My wife has given me an anniversary gift of planning a Katy Trail ride. This will be our first bikepacking trip. We will be credit card camping. The plan was originally an out and back: just me, my wife and 480 miles of trail. Things changed and now we are taking our 24yr old son. We are working on his fitness, and hope he can make the 480 miles. The plan is ~50 miles a day for 10 days.
Sounds like a great trip. I have done half the trail with my wife years ago, staying in bed and breakfast places. Then covered the whole trail in a day last fall with some friends. It is a lot of fun. 50 miles on the KT isn't really too bad, even for a beginner. My only suggestion is to contact and verify that they are open/in business any refuel stops or planned camping spots ahead of time. These businesses unfortunately seem to come and go, especially this past year. And some are closed on certain days of the week. Hope you have a great time!
10 days is a long time for a first trip. Why don’t you consider a 3-4 day trip between Sedalia and Hermann, riding Amtrak back to where you started. Be sure to take side trips into Columbia and Jeff City.
ArkyKenny wrote:10 days is a long time for a first trip. Why don’t you consider a 3-4 day trip between Sedalia and Hermann, riding Amtrak back to where you started. Be sure to take side trips into Columbia and Jeff City.
I second the Amtrak and just ride 1-way. I'm hoping to ride the Katy this summer myself.
We have re-evaluated the trip distance after riding 30 miles of gravel with our son. We decided to only ride the trail one way because of the lower speeds (10~12mph) we'll need to ride at, as dropping the kid just doesn't feel right. 😉 The plan is a one way and a shuttle back. We will then head on to Kentucky to hit the Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail, then visit our oldest son in Louisville and ride the Louisville Loop. It'll be a cool cycling adventure.
