Katy Trail Ride Registration Now Open for Riders and Volunteers

Registration is now open for bicyclists and volunteers who would like to participate in the 2018 Katy Trail Ride, a ride on the nation's longest developed rail trail, with a stop planned in Sedalia.

A press release from the MoDNR says the annual week-long bicycle ride will take place June 18 - 22, and will travel across Missouri on Katy Trail State Park.

This bicycle ride will go approximately 237 miles from St. Charles to Clinton. The 2018 Katy Trail Ride will allow bicyclists to experience the entire Katy Trail State Park, which takes travelers through many of Missouri's rural communities, along open fields and between the Missouri River and its bordering bluffs.

Daily mileage ranges from 37 to 64 miles, with stops in Hermann, Jefferson City, Boonville and Sedalia. The stop in Sedalia is scheduled for June 21 at Liberty Park.

The DNR says that participation is limited to 350 people, and the deadline to register is May 1. The registration fee includes daily breakfast and dinner, outdoor camping spaces, shower facilities, gear shuttle, support stops, and a Katy Trail Ride t-shirt and water bottle.

Transportation between Clinton and St. Charles on June 17 or June 22 will be available, along with round-trip transportation from Columbia to St. Charles on June 17, and from St. Charles to Columbia on June 22 for an additional fee.

The Katy Trail Ride takes bicyclists through the many rural communities that border the trail. Riders can purchase their lunch in a different community each day and several participants may 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 to the participants and volunteers.

Organizers are looking for volunteers to load bicycles, assist participants at the registration, work information booths, and support stops.

Volunteer information and applications, along with more info on fees, are available at mostateparks.com/2018ktride. You can also call Missouri State Parks toll-free at 1-800-334-6946.