The Katy Trail State Park runs for 237 miles across Missouri and promises to deliver scenic views

Katy trail at Highway 364 (Photo taken from the overpass that connects the Katy trail to Creve Coeur Park).Gvolk, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Katy Trail State Park is located in Missouri and supposedly has the country's longest recreational rail trail. A rail-trail is usually constructed after a railway is abandoned, the track is removed, but could also share the right-of-way with active railways, or disused tracks.

The Katy Trail runs for 237 miles and is mostly along the bank of the Missouri River and in the right-of-way of what was the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT). This railroad was established in 1865 as Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch. This was part of a large railroad network in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The name Katy is from "MKT" Railroad.

With most of Katy Trail following the Missouri River, this promises some scenic views. Whether you're a hiker or cyclist, the trail is educational and healthy.

Katy Trail is also part of the American Discovery Trail, has been designated as a Millennium Legacy Trail and was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame in 2008. (Source.)

Interestingly, there are parts of the Katy Trail that are also part of the American Discovery Trail and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

A map of Missouri showing Katy Trail State Park based on 2008 data.Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Katy Trail route starts in Machens, Missouri along the Missouri River running on the Missouri River's northern bank for almost the whole length. While Jefferson City is along the trail, the largest city on the trail is Columbia. The trail stretches to Clinton, Missouri.

Young bicyclist on Katy Trail in Rocheport, Missouri.MoBikeFed, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.

The above image depicts the Katy Trail in the Rocheport Tunnel in Rocheport, Missouri. Rocheport, which dates back to 1830, was designated as a historic district and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This railroad tunnel built in 1893 is under the Moniteau Bluff along the Katy Trail.

Settlers and Native Americans used Rocheport as a trading post. Rocheport ended up becoming a permanent settlement and the area was also explored by Lewis & Clark. Imagine the small towns you can pass along the Katy Trail and the educational history you can take away. There is also horseback riding allowed on two parts of the trail from Sedalia to Clinton and Tebbetts to Portland.

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