This Amazing Hiking Trail In Missouri Takes You Through An Abandoned Train Tunnel
By Liz Oliver|Published January 11, 2018
×
Liz Oliver
Author
Liz is a Missouri native with a B.A. in English from Mizzou and a M.A. in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood University. She works for a STL metro-area community college and enjoys writing, traveling, and indoor cycling. Her true passion is forcing her encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri facts on uninterested strangers from across the globe!
There is one spot on a long Missouri trail that is simply amazing. Nearly 150 years ago, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad was incorporated and had rail lines that followed the Missouri River before heading into Kansas or Oklahoma. By 1990, after years of flooding and repair, the railroad (now Union Pacific) abandoned the lines and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources were quick in purchasing the land. In 1990, the first segment of the trail officially opened in Rocheport and visitors immediately fell in love with the beautiful train tunnel.
With 240 miles of trail, the Katy Trail in Missouri is the longest developed rail-trail in the country. It is also Missouri's largest state park.
Following the beautiful Missouri River, this trail runs between Clinton and Machens, Missouri. The park was created in 1990 and this year they celebrated the opening of Rock Island Spur which added an additional 47.5-miles to the trail.
The tunnel has a stone wall and a beautiful arched, brick ceiling. Many visitors are fascinated by the entrances, the eastern entrance looks like it was roughly cut into the hillside while the western entrance is framed with fine brick and stone work.
Katy Trail is a gorgeous, fully accessible trail all year long. So grab your bike or your walking shoes and hop on the trail for an amazing adventure in the Show Me State.