Major update to MoBikeFed's Resources for planning Missouri bicycle and trails trips and routes page
We've made a major update to our resource page that is designed to help you plan your next bicycle tour, bicycle route--whether it's for a afternoon's ride, a weekend, or a week--bikepacking or gravel tour, or trip on a Missouri bicycle trail.
We've added a section with detailed information about finding services, food, lodging, and camping along your route.
Visit the full Resources for planning Missouri bicycle and trails trips and routes page here.
Here is the new information about finding lodging, camping, food, and services when you are planning your Missouri bicycle tour or trip:
Finding Camping, Lodging, Services, and Supplies
Finding a place to stay, a place to eat, supplies, and services is a lot easier now than it once was. But still, finding the best places is not all that easy. And particularly in rural Missouri, the best places may not be easy to find online.
Here are some tips and available resources:
- Searching Google Maps for the area of interest in the most basic source of information now. You can do this from home or using your mobile device when you arrive in your location. You can use terms like "lodging," "camping," "groceries," "restaurant," "bike shop" and add "near Rolla" or your specific area of interest. Sample query.
- You can look at pre-planned routes like the MoBikeFed Road Routes, MoBikeFed Gravel/Bikepacking Routes, and Adventure Cycling Routes, which include information about lodging, services, points of interest, etc in the route maps & GPS files. Specific routes often have detailed information about local services available--for example, Bike Katy/Rock Island Trail.com and OzarkTrail.com. Even if you choose to not follow a complete pre-designed route, these routes can still serve as a starting point for planning.
- Camping: Missouri Conservation Areas are scattered all across Missouri--over 1000 locations. Many, but not all, offer primitive/dispersed camping or primitive camp sites (read area regulations carefully to see if camping is allowed in any specific CA). You can use MDC's online search to find Conservation Areas with camping.
- Camping: Many Missouri State Parks offer camping - and Missouri State Parks has a no-turn-away policy for campers who arrive by bicycle or on foot. See the list of Missouri State Parks that offer camping here.
- Camping: Mark Twain National Forest covers over 1.5 million acres spread like a checkerboard across large portions of central and southern Missouri, with many bicycling and hiking opportunities that are often overlooked. The National Forest has many camping opportunities, including numerous organized campsites and cabins. As in all national forests, dispersed camping in most areas more than 100 feet from roads/trails/structures, is allowed except where specifically posted "no camping".
- Camping: In rural Missouri, ask cities, park departments, police. Many cities and towns in rural Missouri, particularly those along well-used bicycle touring routes and well used trails, have some place available for camping or lodging by touring cyclists. Some allow camping in a city park. Others, like Farmington and Tebbets, have created hostels. To find these opportunities, you may have to call city hall or the local parks departmentor police. KansasCyclist makes these suggestions:
- Many churches, particularly in rural communities, will allow travelers to pitch a tent on church property for a night. This can work especially well if the church matches up with your own faith or denomination.
- Small-town or rural fire stations may allow you to camp next to or behind their firehouse. Be sure to ask first!
- Small-town police departments can often provide good advice about where to safely, cheaply, and legally spend the night.
- Call the chamber of commerce in your destination community, and ask for their suggestions.
- Camping: RV Parks are typically far more numerous than other camping opportunities. Nearly all RV parks also offer tent camping. There are some disadvantages to camping at RV Parks--they are typically quite expensive and relatively crowded. But they often have good facilities, including electricity, restrooms, showers, and a convenience store. Sample online search.
- B&Bs: Missouri has an extensive network of B&Bs. You can find many of them via the B&B association search page. Often a search for B&B is more productive than "hotel," "motel," or "lodging". Sample search.
- Warmshowers: The web site warmshowers.com helps match up touring cyclists with who are willing to host them in various communities around the world.
- Services like AirBnB and VRBO often have listings in places where hotels and other lodging is scarce--and even more listings in more populated areas.
- Many touring cyclists simply ask local citizens for help finding services, lodging, and a place to camp. Asking "Is there anywhere nearby I can pitch a tent?" is often more helpful then "Are there any campgrounds nearby?" Asking about campgrounds is likely to bring information about a KOA 25 miles down the road, while asking for a spot to pitch a tent might bring an offer of hospitality or the phone number of a relative with a quiet piece of ground.
- For the adventerous, "stealth" or "wild" camping is an option. KansasCyclist has an excellent guide to concept, and best practices to follow.
Additional resources:
- KansasCyclist has a nice guide to bicycle camping in Missouri.
- The Adventure Cycling Association has an excellent guide to packing your bike and finding the right campsite.
Helping create a world-class bicycle, pedestrian, and trails network in Missouri and encouraging more people to bicycle, walk, and use trails more often are two of the primary objectives of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. Providing resources for trip and route planning, and designing and promoting statewide bicycle touring, gravel, and bikepacking routes in cooperation with many partners and allies are two ways we work to reach those objectives.
Your ongoing membership and generous financial support help turn our Vision into reality!
Photo credit: Lazy Louie Bicycle Camp on the road between Marshfield and Hartville, Missouri. Taken in 1984 TransAmerica bicycle tour by Gene Bisbee. Photo on FlickR. License: CC BY 2.0.
