Registration is open for bicyclists who would like to participate in the 2019 Katy Trail Ride across Missouri, June 17-21. The annual week-long bicycle ride on Katy Trail, the nation's longest developed rail trail which passes through Callaway County.
Participation is limited to 350 people and the deadline for registration is May 1. The registration fee includes breakfast and dinner daily, outdoor camping spaces each night, hot shower facilities, gear shuttle, support stops, and a Katy Trail Ride T-shirt and water bottle.
Sponsored by Missouri State Parks and the Missouri State Parks Foundation, this scenic bicycle ride spans approximately 231 miles from Clinton to St. Charles, with daily mileage ranging 37-67 miles. Stops will include Sedalia, Boonville, Jefferson City and Marthasville.
The 2019 Katy Trail Ride will allow bicyclists to experience the entire Katy Trail State Park, which takes travelers along open fields and between the Missouri River and its bordering bluffs.
Bicyclists will travel through many rural communities that border the trail, boosting local economies. Riders purchase their lunch in a different community each day and several choose to stay in local hotels or bed and breakfasts rather than camp. Organizers also pay local establishments or organizations to provide breakfast and dinner daily to the participants and volunteers. Many businesses have developed in these small, rural communities since the trail was established and rely on trail users for a big part of their business' success.
Transportation between St. Charles and Clinton on June 16 and June 21 will be available along with roundtrip transportation from Columbia to Clinton on June 16 and St. Charles to Columbia on June 21 for an additional fee.
For anyone who would like to help with the ride, organizers are looking for friendly volunteers to load bicycles and assist participants at the registration, information booths and support stops. Volunteer information and applications are available at mostateparks.com/2019ktride.
For more information about the ride or to register, visit mostateparks.com/2019ktride, email [email protected] or call Missouri State Parks toll-free at 800-334-6946.
For more information about Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites, visit at mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.