Ride Across Missouri (Rock Island Trail and Katy Trail)

The Katy Trail is an almost-always mentioned top 10 biking trail, very similar to the GAP and C&O Canal experience but without the elevation gain. Most people recommend traveling West to East, which is what I did.

Palatine to Chicago and then Kansas City

Day 0: 1 mile, 200 feet of elevation gain. I rode from home to my local METRA train station and boarded the train for downtown. This was the first time I took my bike on this train. Boarding with fully loaded panniers was challenging, but one of the other passengers helped guide the front wheel and I was able to get on. There are no bike racks, but they will let you put your bike in the priority seating area. It's important to have a bungee cord with you to strap the bike to the seats so it doesn't fall over.

Once I arrived in Chicago I had extra time. So I rode down to the lakefront and had lunch in front of the Field Museum looking out at Navy Pier. Then I headed back to Union Station for the trip to Kansas City.

This was the first Amtrak bike trip I've been on where the baggage car was not behind the engine. In this case it was the last car and at ground / boarding level. I rolled my bike on and had to lay it on its side beside the checked baggage. It worked, but I would have preferred the bike rack configuration I've had on other trips.

The ride to Kansas City was uneventful and we arrived essentially on time. I chose to stay at the Fairfield Inn, about a mile south from the train station up Main Street. The neighborhood seems fine. I saw no people and only a couple of cars during the uphill journey. For anyone making the trip this summer, be aware that Main Street is under construction and you have to watch carefully as to which side of the street has an intact bike path. Also watch for the streetcar rails embedded in the street.

Kansas City to Windsor

Day 1: 88 miles, 1,500 feet of elevation gain. I have this thing about crossing states border-to-border. So, rather than heading east, I went west for about two miles, rolled across the state line into Kansas, and then headed southeast toward the bike paths and Windsor. For anyone else who wants to do this, be aware that the state line is downhill and you get to come back up again to go east. One other thing to watch for. Google Maps shows a more direct route and less elevation than RideWithGPS. I didn't notice the difference beforehand and had more distance and more elevation than I was expecting.

There had been a lot of rain in Kansas City recently. Some of the trail along the Brush Creek was too muddy to follow and required brief detours. There was also a narrow bridge along the way with the entrance covered in poison ivy. There was just enough room for me to get by in mid May. Later in the summer this might be more challenging.

Just after you hit the Rock Island Trail there is a Chamber of Commerce building on the left and a Kay-Bee market across and behind on the right. This is an excellent place for a rest stop and water fill before heading down the Rock Island Trail. Also note that the Rock Island Trail is not contiguous. There is a section where you have to take side roads.

In Pleasant Hill I stopped at the Big Creek Cafe. The food and service were good and they had pie available for dessert. After that, it's either 28 miles to Chilhowee or 48 miles to Windsor. I really wanted to stop in Chilhowee for the evening but they have no services other than camping in the city park. So I rode on to Windsor. The trail between Chilhowee and Windsor was soaked. Parts of it were like riding through wet sand, significantly increasing effort required. Hopefully, the trail is better when it dries out.

Once arriving in Windsor, I went to Farrington City Park. I paid for camping online but checked in at the office. The office is at the south end of the lake. Camping itself is across the street from the north end by the pavilion. The field was soaked but the pavilion and the trailer spaces were all open, so I took some grass beside one of those. Then I went up to Sonic to get dinner.

There was one other biker at the park, John from New Zealand. He has done many bike trips but this is his first one in the United States. He said he brought way too much stuff and was trying to decide what to ship back to his family somewhere in the area (St. Louis, perhaps?). John was a delight to talk to and we spent quite a while talking about different bike trips we had been on. We turned in just after dark.

Unfortunately, it was not a restful evening. Just after the local bar closed, someone dropped their vehicle off in front of the pavilion and got picked up. They came back an hour later to retrieve their vehicle and drove off. Then I had a drunk guy almost fall over my tent in the middle of the night. Not easy to do based on where I was located, at least 15 feet from the road. He apologized and then propositioned me. As in, "Sorry man, unless your gay. If you're gay we could ..." I declined his offer, but he was persistent and I had to order him to go away. Two hours after that some drunk, drug-crazed or Tourettes Syndrome guy was walking down the trail screaming and swearing and waving his arms all over the place. He returned an hour after that, still screaming, going the other way. Farrington Park is a nice park, but the locals would cause me to choose something else if I came this way again.

Windsor to Pilot Grove

Day 2: 47 miles, 1,200 feet of elevation gain. The plan for today was to ride to New Franklin and stay at the Katy Roundhouse campground. I got up a bit later than I intended, but I ultimately thought I had enough sleep for the trip. I packed up, said goodbye to John and headed down the trail. The connection to the Katy Trail from the Rock Island Line is counter-intuitive. You actually turn southwest, even though you want to go northeast. The path leads up to the Windsor depot and then connects to the Katy Trail.

I stopped in Sedalia for lunch. This is a bit tricky. All of the restaurants are on 65, which is a fairly high speed four-lane highway. There is a safe way to get to Subway from the east. There is a less safe way to get there from the west. I came in from the west but found the safer path as I was leaving. I have to recommend going out of your way to take the safer approach, even though it adds some distance to the journey.

Somewhere along the way I realized that I had broken two spokes the day before. I didn't notice it at the time. I heard the noise but just thought something had hit the spokes. It hadn't. They were snapping at the elbow. Clearly defective materials. I rode as far as I could until the tire started rubbing the frame. Then I walked. It was five miles to Pilot Grove. There is a Casey's in Pilot Grove, so that was dinner.

Then I went to Pilot Grove City Park. It was a nice place to stay and you just call City Hall or the Police Department to let them know you will be there. However, I was fortunate that my stepmother lives in Columbia and she was willing to pick me up. So I spent the evening at her place instead.

Pilot Grove to Columbia

Day 3: 44 miles, 500 feet of elevation gain. We started our day by taking the back wheel to Walt's Bike Shop in Columbia. They were very busy with repairs but made mine a priority so I could get back on trail. We learned that you have to remove the sprocket to replace spokes and the sprocket lock doesn't cooperate when trying to put it back on. It took two people (three or four hands) to get the job done. Definitely not a field repair. Anyway, about an hour later, I was good to go. My stepmother was kind enough to take me back to Pilot Grove so I could complete the full Missouri crossing.

This is a unique year in entomology. Every 221 years the 13-year cicadas and the 17-year cicadas emerge together. 2024 is one of those overlapping years. The actual overlapping area this year is in central Illinois, but the timing of this trip happened to coincide with the emergence of the Missouri brood. I don't recall seeing or hearing them the first two days, but they were definitely present today with shells hanging all over the trail buildings. In tree-lined sections of the trail the cicadas were quite loud, at least in the afternoons after they warmed up. They weren't as noticeable in other sections or at other times. 

Some sections of the trail make a big deal out of highlighting the trail and encouraging stops at local businesses. Other sections seem less interested in encouraging trail stops and prefer that you keep moving. This old bike was one of several I saw along the trail in this section.

It's a quick ride from Pilot Grove to Boonville. If you continue straight on the old trail about a quarter mile, you can go about a third of the way out on the old train bridge and take photos of the Missouri River in each direction. You can't cross the river here, but I think the view is worth the brief detour.

Then I went back toward town and down to the convenience store to get some juice and Snickers bars. I found water to be plentiful at almost all of the depot stops along the trail in the western part of the state and most also have some type of restroom or outhouse facilities. The trip up and out of Boonville across the bridge is well-marked, but it's probably worth looking at on a map before you do it just to be sure. At the bottom of the bridge is a sharp left turn and then a brief ride along a side road before connecting to the trail again.

There's a tunnel just before Rocheport that is definitely a photo opportunity. Unfortunately, on this trip there were people on the far side of the tunnel who just kept staring at me waiting for me to get out of their picture. Of course, I was doing the same. So I went on because I knew I had a shot from last summer when I did this part of the Katy Trail. So the picture on the right is of the tunnel but not from this trip.

Just after the tunnel is the town of Rocheport. There's a really good stop here at the Meriwether Cafe. I didn't stop this time, but I have enjoyed meals there in the past.

The rest of the trail toward Easley is very nice. Some of it is along the river. Much of it goes through Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. If you are stopping in Columbia, you can turn left at Hindman Junction. It's a nice ride into town and there are excellent food choices if you want a fancier dinner. If you're looking for more of a trail experience, continue on down to Cooper's Landing. I haven't camped there, but the sites are beautiful and there's always a band playing in the evenings when I've been there. They have a wide selection of food and beverages available.

Columbia to Marthasville

Day 4: 89 miles, 200 feet of elevation gain. This was probably the best day of the trip, weather-wise. A bit warm, but otherwise beautiful. I saw the view on the right as the dew was lifting. It's about two hours to Jefferson City. I didn't go into the city on this trip, but it's a very interesting ride up and over the bridge and certainly worth the experience if you have time. 

I did stop at the depot and talked with a couple that drove up to check out the trail. They had done a good bit of tandem biking in the past and were at the point where they either wanted to get back into it or sell the bike. I told them about this section of the trail and the almost completely flat nature of this part. They seemed encouraged as they continued their car trip further south.

The best meal of the trip was in Tebbetts, ordered through Happy Trails Katy-ring and provided by Rachel. Just text Rachel and let her know when you'll be in Tebbetts. She brings a meal down to you at the Turner Shelter. Rachel stayed and talked with me for probably 15 minutes, each of us sharing what we do and the different adventures we're on. If you're traveling through this area, contact Rachel.

Before leaving Tebbetts, be sure to "camel up" and fill up extra water as well. For some reason, the eastern part of the state doesn't believe that trail users need water. If you carry a filter, there are a couple of places along the way where there is a boat ramp into the river and you can get water quite easily. I did that on several occasions. But if I hadn't had the filter, it would have been a long, dry trip.

I met several other bikers along this section. There was a pair of older riders. They were changing a tube as I pulled up. We talked for quite awhile and I was going to ride along with them when they realized the new tube wasn't holding air. They still had another tube with them, so I continued on. I did see them again just as I was leaving Hermann.

There were also two younger fathers making the trip across the state from Kansas City. Their families were meeting them in Portage Des Sioux the next day and then continuing on to St. Louis for the weekend. We kept leapfrogging each other along the trail between riding and trail stops. One of the stops was a small grocery store just north of Hermann. If you don't want to go all the way into Hermann, you can stop here for a wide variety of grocery store and some prepared food options. 

It's another 24 miles to Marthasville, but I was both feeling good and anxious to get back on track after two short days due to mechanical issues. So I continued on. I don't recall anything remarkable about this section of the trail, other than it's very pretty and there's no water other than river water.

When you get to Marthasville, you can camp in Marthasville Ball Park. It's $5 and you pay at the concession stand. There are showers available. This was a Friday evening and there were multiple games going on all fields. Most people online mention staying in the pavilion behind the concession stand. However, you can also stay out in the field beyond the outfield. That's what I did. It's much quieter out there.

While there, I also visited Cori's Twin Gables restaurant and bar. The food and beer were both good and I ended up sitting beside the owner and her husband. She was fairly busy directing staff but her husband and I had a delightful conversation about the work they do in the community. I returned to my tent after sunset but just before the final games of the evening ended. Then they turned out the lights and I had a good night's sleep.

Marthasville to Grafton (Pere Marquette State Park)

Day 5: 68 miles, 1,000 feet of elevation gain. I had washed my clothes and put them on the fence to dry. Unfortunately, there was too much dew and everything was still wet when I woke up. So I switched to my backup set and put the short-sleeve jersey on the back of the bike to dry. It was another beautiful morning on the trail.

An hour or so into the trip I came upon a downed tree. It was a big tree and the crown of the tree was completely blocking the path. When I arrived at the tree I was alone, but there were enough people on trail that others came along while I was cutting some branches and ivy back. We started a bike brigade. With three people positioned inside the tree and one on each end, we were able to pass bikes back and forth and get everyone through.

I had intended to stop at the brewery in Defiance, but it didn't open until 11 a.m. and I didn't want to wait. So I moved on. Again, be sure to carry extra water for this part of the trip. I did stop in St. Charles. There's a Chicken N Pickle right off the trail. It was convenient and the chicken was very good. After that I continued on toward Machens.

There are some very pretty views north of St. Charles just before you leave the river. I wanted to stop longer, but the mosquitos were persistent in encouraging me to move on.

Every once in awhile you find something along the trail that just cracks you up. I'm not sure what it was about where I was in my journey or the appearance of the sign, but this was just one of those, "Oh, now that's a warning!" signs. Bike down, biker flying. I just stopped and laughed for quite a while and then took the picture. I guess the best description would be that having a screw loose gives one a different perspective.

After that, it's not too far to Machens. Something very important to know about this part of the trail is that the end of the trail is at mile 27, not mile 0. I started the day at mile 78 or so and was worried it was going to be another very long day. Somewhere along the way I started looking at "distance to" rather than what mile marker was I by and found myself in a time / distance warp. It was a pleasant surprise to not have an extra 27 miles to go.

When I arrived at Machens there were a couple of other bikers as well, taking pictures. I rang the bell and took a good Katy Trail / Machens picture to commemorate the journey. Then I continued on to Portage Des Sioux.

There is a nice little community park in Portage Des Sioux with a bathroom and water. There's also a decent bar, Froge's. I stopped for a beer to celebrate. Then I continued west to the Grafton Ferry.

There was about a 20 minute wait for the ferry. Bikes pull up and get on first as well as get off first so they can get out of the way.

There's very little elevation gain on the trail itself. Almost all of the gain today was after leaving the trail and traveling between Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park. It turns out that Grafton, IL is a big party town / drinking destination. There's bar after bar along the river and lots and lots of cars. Practically speaking, Route 100 isn't safe on a Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, there is a bike trail along the cliffs leaving town, which isn't fully displayed on Google Maps. Unfortunately, it is very much in the cliffs rather than simply along the cliffs, so there's a good bit of up and down getting there.

Arrival at the park was fairly uneventful. Unfortunately, I arrived after the visitor's center closed. There was no signage directing me where to go and no one would answer the phone. The lodge knew nothing about the campground. Another camper ultimately directed me to the camp host (again, no obvious signage when you arrive). So, 45+ minutes later, I was finally in my cabin and able to relax for the evening.

Across from me was a young family car camping. They had five children, but only the three-year-old was with them for this trip. They were moving to Hawaii the following week and this was their last chance to camp in the area. They invited me over for dinner and we ate together and talked about their travels and mine.

After that, I turned in, but it wasn't to last. I got either food poisoning or some type of stomach flu along the way. I was sick all night and a good bit of the next morning. I ended up too weak to ride. I was ultimately able to push my bike back up to the lodge, checked into a quiet room, and slept off and on for about 16 hours.

Epilogue

Five days and 337 miles. There was a lot of wildlife on the trip. I didn't mention it before but I saw many turtles, frogs, toads, black snakes, rabbits, squirrels, a wild turkey, several deer, a vulture walking / hopping along the trail, many other vultures nearby and overhead, ground hogs, three feral cats, and got chased by one dog leaving the Kansas City area. 

The Katy Trail is a nice ride. The Rock Island Trail is probably good when it is dry. When it is wet, parts of it require a lot of effort. Coming out of Kansas City and getting to the Rock Island Trail surprised me in terms of how hilly it was. Other parts of the trail surprised me in how flat they were (200 feet in 89 miles!). In terms of rides overall, I think my favorite is still the ride across Wisconsin (Elroy-Sparta Trail and connecting trails). The Katy Trail and the GAP / C&O Canal experiences are very similar. More elevation on the GAP, but otherwise quite similar. The Katy Trail is probably easier to do off-season. The GAP is more remote.

This was the first bikepacking trip on the new bike. On the one hand, it felt better than last year's rides. The frame is a bit more comfortable for me. I didn't get butt-sore, even on the 90-mile days. With no chain, it's a delight in terms of being able to just rinse it off and keep riding, no matter how much mud, gravel, or dust I go through. And the gearing is better. I can go up slopes where the other bike required walking. On the other hand, I wasn't anticipating complete equipment failure with broken spokes and getting to walk part of the journey. And I really wasn't anticipating debilitating stomach flu ending my trip.

I finished Missouri, border to border. That was the goal. Riding home from there would have been a bonus, but I've been across Illinois three times already. I'll save Route 66 for another time, perhaps if I do a Mississippi River ride.