Katy Trail, MO

Overview
This trail stretches almost 240 miles in length, going from Machens to Clinton. It is part of a nationwide effort to convert unused train tracks to trails through the Rails to Trails Conservancy. For most of its length, it parallels the Missouri River and passes through a variety of landscapes including: dense forests, farmlands, deep valleys, towering bluffs, wetlands, and remnant prairies. The trail is very flat being composed primarily of crushed limestone. It passes through numerous towns and communities along the way, having 26 trailheads with differing degrees of amenities. The trail is very well signed and has info boards along the way describing the history of the area and the impact the railroad and/or the Missouri River had upon the area. The trail has a marker every mile and there are maps along the way that shows the distances from one destination to another.


With its smooth surface, the Katy Trail is very popular with bicyclists. The trail is also open to hikers, runners, electric vehicles, and in restricted areas horses. Water is available at many of the trailheads, but the fountains and flow toilets are shut off from November 1st to March 31st. There are many towns along the way where refreshments can be purchased.History
This trail first came into existence in the 1860s when the Union Pacific Railway created a route that eventually had connections going from Chicago to numerous Texas cities. In the 1890’s it was commonly referred to as the K-T (Kansas to Texas). This was seen in the abbreviations of time tables and also as the symbol on the stock market. The K-T eventually became known as “The Katy”. Over the years the railroad experienced occasional flooding which led to costly rebuilds and improvements. Then in 1986, a major flood caused the railway to reroute their track to a line further to the west. In 1987, through a generous donation by Edward D. “Ted” Jones, a large portion of the right-of-way was purchased and given to the Rail to Trail Conservancy. In 1987, near Rocheport, the first part of the Katy Trail was opened. Gradually, other sections of the right-of-way were acquired, the latest being in 2011 when the segment between St. Charles and Machens was added. With this addition the Katy Trail grew to 240 miles in length, getting the designation of being the longest contiguous rail-to-trail in the country.

Note
This is just a generic description of the overall trail in general. The trail is so long that it should be broken down and described in segments, like the Arizona Trail. Ideally, people will do bite-sized sections and do a detailed description of those segments that will provide an engaging and comprehensive view.

2024-09-06 mt98dew