At 237 miles, the Katy Trail State Park is the longest “rails to trails” biking and walking path in the United States. The late 1800s railbed was the route of the Missouri, Kansas, Texas Railroad, meandering through the rolling farm fields, dense forests, deep valleys, flood plains and wetlands of Missouri. Much of the way, it winds alongside the curves of the Missouri River, passing quaint towns such as Defiance, Augusta, Washington, Hermann and others that are stand-alone tourist attractions.
But there is also a plethora of other interesting stops along the linear state park. While this article cannot cover all there is to experience, we will highlight some of the lesser-known attractions. Most are accessible by car if you are not inclined to visit them by biking, walking or running over 200 miles.
Brett Dufur, author of "The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook," says it never ceases to amaze him how much there is to see along the trail. He also loves the people he meets along it. “I have talked to people from all over Europe and the United States,” he says. “For those into walking and bicycle riding, no matter where they live, the Katy is No. 1 on their ‘bucket list’ of trails to ride or walk.”
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Missouri State Parks Katy Trail Coordinator Cassie Brandt says besides the sights trailside, it is important to know that the Missouri communities and businesses along the way are full of kind and welcoming people. “We frequently hear from trail users that the small towns and local businesses are a highlight of their visit,” she reports.
For the sites featured below, miles listed are the distance from the eastern beginning of the trail in Machens, Missouri, northeast of St. Charles. They are the markers posted along the trail and correspond to the original MKT Railroad mile numbers.
![Boathouse](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=640%2C480 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=990%2C743 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C777 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1000 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1107 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/0e/a0e0b414-2e69-11ef-a684-ab574badf1c4/6673234a44651.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 2008w)
Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Museum. Mile 40.
Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Museum
Mile 40
Alongside the Katy Trail in St. Charles, the Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum traces the explorers’ expedition of 1803-06. The museum collection includes a traveling fleet of replica boats used by the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles and an experienced corps of re-enactors, to bring the historic trip to life.
![Silos](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/d1/bd16e4f0-2e69-11ef-8810-87b6c7141657/6673237730613.image.jpg 1333w)
Sunflower Silos near Matson. Mile 60.
Sunflower Silos
Mile 60
What do you do with a cluster of three unused grain silos covered in vines? The answer was simple for Karen and Michael Koehneman, the owners of the Sunflower Hill Farm alongside the Katy Trail outside of Defiance. Paint the 50-foot-tall cones with a sunflower mural. On close inspection the art morphs from a sunrise on one side of each silo, to a scene depicting the setting sun on the other side.
![Bauermeister](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/4e/64e10752-2f27-11ef-b382-f3b8bffe0f57/667461a57da3f.image.jpg 1333w)
Michael Bauermeister in front of his woodworking shop in front of the 1920 Meinershagen General Store in what was Nona, Missouri.
Nona
Mile 70
Only the 1920 two-story Meinershagen General Store remains of what was once the town of Nona. About 100 yards off the trail nestled among a grove of cottonwood trees, the lone building is a stark paradox to the beautiful objects of wooden art Michael Bauermeister sculpts inside. If he is working, stop and visit his gallery on the upper floor.
“County Store Corridor” from Peers to Treloar
Miles 81-85
Thanks to Katy Trail advocate Dan Burkhardt, this four-mile section of the trail is bookended with two restored 1896 mercantile stores, both on the National Historic Register. In between the stores Burkhardt has added a four-acre native prairie in full bloom mid-June to mid-August, and 500 recently planted native trees.
![Peers store](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=150%2C101 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=200%2C135 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=225%2C151 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=300%2C202 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=400%2C269 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=540%2C363 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=640%2C431 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=750%2C505 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=990%2C666 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/be/7be1610e-2f27-11ef-a0f1-0b64e30b4498/667461bfe6dcf.image.jpg?resize=1024%2C689 1035w)
Peers Store. Mile 81.
Peers
Mile 81
In 2015 Burkhardt purchased the 1896 Peers Store, saving it from imminent demolition. Opened for business just a few years after the town was platted and named after railroad promoter Charles E. Peers, it is located immediately adjacent to the then new railroad tracks.
Operated for almost 60 years by Linus and Loretta Glosemeyer, the store closed in 2012 and remained vacant for four years. It had fallen into disrepair when Burkhardt bought, renovated and reopened it in 2016.
Today the store functions as a “surprise” stop for Katy Trail enthusiasts and stocks locally made items like sausages and soap, and beverages and ice cream.
Throughout the summer and fall the tin roofed front porch is the scene for free weekend concerts featuring local musicians playing bluegrass music. (facebook.com/PeersStore/)
![Treloar Mercantile](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=640%2C480 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=990%2C743 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C777 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1000 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1107 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/ed/ced0f5be-2f2c-11ef-a636-5f7ee9b356cc/66746abae9064.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 2008w)
Treloar Mercantile. Mile 85.
Treloar
Mile 85
The Treloar Mercantile was also built for the arrival of the Katy Railroad in the 1890s. As neighboring farmers prospered, the Farmers Bank of Treloar was added alongside in the early 1900s. During the Depression, the bank failed and the Mercantile closed. A commercial business was never again established in the building, although the local post office moved in and occupied the bank building until the early 2000s.
Just this year the building was donated to the Missouri State Parks by Dan and Connie Burkhardt, and now serves as an official welcome center for walkers and bikers along the trail.
Next to the store Burkhardt had the trunk of a 100-year-old dead elm tree carved into the shape of an ear of corn. Nearby two grain silos have become large art canvases featuring paintings by Washington, Missouri artist Bryan Haynes depicting the agricultural heritage of the Missouri River Valley.
Gore to Case
Mile 93 to 97
Between the small former railroad villages of Case and Gore, the Katy enters one of its most spectacular stretches, and trail users have outstanding views of the river and bluffs.
Gore was one of several towns named for Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad investors.
![McKittrick coal tower](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/be/0befeca2-2f2d-11ef-8782-af7c6a331012/66746b26eb361.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/be/0befeca2-2f2d-11ef-8782-af7c6a331012/66746b26eb361.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/be/0befeca2-2f2d-11ef-8782-af7c6a331012/66746b26eb361.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/be/0befeca2-2f2d-11ef-8782-af7c6a331012/66746b26eb361.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/be/0befeca2-2f2d-11ef-8782-af7c6a331012/66746b26eb361.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/be/0befeca2-2f2d-11ef-8782-af7c6a331012/66746b26eb361.image.jpg?resize=480%2C640 540w)
McKittrick coal tower. Mile 100.
McKittrick
Mile 100
Standing four stories tall alongside the Katy and across the Missouri River from Hermann, the McKittrick coal tower served steam engines on the railroad from the late 1800s into the early 1900s. Made of reinforced concrete, it is so solid it was likely too costly to remove when the railroad stopped running.
Today it serves as the backdrop of a mural painted by Missouri artist Billy O’Donnell. “I love the whole down-to-earth thing of putting my artwork on a silo,” O’Donnell has said. “It turns the concrete structure into ‘something else.’ Plus, being from the area, it means a lot to me — the connection back home.”
Portland to Tebbetts
Miles 116 to 132
Horseback riders are welcome to ride their horses on the 15-mile stretch between Portland and Tebbetts in central Missouri.
![Mokane Bridge](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=640%2C480 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=990%2C743 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C777 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1000 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1107 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/8d/28d27f1a-2f2d-11ef-848a-bbb97f690adf/66746b5d33519.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 2008w)
Railroad bridge over Auxvasse Creek at Steedman. Mile 121.
Steedman
Mile 121
The bridge over the Auxvasse creek at Steedman is one of several along the trail that once carried trains over the numerous creeks that drain into the Missouri River Valley.
Nearby a large upright monolith that has fallen from the bluff above is known as Standing Rock, and has marks recording the levels of major Missouri River floods from 1923 to 1993.
Mokane
Mile 125
Around 1900, Mokane commissioned a tiny freestanding jail to be built out of white limestone blocks with a door and windows secured by thick iron bars. Soon after the building's completion, the man who built the jail was arrested for public intoxication and ended up as the first inmate. The jail still stands in Lions Park, close to the trail.
![Boathenge](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=640%2C480 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=990%2C743 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C777 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1000 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1107 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/17/1174cd62-2f39-11ef-be3f-4fc199660ba2/66747f4a544dc.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 2008w)
Boathenge at Easley. Mile 162.
Easley
Mile 162
After the waters from the hundred years’ flood of 1993 had receded, a series of painted boats on the lawn of Anne and Carl Orazio appeared adjacent to the Katy, mysteriously arranged in a shape like Stonehenge in England. According to Carl Orazio the circle of marooned boats now known as Boathenge either “sprouted from the earth or fell from the sky on the first day of spring.”
![Spur into Columbia](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=640%2C480 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=990%2C743 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C777 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1000 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1107 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/4f/54f141ba-2f39-11ef-a5ee-cbfae94c8c7c/66747fcd338ae.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 2008w)
Columbia spur into Columbia at Hindman Junction. Mile 170. Photo
Columbia Spur at Hindman Junction
Mile 170
At the Hindman Junction the nine-mile MKT Nature and Fitness Trail branches off and leads directly into downtown Columbia. In town the path leads over a bridge and spring at Flat Branch Park.
![Rocheport, Mo](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=150%2C225 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=200%2C300 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=225%2C337 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=300%2C450 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=400%2C600 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=540%2C810 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=640%2C960 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1125 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1485 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1552 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/76/f76d4178-edbb-5ea7-b10b-024300ead50f/594d444c6d90f.image.jpg?resize=1037%2C1555 1200w)
A 15-minute walk on the Katy Trail, which skirts the village, leads through the 240-foot-long Rocheport Tunnel constructed in 1892. The tunnel is the only railroad tunnel on the Katy Trail. Or, the Trailside Café and Bike Shop rents bicycles for a ride along one of the most scenic sections of the trail. Photo by Tom Uhlenbrock of the Division of State Parks
Rocheport
Mile 179
Near Rocheport the trail passes through a 240-foot tunnel. Lined with limestone blocks cut into the bluffs adjacent to the Missouri River, it enabled trains to pass underneath a steep hill.
At this point on the trail only a few feet separate the river from the trail.
![Motorcar museum](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=150%2C116 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=200%2C154 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=225%2C174 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=300%2C232 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=400%2C309 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=540%2C417 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=640%2C494 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=750%2C579 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=990%2C765 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C799 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C927 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1029 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1140 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9f/79f4dd96-2f39-11ef-b877-f75703a1c3b8/66747ff7325d3.image.jpg?resize=1638%2C1265 2008w)
Boonville’s Mitchell Antique Motorcar Museum. Mile 192.
Boonville
Mile 192
Just a block from the Katy Trail in Boonville in an old brick building that was once a commercial chicken coup. Lewis Miller’s Mitchell Antique Motorcar Museum displays the largest collection of Antique Mitchell Motorcars, wagons, bicycles and motorcycles in the world. Exhibits date from the 19th and early 20th century.
Miller himself is a direct descendent of the Mitchell family, and a resident of Boonville.
Sedalia
Mile 227
A spur off the Katy Trail into Sedalia ends at the Missouri State Fairgrounds and an impressive Trail’s End statue. But the sculpture recognizes a different kind of trail that existed in the 1870s. That is when Sedalia was one of the earliest railheads at the end of a trail along which cattle were herded into town from Texas, before being shipped east.
Next to the bronze statue, a mixed media art installation features full size replica of an 1870s cattle car, a water tower, windmill and locomotive set in a landscape of native prairie grasses and flowers.
Also in Sedalia the Katy passes the Katy Depot, one of four fully restored train stations along the trail. Built for $45,000 in 1896, today the depot has been meticulously restored and serves as the town’s official welcome center.
Other restored railroad stations are at St. Charles, Boonville and Clinton.
Sedalia to Clinton
Mile 229 to mile 265
This trail section is another portion of the Katy Trail State Park open to horses and their riders.
Windsor
Mile 248
At the Windsor trailhead Katy Railroad's Spirit of 76 caboose commemorates America's bicentennial. When it was donated to the town by the railroad it arrived painted green and yellow and was streaked with rust. As it was cleaned it was discovered that the caboose had been the railroad’s contribution to the America’s 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers in 1776, and the paint scheme was retained.
Your dog needs to exercise and so do you, but is it something you can safely do together? Experts are weighing in on the safety of running or cycling with your dog.