or if you don't want to tear your bike up driving all the way there or on the gravel, this might be a good move anyway). Beautiful, historic, and a decent work out. Even though gravel eats up my tires, I love the Katy Trail. read more

Love the Katy Trail!!! Beautiful one on one dates with nature!! Running, walking, riding...and nearly everyone you meet along the way is super friendly! Definite must for anyone in the vicinity to check it out! read more

Katy Trail - The boys enjoying our evening walk! - Hiking Near Me

Awesome experience! We biked 20 miles on a day trip last week. Beautiful weather and fun stops along the way.

Very Scenic! Great for biking, walking, jogging, or hiking! Passes through many parks and stops and is very level but has many trails that branch off of it, that accommodate the hikers! Pack a picnic basket and stop for a picnic or take a water bottle for a nice workout! Great for all activities! read more

The Katy Trail is a really fun place to take your family for a good day out and family time. I love going there and riding my bike with my family or just going on a walk. There are some places where you can rent bikes and go on bike rides with the two seater bikes.This is also a great place to go on a fun date! It is a really fun place and it goes on forever! read more