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Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Rocheport to McBaine - Katy Trail State Park


The 8.8 miles of the Katy Trail State Park from Rocheport to McBaine may be the most beautiful along the entire trail. Following the route of the Katy Railroad, the trail hugs the base of the 150 foot high Manitou (or Moniteau) Bluffs along the banks of the Missouri River. The trail is relatively flat with a net elevation drop of about 30 feet.

There are two notable caves along the route. The first has a stacked rock face and was used as a warehouse for explosives by the railroad. The second is the privately owned Lewis & Clark Cave. A spring in the cave probably provided fresh water for the Corps of Discovery as they passed through the area in early June 1804.

We biked this section of the trail in October 2017.

Missouri River

Edward D (Ted) Jones Memorial

Another view of the river

Railroad explosives cave

Bluff towers over the trail

Interstate 70 bridge over the Missouri River

Bluff downstream of Interstate 70

Side trail to the top of the bluff

Another bluff towers over the trail

Typical trail surface of crushed gravel

Missouri River

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) atop the bluff

Bench next to the wayside exhibit about Lewis & Clark

Lewis and Clark Cave from the trail

Spring water flows out of the cave

Although we didn't see them, there are pictographs on the bluff

Fall foliage colors have begun


Lewis & Clark campsite 6 June 1804

Straight and level through the river bottom lands

Terrapin Creek bridge

View upstream of Grocery Branch

View downstream of Grocery Branch

Terrapin Creek bridge builders plate

Grocery Branch bridge

Hindman Junction

Bike trail to Columbia

Columbia MKT Nature/Fitness Trail map

Perche Creek bridge

Mile 169.7 Perche Creek

View upstream of Perche Creek

View downstream of Perche Creek

Perche Creek bridge superstructure


McBaine Trailhead

Restrooms

Points of Interest exhibit

History exhibit

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.

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