Ride the Katy Trail across Missouri
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
The Katy Trail runs 240 miles across Missouri on the bed of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, mostly beside the Missouri River. With 26 trailheads and four restored railroad depots, you can ride a single day out and back or cross the state.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksOutdoorsAlone or with othersMissouri
How to start
- Read the Missouri State Parks page and pick a trailhead for a first out-and-back ride.
- Plan stages between towns along the river if you want to ride end to end, from Clinton to Machens.
- Ride two longer days back to back on a loaded bike before a multi-day trip.
Where to go
We opened this link on 27 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Projects run over months and stall without a rhythm, so the plan sets milestones you can see.
Read next
Walking holidays for beginners: how to choose a route you'll actually enjoy
A beginner's guide to walking holidays: UK National Trails such as the South Downs Way and Hadrian's Wall Path, the Camino to Santiago, US National Park trails, how to choose a daily distance, baggage transfer, and where the Ramblers fit in.
Six pairs of shoes and seven months on the Pacific Crest Trail took Nancy Zelick from Mexico to Canada
How a retired Intel researcher from Baker City, Oregon, walked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in about seven months: the snow, the gear, the food and why she thinks pace mattered more than youth. How to start multi-day hiking, or build towards a long trail if you already walk.
More like this
Moderate
Visit five national parks you have never been to
Moderate · Spain
Walk the last 100 km of a Camino to Santiago
Moderate · Japan
Walk the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail in Japan
Moderate
Cross Europe on a rail pass