The Katy Trail: 30 Years of Biking, Hiking, and Missouri River Country - Terrain Magazine

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Cyclists and hikers on the Katy Trail encounter a majestic beauty that unfolds as they travel along the Missouri River and its bluffs. Heading west from St. Charles, they pass under canopies of trees that form chapel-like arches in dappled sunlight. Then, the leaves overhead thin and trail users find themselves pedaling or walking next to farmland and pastures dotted with cows.

This experience is a rural slice of heaven and puts Missouri on the map as having the longest developed rail-trail in the country — stretching 240 miles. On the Katy, there are no worries about navigating traffic and distracted drivers. It’s open year-round, sunrise to sunset, promising mile after mile of carefree cruising, with charming wineries, breweries, and cafes.

As if those aren’t enough reasons to frequent the 8-foot-wide crushed limestone path, which is formally known as Katy Trail State Park, there’s more. Much more.

For one, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the completion of the first section of trail, which lies near Columbia, Missouri. . . .

Second, the trail, particularly the portion from St. Charles to Hermann, is loaded with history, starting with Native American communities hundreds of years ago and followed by French settlements in the fur-trapping days of the 1700s. Next came the iconic Lewis and Clark expedition up the Missouri River in 1804, Daniel Boone’s legendary exploits as a frontiersman, and the wave of Germans that immigrated in the 1830s to a region that reminded them of their homeland.

Visitors to the Katy Trail can step back in time and relive the remarkable saga of the river, the railroad, and the small towns that played a big part in the growth of our country. Signage and displays at many of the trailheads depict the history of each area.

Link: 

The Katy Trail: 30 Years of Biking, Hiking, and Missouri River Country - Terrain Magazine

MoBikeFed comment: This article commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Katy Trail in 2020 is an excellent overview of the history of the trail and what many along the trail--particularly groups like Magnificent Missouri on the eastern end of the Katy--are doing to protect the environment, preserve the area's history, and promote tourism and regional pride in the area along the Katy Trail and the Missouri River valley.

Well worth a read.

https://terrain-mag.com/41861-2/