State Coordinator
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General Overview of Trail
Missouri, the Show Me State, was first claimed by the French explorer La Salle for France in 1682. The United States acquired the land in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase, and in 1812 Congress formed most of what had been called Upper Louisiana into the Missouri Territory. Lewis and Clark began their historic expedition where the Missouri River empties into the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis. The ADT follows their route along the Missouri River from St. Charles to Boonville on the Katy Trail.
The route of the ADT from Boonville to Kansas City may change in the future as the result of efforts to develop a new rail-trail from Boonville through Sedalia, Post Oak, Pleasant Hill, and into Kansas City. The route described here, which follows the Santa Fe Trail from its origin near Boonville, should be used until then.
Detailed Trail Description
The trail is divided into 3 segments totaling 343 miles.
St. Louis to St. Charles — 33 miles
St. Charles (Katy Trail) to Boonville — 154 miles
Boonville to Kansas City (Kansas state line) — 156 miles
For more details on the route, click here.
The most up-to-date, detailed trail directions are published in the ADT Data Books.
Forests
- Daniel Boone State Forest
- Baltimore Bend State Forest
Parks
- Forest Park
- Missouri State Park
- Frontier Park
- Swope Park
- Arrow Rock State Park
- Van Meter State Park
Affiliated Trails
Points of Interest
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch)
- Weldon Springs Wildlife Area
- Missouri River
- Battle of Lexington State Historic Site
- River Bluff Nature Preserve
- Blue River
- Jackson County Recreation Areas
- National Frontier Trails Center
- Harry Truman Home and Library
Adjoining Trail States: Kansas – Ohio (Kentucky)