Mokane to Portland

Mokane to Portland. . The distance from Mokane to Portland is 9.1 miles. This segment of Katy Trail State Park has several outstanding sights, including an impressive railroad bridge, close-up views of the Missouri River and the geologic oddity of Standing Rock. , Shortly beyond the Mokane trailhead, the Katy Trail parallels Highway 9 to Auxvasse Creek at milepost 122.2. Although the 280-foot-long bridge over the Auxvasse no longer has a plate identifying the builder and year of construction, it probably was built in the 1920s. Note the large blacks of cut limestone that form the two bridge piers. , Steedman (pronounced Stedman) developed with the railroad around 1893 and – like many towns in this section of the Katy Trail - is named after one of the railroad's St. Louis investors. At milepost 120.4, an uneroded plug of sandstone known as Standing Rock marks flood levels from as long as a century ago. Here, two wayside markers describe the rock and tell the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition in this area. The trail then passes through Reform Conservation Area starting at milepost 120.2. Among other recreational opportunities, the conservation area contains four fishing lakes. , After crossing Highway 94 at milepost 117.3, the Katy Trail is isolated from the highway for the next six miles, offering a more wilderness like experience. Trail users have excellent views of the river from just past this highway crossing until Portland. , [Map captions] , . Milepost 122.2 Early French called this swampy river the Auxvasse. In his journal, William Clark translated it to Big Miry (for its mire, or mud). , . Milepost 121.6 The small community of Steedman, once a Katy railhead, is tucked into a gap in the river bluffs. , . Milepost 120.4 Major Missouri River floods – marked here on Standing Rock – forced Katy railroad workers to repair tracks over and over. , . Milepost 116.3 Through bottomland forest and from the water's edge, this section of trail has fine views of the Missouri River. , . Red-tailed hawks, usually seen perching or soaring, prey on small animals in open areas near the trail. Missouri Department of Conservation photo by Jim Rathert