Railways converted to multiuse trails are among my favorite to ride, likely because I grew up able to ride the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad corridor in the early stages of it becoming a state park. I also appreciate the even surface, places to stop along the routes, lack of vehicle traffic and the abundance of scenery often accessible only via the trail.
Serious and casual cyclists come from around the world to experience the Katy Trail State Park, the longest developed rail-trail in the U.S. at 237.7 miles east-west across the middle of Missouri. The park is about 100 feet wide with a 10-foot-wide crushed limestone trail stretching from the western terminus in Clinton through the Osage Plains until it crosses the Missouri River at Boonville and follows its path for 165 additional miles to Machens, just west of St. Louis. There are 26 trailheads and four fully restored railroad depots along the route, along with many points of interest on and off the trail.
I rode small sections near my hometown of Columbia while growing up and then in 2015 in my early 40s I was invited on a press trip to explore the entire trail — riding several portions on bike, taking the Amtrak for a 41-mile stretch and being shuttled by van in several places. Find self-guided itineraries online or sign up for shuttle services, guided rides and other special event rides throughout the year.
The RTC counts more than 2,000 rail trails covering 24,000-plus miles of rail trails on the ground across all 50 states. Go online to find one near you.
MeLinda Schnyder is a freelance journalist based in Wichita, Kansas, and has been a regular contributor to Kansas Country Living since 2017. She grew up in Columbia, Missouri, where her first grown-up bike was a used yellow Schwinn 10-speed that would now be considered vintage and cool.