Weldon Spring Trail Head
category : Trails
Weldon Spring Trail Head is located at Mile Marker 56 as a segment of the Katy Trail State Park. Katy Trail State Park is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad (better known as the Katy). When the railroad decided to cease operation on its route from Machens in St. Charles County to Sedalia in Pettis County in 1986, it presented the chance to create an extraordinary recreational opportunity -- a long-distance hiking and bicycling trail that would run almost 200 miles across the state.
The trail allows users to travel through some of the most scenic areas of the state. The majority of the trail closely follows the route of the Missouri River so hikers and bicyclists often find themselves with the river on one side and towering bluffs on the other. The trail travels through many types of landscapes including dense forests, wetlands, deep valleys, remnant prairies, open pastureland and gently rolling farm fields. In the spring, the trail is brightened with flowering dogwood and redbud, while the fall is colored with the rich reds and oranges of sugar maple, sumac and bittersweet.
Katy Trail State Park also takes users through a slice of rural history as it meanders through the small towns that once thrived along the railroad corridor. From the area known as "Missouri's Rhineland" that portrays the heritage of the German migrants to the historic town of Rocheport that dates from before the Civil War, these towns reflect the rich heritage of Missouri. These communities make great places to stop and explore during a ride on the trail.
The trail is marked every mile with a sign post that corresponds to the traditional railroad mileage system. To determine the distance traveled, subtract the mile post number at the trail head from the mile post number on the trail or vice versa. Mile post number 27 is located on the east end of the trail at Machens in St. Charles County and post number 265 is located on the west end near Clinton in Henry County.
Phone: 800-334-6946
Our Email: moparks@mail.dnr.state.mo.us
Come visit us in Weldon Spring, Missouri