Paddle the James (VA)
River exploration tool with full GPS-tagged 360° imagery, conditions, and access points.
Demonstration Capture — Late June 2026
Bringing the Katy Trail to Life
A 30-Mile Demonstration on America's Longest Rail-Trail
Terrain360 has already captured the entire Missouri River — Sioux City to the Confluence — as part of the Lewis & Clark NHT. This summer we add the parallel land corridor: 30 miles of the Katy Trail in 360°, fully funded, free for the public, ready to seed a full 240-mile deployment.
→ Weigh in on which 30-mile stretch we featureThe Project
We Have the River. The Katy Completes the Picture.
The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail has been a multi-year focus for Terrain360 in partnership with the National Park Service. We have already captured the entire Missouri River from Sioux City to the Confluence — the same waterway the Corps of Discovery rowed up in 1804 and back down in 1806. Browse the live L&C NHT map.
The Katy Trail State Park runs parallel to the Missouri for the great majority of its 240-mile length. Pairing the river corridor (already complete) with the land corridor (30-mile demonstration this June, full 240 miles to follow) creates something neither can do alone: a single seamless exploration tool that lets stewards, visitors, and partners move between water and trail in one experience.
The 30-mile demo is fully funded by Terrain360. No cost to DNR, NPS, Magnificent Missouri, or any partner — the deliverable speaks for itself, and seeds the conversation about completing the full corridor.
The Corridor
From Corps of Discovery to Rail-to-Trail
In May 1804 the Corps of Discovery left St. Charles and rowed up the Missouri. The river cut through what would become the Katy Trail’s central corridor — Hermann, Jefferson City, Boonville, Arrow Rock — long before any of those towns existed. Lewis and Clark named landmarks, mapped tributaries, and met with the Otoe, Missouri, and Osage along this very stretch. They returned the same way in September 1806.
Eighty years later the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad — the Katy — laid track along the river’s south bank. By the late 20th century the line was abandoned and converted, beginning in 1986, into one of the longest rail-to-trail conversions in the country. Today the Katy Trail State Park draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. What it lacks is the same kind of mile-by-mile virtual access that exists for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail elsewhere. This project closes that gap.
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May 1804 Corps of Discovery on the Missouri
Lewis and Clark depart St. Charles, traveling up the Missouri along what is now the Katy corridor.
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Sept 1806 Return down the Missouri
The expedition retraces the river back to St. Louis.
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Late 1800s MKT track laid along the river
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad runs line beneath the river bluffs.
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1986 Rail-to-trail conversion begins
Missouri State Parks begins converting the abandoned MKT bed into the Katy Trail.
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Late June 2026 Terrain360 30-mile demonstration
Demonstration capture launches; pairs with the already-complete Missouri River map.
Why This Matters for the Katy
Trail Use & Public Access
- Plan rides and hikes before you go — every trailhead, every amenity
- Free, browser-based exploration — no app required
- ADA-aligned virtual preview for accessibility planning
- Discoverability for trailheads, depots, river-bluff overlooks
- Family-friendly trip-planning for first-time visitors
Trail Management & Stewardship
- Asset inventory: signage, surface, depots, trestles, drainage
- Maintenance prioritization with visual reference
- Grant-narrative support backed by mile-by-mile imagery
- Emergency response and precise wayfinding for first responders
- Volunteer coordination and condition reporting
A Digital Twin of the Corridor
- Snapshot in time — preserves the trail as it is right now
- Pre-storm, pre-construction reference baseline
- Engineering reference for trestles, depots, and drainage features
- Foundation for VR, AR, simulation, and curriculum tools
- Future generations see the Katy as it is in 2026
Heritage & Tourism
- Documents the Lewis & Clark return-route corridor in 360°
- Pairs seamlessly with the already-complete Missouri River map
- Visibility for trailside towns, chambers, and outfitters
- Free public educational resource for schools and historians
- Builds the case for full 240-mile deployment
What's in the 30-Mile Demonstration
We're open on segment selection — please pick what matters most to the Trail. Candidate stretches we'd be proud to feature:
- Rocheport tunnel and the Missouri River bluffs
- Hermann and the surrounding wine corridor
- Treloar — the new welcome center
- Defiance / Augusta wine country
- St. Charles terminus
- Or any combined 30-mile stretch DNR / Magnificent Missouri / friends groups would prioritize
Cast Your Vote: Which Stretch Do We Feature?
We're open on segment selection — please pick the stretch that matters most to the Trail. Your input goes privately to the Trust; no tallies are shown publicly.
Thanks — your input goes straight to the Trust.
We'll weigh every response as we shape the 30-mile demonstration with DNR, Magnificent Missouri, and friends groups.
What the Deliverable Looks Like
Public projects in the same format we'll deliver for the Katy. Click any to explore.
Partner With Us on the Katy
Are you with DNR, NPS, Magnificent Missouri, a friends-of-the-trail group, a chamber, or a trail business? Drop your details and we'll be in touch about segment selection, introductions, and how the demonstration can complement your work.
Frequently Asked
When does the demonstration capture happen?
Late June 2026. The 30-mile demonstration segment is fully funded by Terrain360 — no cost to DNR, NPS, or any partner.
How do you decide which 30 miles to capture?
We’re asking the people who steward the Trail. Candidate stretches include Rocheport tunnel, Hermann, Treloar, Defiance/Augusta, and the St. Charles terminus — but we’d love your input. Reach out with your preference.
What about the rest of the 240 miles?
The demonstration is intended to seed the conversation about a full corridor deployment. We will work with DNR, Magnificent Missouri, NPS, and partner orgs on what funding and timeline that would look like.
Where will the imagery live?
Free public access at terrain360.com alongside the existing Missouri River and L&C NHT maps. Embeddable URLs for partners.
Who do I talk to about partnership?
Ryan Abrahamsen at Terrain360 — ryan@terrain360.com — or fill out the form above.