Randi Topps: Missouri's remarkable Katy Trail
June 21, 2021

By Randy Topps
St Louis, Mo. to Herman, Mo. — 82.5 miles, mostly on the Katy Trail along the Missouri River. Fortunately the heavy storms were over before we rode today, and they left us with gorgeous , cool riding weather!
The Katy Trail was lined with beautiful forests and majestic bluffs on the east side of the trail, while just on the other side was flat— either river, marsh, or cornfields. What a contrast!
Occasionally the forest would open up to farm land, a small town,, or a house on the hill. When that happened we rode through gusty headwinds! Last night’s storm left a lot of branches and blocked the whole trail in two places with downed trees. That did not deter us, but we did meet some friendly hikers while helping each other lift our bikes over the trees.
The Katy Trail is all crushed rock and goes almost across the entire state of Mo.! We only rode some of it, but it was both beautiful and peaceful. If you ever get the opportunity to ride it, I would recommend using a mountain or hybrid — it was packed but still a lot of work!
Hope you will consider taking your family to this beautiful area someday!