Trail Sections

Depending on your preference, Katy Trail State Park begins or ends in Clinton, the seat of government for Henry County. Much of the route from Clinton to Sedalia traverses lands once dominated by prairie. Although most of the land has been converted to farmland, prairie plants such as big bluestem or compass plant can still be seen along the trail. An area along the 9-mile section between Calhoun and Clinton is being restored to tallgrass prairie through the use of controlled burns. Hikers and bicyclists are likely to see or hear birds associated with open areas, such as bobwhite, killdeer, mourning doves and meadowlarks.

Horses are permitted on the stretch of trail between Clinton and the Missouri State Fairgrounds Katy Trail parking area in Sedalia. This is a multiple-use section of the trail, and bicyclists should yield to both equestrians and pedestrians. Pedestrians should yield to horses, also.

The town of Sedalia, which is the home of the Missouri State Fair, was once a hub of activity for the MKT railroad. The former MKT depot, one of the largest depots between Kansas City and St. Louis, is owned by the Department of Natural Resources. The Sedalia Convention and Visitors Bureau operates the restored depot as the Katy Depot Heritage Site. The Katy Trail travels along city streets from the depot to Boonville Street. Users should follow the marked road route.

Between Sedalia and Boonville, the trail passes through several small communities that were influenced by the railroad, such as Clifton City and Pilot Grove. In this section, the terrain is more rolling, providing a variety of landscapes from pasture and row crops to deep woods and river bottoms. This is the transition from the Osage Plains into the Ozark borderlands, and bikers can expect to pedal more strenuously here because of the terrain.

From Boonville eastward, Katy Trail State Park closely parallels the route of the Missouri River. This provides for many scenic stretches with towering bluffs on one side and the river on the other.

Boonville represents a town that made the transition from being a major river port to a booming railroad town. Many remnants of this era can still be seen in Boonville, including the MKT depot. The depot has been restored by the Department of Natural Resources and serves as the headquarters for the Boonville Chamber of Commerce.

Just north of the Missouri River is the town of New Franklin and the site of the historic town of Franklin. Franklin, before being washed away by the river, was associated with the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail.

This section includes the town of Rocheport, which has many houses that date from before the Civil War. The only tunnel on the MKT line was built at Rocheport around 1893, and trail users today can pass through this 243-foot-long stone-arched tunnel.

Near Rocheport, the spectacular bluffs and the rock drawings, or pictographs, left by American Indians were mentioned in the journals of Lewis and Clark as they traveled up the Missouri River. A rare surviving pictograph can be seen above Lewis and Clark Cave on the trail. Entry into the cave is not permitted.

Between Rocheport and Jefferson City, the trail follows the river as hikers and bicyclists have the opportunity to visit the towns of Hartsburg, Easley and McBaine.

Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri, and tours are available of the impressive Capitol, which sits atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. It is also the location of Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, operated by the Department of Natural Resources.

From Jefferson City eastward, the trail continues to follow the river as it passes through a series of small towns, such as Tebbetts, Mokane, Portland, Rhineland, McKittrick and Treloar. These towns were either established as river towns or sprang up because of the railroad. Horses are allowed on the trail from Tebbetts to Portland. The Mokane trailhead is designated the official parking area for horse trailers.

In this area, the trail passes through many rural communities and farming operations supported by the rich bottomland soil. The bluffs, which range from limestone to sandstone, are particularly spectacular west of Treloar and Bluffton, where they tower above you more than 250 feet. Birds and wildflowers are abundant along this section of the trail.

The trail passes near the town of Hermann, which is known for its German heritage and its vineyards. It is the location of Deutschheim State Historic Site, operated by the Department of Natural Resources.

Marthasville was established around 1800 near the site of an early 1763 French trading post. Daniel Boone lived the last years of his life in the area, and his grave site 1 mile east of Marthasville is only a short distance from the trail.

This section contains the heart of an area known as "Missouri’s Rhineland" because of the number of Germans who flocked to this part of the state in the mid 1800s. The town of Augusta, first settled in 1836 on the bluffs overlooking the river, soon became the center of German cultural traditions. The Germans established vineyards, and many wineries still thrive today.

The shadow of the railroad still exists in the town of Defiance, which earned its name by building a depot in 1894 to lure the railroad stop away from the neighboring town of Augusta. The ornate stamped metal fronts on store buildings in Marthasville and Dutzow reflect the industrial age, introduced to these towns by the coming of the railroad.

St. Charles is one of the most historic towns along the route. An early town of French settlement dating back to the mid 1700s, the town was also the state’s first capital before it was moved to Jefferson City. The first Capitol is today part of First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site, operated by the Department of Natural Resources.

This is a very scenic area with limestone bluffs bordering the trail through Weldon Spring Conservation Area, managed by the Department of Conservation. As riders and hikers approach Augusta from the east, more bluffs appear, this time composed of dolomite and sandstone. The Klondike Quarry area east of Augusta exhibits a particularly fine exposure of St. Peter sandstone. This white quartz sandstone was ground up at this site for use in manufacturing glass.

The trail now extends to Machens, which is northeast of St. Charles. Machens is the eastern end of Katy Trail State Park. Also known as Texas Junction, Machens was the junction between the MKT and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) railroads. The MKT purchased operating rights on the CB&Q so that Katy trains could travel to Union Station in St. Louis. Black Walnut was named for a small grove of black walnut trees and was one of three main stops along the Katy railroad from Machens to St. Charles.