Originally Posted by
Gus Riley
We're thinking a deviation from the TransAM up to the Katy Trail is a possibility. We're looking at possible routes. We could stay on the Illinois side from Chester to Grafton through Alton. Then taking the free ferry across the big muddy and simply working our way to the Katy Trail in St. Charles.
Or, we could cross the Mississippi from East St. Louis via the McKinley Bridge or Chain of Rocks route. Either of these options we'll have a choice of riding around St. Louis to the North, or a shorter route by making our way through the city pretty much directly west.
I read somewhere that we might be able to cross the Mississippi across the I-255 bridge just south of St. Louis. Is this true?
Being local, I can say your best bet is stay on the east side and then cross the Miss on the Alton Ferry. The great river road is really neat and the trail is on top of a levee right on the river. Take it to Alton then grab the Ferry. From there, it is only a few miles to the Katy that will take you to St Charles and beyond. (The Katy is almost complete beyond what the maps say and you can cross a field and pop onto it after a few desolate road miles after the ferry). There is no "good" place to cross the Miss on the other side of the city. Chain of Rocks is another good choice on the North side but the riverfront trail is nothing special and can be a little seedy. If the Katy is soggy, you alway have the option of riding Hwy 94 that winds along the river and crosses the Katy numerous times.