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At 239 miles long, Katy Trail State Park spans nearly the full width of Missouri and is the country’s longest continuous rail-trail, intersecting with rural farmland, scenic small towns, and centers of commerce and government on its route paralleling the Missouri River. Along the way, it invites its walkers, runners, and riders on a journey to explore the history of the state.
About the Route
The Katy Trail uses the old railroad mileage system with mile marker 0 located at the railroad's old genesis in St. Louis. The easternmost terminus of the trail is located at mile market 26.9 but the first official trailhead is located at mile marker 29. There is also ample trail access located at mile marker 39.5 in the historic town of St. Charles, where the trail threads between the state’s first capitol building and a restored depot building. Trail users can take advantage of trailside businesses here, including a bike shop, café, brewery, and several historical B&Bs.
The trail continues along the riverbank to mile marker 66.3 in Augusta, which features a brewery and a bike shop right next to the trail, as well as several scenic wineries and B&Bs just up the hill. It continues on through fertile floodplains to Dutzow (mile marker 74) and McKittrick (mile marker 100.8), both of which provide jumping-off points to catch the Amtrak Missouri River Runner train across the river in Washington and Hermann, respectively. With advance reservations, cyclists can bring their bikes aboard for a $10 fee. Equestrians can ride horses on this stretch between Portland (mile marker 115.9) and Tebbetts (mile marker 131.2).
As the Katy Trail carries on toward Rocheport (mile marker 178.3), trail users pass towering bluffs carved by the Missouri River and approach the trail’s only tunnel, cut through solid rock. During their famous Corps of Discovery expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark wrote about “curious paintings” left by Native Americans on the projection of limestone here.
In Boonville (mile marker 191.8), riders may wish to check on the restoration progress of the original MKT rail bridge. Although Katy Trail traffic currently routes over the adjacent US 40 bridge, the preservation of the original MKT rail bridge serves a critical role in keeping the Katy Trail’s railbanked corridor legally intact. At this point, the trail crosses and deviates from the Missouri River to head southwest toward Sedalia (mile marker 229), home to a fully restored trailside depot that offers a wide range of Katy Trail memorabilia for sale.
Equestrians can ride between Sedalia and Clinton (mile marker 264.6), the western terminus of the Katy Trail, as well as a section in the middle between Portland and Tebbetts.
Connections
In Creve Couer, the Katy Trail intersects with the Creve Couer Park Trails.
In Weldon Spring, trail users can connect to the Busch Greenway.
In Cedar City, trail users can cross the Missouri River into the capital, on the Katy Trail Spur (Jefferson City).
In McBaine, the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail leaves off from the Katy Trail.
In Windsor, trails users can take the Rock Island Spur of the Katy State Park Trail.
The Katy Trail State Park Trail runs between Machens Rd. (St. Charles) and 601 E Sedalia Ave (Clinton).
Parking is available at:
Parking is available at numerous points along the trail route. See TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Love riding the Katy, can't wait to do it again.
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
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......
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