Katy Trail State Park
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Katy_Trail_in_Saint_Charles.jpg
Bikers on the trail near Saint Charles
Katy Trail State Park is a state park in Missouri. It consists of the former rail right-of-way of the Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad, also known as the MKT or Katy Line, converted into a recreation trail. It runs 225 miles from Saint Charles, Missouri, to Clinton. The eastern two-thirds follows the northern shore of the Missouri River.
The trail is open for use by hikers, joggers, and cyclists year-round, from sunrise to sunset.
General information
The trail is made up of "pug", a crushed limestone surface. In general this surface is hard and flat, but there may be washouts after a heavy rain.
Details
The Katy Trail is anchored on the east by St. Charles, where it runs alongside scenic parks commemorating the city's role in the United States's westward expansion. From there one can take a side trip on the Route 370 bridge over the Mississippi into St. Louis County. The trail uses the historic MKT miles; as of 2004, the trail begins at mile 39.
Going west, the first trailhead is Greens Bottom Road at marker 46. There are parking and restrooms. The trail here follows the two-lane Greens Bottom Road, which borders open farmland until the woods around mile 50. Here the train line was carved out of natural rock to the south.
The next trailhead is Weldon Springs at 56. There are parking and restrooms here. The next major stop is the city of Defiance at mile 59. At this trailhead, there is a bike rental shop and a bar.
External links
- Katy Trail maps, events, businesses, services, and more (http://www.bikekatytrail.com/)
- Official Missouri State Park guide to the Katy. (http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/index.html)
- The Interactive Katy Trail. (http://katytrail.showmestate.com/)
- Rocheport's useful site about the trail. (http://www.rocheport.com/katy_trail.htm)