The Butterfield Stage Experience - Bike + Amtrak

The Butterfield Stage Experience - Bike + Amtrak

The new Butterfield Stage Experience bicycle route is a historic experience along back country roads that leaves you with smiles for miles across Missouri. A mostly gravel/bikepacking route across some of the most beautiful, peaceful, and historic places in rural Missouri, you’ll re-experience an 1858 Butterfield Stage trip across Missouri. 

The Butterfield Stage Experience - 250 miles through the historic rural Missouri landscape

Roll your bike on Amtrak. Unfortunately, rolling bike on Amtrak in Missouri is a *little* harder than shown here, but it works. And improved Amtrak rail cars are in the pipeline . . .

The Butterfield Stage Experience - Bike + Amtrak

The Missouri River Runner Amtrak route (map & stations) accepts roll-on bicycles (details/regulations) for just a $10 surcharge. Many Amtrak stations make for a convenient Butterfield/Rock Island/Katy Trail through trip or loop trip. 

Convenient Missouri River Runner Amtrak stations:

• Lee's Summit - A few miles from the Rock Island
• Warrensburg - Rock Island connection possible via gravel or low-traffic state highways
• Sedalia - easy Katy connection
• Jefferson City - easy Katy & Butterfield connection
• Hermann - easy Katy connection
• Washington - easy Katy connection
• Independence, Kansas City, Kirkwood, and St. Louis stations are somewhat more distant from the cross-state trails, but can also potentially connect to the cross-state bike routes - consult relevant regional bike plans

Southwest Chief, Texas Chief, Illinois Amtrak connections

In addition, the Southwest Chief stops in Kansas City, the Texas Eagle stops in St Louis, Ironton, and Poplar Bluff, and Illinois Amtrak Service connects to the St. Louis area. That means you can have a bike+Amtrak adventure starting from many places across Missouri and across the country. And if you drive or fly to your starting point, you can use Amtrak "complete the loop" of your bicycling trip and return to your start point.

Amtrak Stations in relation to the Butterfield, Katy, and Rock Island Trails (click for full size)

Explore Bike + Amtrak possibilities on the Butterfield Stage Experience

Explore bike + Amtrak possibilities on the RideWithGPS Butterfield Stage OPTIONS AND CONNECTIONS page or using the live map below:

Creating a world-class bicycle, pedestrian, and trails transportation network across Missouri is one of the four major goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. Creating, promoting, and encouraging the implementation of the statewide trails vision along with major trails and trail connections like the Katy Trail, Rock Island Trail, and Butterfield Stage Experience are a vitally important parts of that plan.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support help turn our Vision into reality!