Back in mid May we did a trip on the Katy Trail in Missouri starting in Clinton and ending in St Charles. We used the Bike Stop Cafe in St Charles to shuttle us up to Clinton. The trip was 5 days of riding for the 230-ish miles with 4 nights camping along the route. Our 4 campsites were; the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Katy Roundhouse campground near Boonville, River’s Edge campground near Portland, and Klondike Park near Augusta. We started on Friday morning at noon, after our shuttle from St Charles, and got back to our vehicles on Tuesday mid morning after daily mileage of 40, 43, 74, 53, and 26 over the 5 days of riding.
Overall, we were pleased with the trail, it was flat, well packed, and easy riding. The trees lining much of the route kept temperatures down to tolerable levels on the hot days. The campsites all worked out great too – we didn’t have reservations and we’re pleased to find places to stay.
I never carried more than about 2 liters of water and never ran dry. There are frequent trailheads with information kiosks along the route and many of them had water and restrooms. Susan and I carried enough food for the trip and our buddy Mike resupplied at the Loutre Market in McKittrick. The store was well stocked and easy access from the trail. With a little riding off the trail, we could have resupplied in multiple places along the trail.
We did stop for midday ice cream at a few of the towns along the way and had an awesome fried chicken lunch at the Claysville Store – people were telling us about this place well before we got there and it was worth the build up. Also, there was a little dive bar, Holzhauser’s, close to the River’s Edge campground, where we picked up a couple cold beers, Fat Tire from New Belgium, that were so, so nice after our 74 mile day!
All in all, it was a wonderful trip and we met many friendly people over the 5 days. A bit of a drive out from Colorado but well worth it.
by Mountain_Nerd