Boonville to New Franklin - Katy Trail State Park

We continued our October 2017 bicycle ride on the Katy Trail with a ride from Boonville to New Franklin, Missouri. Boonville marks one of the major permanent detours away from the Missouri-Kansas-Texas right-of-way as the railroad lift bridge across the Missouri River has been locked in the raised position to allow unimpeded river traffic. While the railroad distance from trailhead to trailhead is 3.6 miles, the trail distance is 4.3 miles. The detour begins immediately north of the Boonville Depot when the trail turns east onto the sidewalk along Morgan Street. After a block, the trail crosses Second Street and Morgan Street as it turns north on a dedicated paved path parallel to Isle of Capri Boulevard for one block. The trail then turns east again as it continues to follow a designated path that was formerly East Water Street. After crossing Fourth Street, the trail climbs a steep grade behind and beside the Veterans Memorial before reaching the sidewalk of High Street. The trail immediately makes a U-turn to the left onto the Boonslick Bridge that carries US-40 across the river. The trail follows a dedicated sidewalk protected from traffic by a concrete wall on the upstream side of  bridge. Nearing the north bank of the river, the sidewalk descends a steep grade before making another U-turn to the left onto a mostly dedicated right-of-way upstream to a crossing of Missouri 87.

Once across MO-87, the trail rejoins the former railroad right-of-way at Kingsbury Siding. A large gravel parking area provides motorists access to an arrangement of trail signs that marks the location "Where Four Trails Meet". Lewis and Clark traveled by river through the area on what is now the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. This is also the end of the Boonslick Road from St Charles to the east. In addition, it is the beginning of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. For the last quarter century, it has also hosted the Katy Trail. At this location, the trail surface returns to packed gravel for the first time since before the Boonville Depot.

After returning to the right-of-way, the trail continues north into Franklin. A campground now occupies the area that was once a rail yard inside a sweeping curve to the east. While the locomotive roundhouse is long gone, the remains of the turntable and its pit are still visible about 130 feet from the trail.

Once around the curve, we quickly arrived in New Franklin where we admired the town's Santa Fe Trail monument and Katy caboose 127. The New Franklin trailhead is located east of town on South Howard Street.

Note that there is very little to no shade on this segment of the trail as it passes through Boonville, crosses the Missouri River, and crosses the cornfields of the floodplain before arriving at New Franklin.

While a map may make it appear that the trail runs in the streets of Boonville, it actually is on sidewalks or a dedicated path except for crossing streets at marked crosswalks. The first half of this segment of the trail required much more attention to hazards such as pedestrians, vehicle traffic, and steep grades for a rail trail than the more rural sections of the trail. However, the history and natural beauty of the area more than made up for it.

History

Looking back at the trailhead shelter

Restrooms and gardens

Trailhead parking area

Boonville Depot

Katy Trail passes the Boonville Veterans Memorial

Cooper County Courthouse

Katy lift bridge over the Missouri River

Where Four Trails Meet - Franklin, Missouri
Lewis & Clark
Boonslick Road
Santa Fe Trail
Katy Trail

Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail

Lewis and Clark

Bridge over Sulphur Creek

View downstream

Rebar exposed as concrete crumbles

Flood debris upstream

View upstream

Franklin Turntable

Nature slowly overtakes the Franklin Turntable

Turntable pit is off limits

Trailside shelter at Katy Roundhouse Campground

Santa Fe Trail Monument in New Franklin

Katy Caboose 127

Caboose interior

Approaching South Howard Street

New Franklin trailhead

Restroom facility

History

Trail History

Entry to the park is free. The trail is open from sunrise to sunset for walking and bicycling.
The section of the park from Boonville to Machens is part of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.

The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/lecl.

The Katy Trail State Park website is https://mostateparks.com/park/katy-trail-state-park.