History On Elm: Trails Across Missouri

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Katy Trail State Park, a popular recreation trail that stretches along the Missouri River from Machens in St. Charles County to Clinton in Henry County. The first section of the rails-to-trails corridor opened in Rocheport in 1990. Today, the 240 miles of trail traverses some of the most scenic and historic parts of the state.

After a career at Edward Jones where Dan Burkhardt worked with Ted Jones, the father of the Katy Trail, Burkhardt created Magnificent Missouri to collaborate with Missouri State Parks and others to improve Missouri’s rail trails. Burkhardt will provide a pictorial tour from Magnificent Missouri’s latest book, Trails Across Missouri – The Katy and Rock Island. It’s the first book to feature photography of the countryside along America’s longest rail trails. The Katy Trail, now joined by the Rock Island Trail, brings hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to explore Missouri. Pick up your copy of Trails Across Missouri in our bookstore inside the Center for Missouri Studies (or online). Burkhardt will be available following his presentation for a book signing.