Squeezebox

I'm sure there are different Katy Trail guides. Which is your favorite? Anything about why you think so would be helpful. Yes I did surf the Katy Trail website.
And getting to Katy by bicycle. I don't get out to West St. Louis county much. Any advice on better ways to get to St. Charles via bicycle, from St. Louis city.
Thanks!

curtiseddie

The Page Ave bridge has a bike/pedestrian addition to get across the Missouri River. From there you can access the Katy Trail.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cr...80fb52654108a1

robow

Not sure if this will help you but this is a route from the St. Charles trail head on the Katy to the Kirkwood Amtrak station that I created and road several years ago. Pretty decent residential/urban riding.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12321263

Squeezebox

If a loaded bicycle with racks bags and fenders can fit on the bus, 370 north of St. Charles might be good also. Getting out to the bridge(s) safely is my bigger question.
Thanks for your answer. I wonder if the new I-64 bridge will have a bicycle lane.

jonc123

Yes. It will connect the Monarch Levee Trail in Chesterfield to the Katy Trail.

JerrySTL

From down at the Arch take the RiverFront trail north.
Cross over the Old Chain of Rocks Road (might want to check to see if it's open) to Illinois.
Go out to Hwy 3 and take the should north until you get to the Lewis and Clark Center near New Poag Rd. (The bike trail on the levee is still messed up from levee repairs AFAIK).
At the Lewis and Clark Center get on the bike trail north.
Cross the bridge in Alton back to Missouri.
Stay on Hwy 367 for a couple of miles until you get to Hwy 94 at West Alton and make a right turn.
Turn left onto Machens Road off of Hwy 94.
That gets you on the very end of the Katy Trail.

Squeezebox

Thanks I kinda understand. It gives me something to work on the details about.

jonc123

Get the nice folding "Bikeway Map" from Madison County Transit.

Another nice map is the "Riverfront Trail Map" from Great River Greenway or Trailnet, Inc.

Both of these maps contain some of the route Jerry STL is describing. Just be sure to check for trail closings.

The bike shop on Delmar has both maps and a few more. Free.

Here is the MCT Trails Map Online:

https://www.mcttrails.org/map.aspx

If you scroll in enough you can see the Riverfront Trail on the Missouri side.

JerrySTL

I have an older copy of The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook by Brett Dufur. If you get a copy, make sure that it's a newer, updated version. I think that the latest is from 2007. Things change and that one might not even have St. Charles to Machens in it.

tcarl

I've never looked at any website other than bikekatytrail.com - it's always had everything I need.

You don't say where in St. Louis city you're starting from but I live near the Galleria. Here's my favorite route: I'll start from Clayton assuming you can get there.

Two options to start out with from Clayton. Forsythe curves around to the north and crosses Maryland. Stay on Forsyth heading north and it eventually changes name to Old Bonhomme. When Old Bonhomme "ends" at a T intersection, turn left - it will still be Old Bonhomme. The other route out of Clayton is to get to the south side of Shaw Park and go through the parking lot towards the west side and get on the bike path northward along 170. Take the bike path north, cross Ladue Rd., and take the ramp up to Old Bonhomme and turn left (approx. 1.5 miles on the bike path from Shaw Park to the ramp). The two routes have now combined.

Take Old Bonhomme west just under 2 miles to Olive Blvd. Turn left for one long block (.25 mi.) to Warson Road (traffic signal). Right on Warson .85 miles to Baur Industrial Blvd. Left on Baur .6 miles to Lindbergh. Cross Lindbergh onto Schuetz Rd. (short but steep uphill). Take Schuetz west 2.1 miles to Page.

Cross Page, go .2 miles to Westline Industrial Drive. Turn left, go .7 miles to Westport Plaza Dr.

Turn Right on Westport Plaza Drive. It will change names to Marine Rd. at some point. Just keep going straight on Westport/Marine nearly 2.5 miles. The last approx. 1/2 mile of this distance will be down a steep, narrow, twisting downhill. BE PREPARED! Immediately at the bottom of the hill slow down and make a left turn into the parking lot. Watch out for cars behind you - make sure they know you're slowing down and turning left!!!

You are now in Creve Coeur Park. Continue to the left through the parking lot and find the bike path. It kind of gets lost in/along the parking lot, but if you continue to the end of it, you'll see the path on your right or ahead of you.Continue on the bike path and just at/under/past the big overhead highway bridge follow the bike path around to the right. .35 miles later turn left at the T intersection (still "under" the highway bridge), and another .2 mile later, at the roundabout, turn right and go up the ramp. From here it's about 2 3/4 mile to the bridge over the Missouri River (at the 1.75 mile mark stay to the right through the tunnel).

Once across the river bridge, continue following the bike path around to the right, past the parking lot and down the hill to the Katy Trail. St. Charles is about 4 miles to your left. Sedalia is about (I think) 190 miles to your right.

This route is I think the best from central county/Clayton area to the Katy Trail. There are hills - some quite noticeable - a few sections of road that will always have traffic, and a number of places that will have much traffic on weekdays (and may be downright unpleasant at rush hour). On weekends most of this route is pretty good for riding. Total distance from downtown Clayton to the Katy Trail via this route is about 16.25 miles.

BikeLite

bikekatytrail.com +1

jonc123

Have you ridden the Confluence Trail from Mckinley Bridge to Chain of Rocks? I'm not sure they even have a trail there yet but it's on the map.

JerrySTL

My daughter had but I have not.

indyfabz

https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/10...l-camping.html

BigAura

Katy Trail

For those that are interested in maps files:

You can view the route or get a GPX file from my site bikegpx.us (totally free)

BUT no guides just route views & gpx files.

to view:

• select group --> Midwest
• select select route --> Katy Trail

to see satellite view:

• click satellite on left-middle of screen

to download:

• click view GPX
• click download