Katy Trail - 225 miles unpaved: The Katy Trail is a 185-mile rails-to-trails conversion of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas-Railroad (nick-named the KATY). The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was able to acquire the right-of-way after Congress passed the National Trails System Act allowing railroad corridors to be banked for future transportation use and used on an interim basis for recreational trails. Construction of two pilot sections of the trail began in the early 1990's, but suffered extensive damage during the Flood of 1993, and additional flooding in 1995. In 1996, ten years after the MKT Railroad stopped running between St. Charles and Sedalia, the Katy Trail State Park was officially dedicated. Today, the Katy Trail is operated by the state park system which manages a total of 79 state parks and historic sites. The Katy Trail is part of the American Discovery Trail and a portion of the trail has been officially designated as part of the Lewis & Clark Heritage Trail. The Katy Trail nearly spans the entire state as it meanders through a variety of Missouri landscapes including forests, open pastures and wetlands. Much of the trail follows along the Missouri River and is well known for the impressive limestone bluffs that tower over the trail. The trail rarely exceeds a 5% grade and is covered with finely crushed, compacted limestone gravel. This makes the trail a prime recreational area for walkers and joggers. Wheelchairs and non-motorized bikes fare equally well on the trail.