Columbia Parks and Recreation
Creating Community through People, Parks and Programs
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352 acres (includes Forum Nature Area)
8.9 mile multi-use trail (4.7 miles - City of Columbia,
4.2 miles - Boone County)
Bicycling, hiking, jogging, walking
Cross country skiing
Fitness stations (at Stadium and Forum trailheads)
Drinking fountains
"Voices from the Past" - Cell Phone Guided Tour of Memorial Benches along the trail
Flat Branch
Park - Trailhead
MKT Trail Plaza - (Providence & Stewart Rd.)
Forum
Nature Area & Trail
Martin
Luther King, Jr. Memorial at Battle Garden
Playfields at Scott Blvd.
Access
Restrooms at Stadium, Forum (open year round), and Scott Blvd. (open year round)
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The MKT is Columbia's premiere trail. This 10-foot wide trail built on the old railbed of the MKT railroad begins in downtown Columbia in Flat Branch Park at 4th and Cherry Streets. The all-weather crushed limestone surface provides opportunities for walking, jogging, running, and bicycling. The City's 4.7 mile MKT links to Boone County's 4.2 miles of trail at the southwest edge of the city at Scott Blvd. (Contact Boone County at 573-886-4400 for maintenance concerns on the MKT Trail west of Scott Blvd.) The County's trail connects with the State of Missouri's Katy Trail State Park near McBaine. The distance from the start of the MKT Trail to the Katy Trail is 8.9 miles. The KATY Trail extends for over 200 miles from St. Charles in eastern Missouri to Sedalia in western Missouri.
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The Forum Nature Area Trail winds through 108 acres including a small demonstration wetland habitat. It reconnects to the MKT Trail near Twin Lakes Recreation Area.
Thanks to funding support from the Park Sales Tax, trail users can now travel the MKT Trail all the way to the Katy Trail without crossing a street. The trail was routed under Stewart, Providence, and Elm Streets as part of a capital improvement project completed in 2007. The year round restrooms that the replaced port-a-pots at Forum and Scott Blvd. accesses were installed in 2008 and were also funded by the Park Sales Tax.
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Elm Street Underpass |
Providence Road Underpass |
Stewart Road Underpass |
Note: Older wooden Memorial/Heritage benches between Providence Road and Forum Blvd. were replaced in 2009 with new recycled-lumber benches, as part of a bench replacement program. Click here to find out more.
Flat Branch Park
4th and Cherry
Streets
(Trailhead with street parking and parking lot off Elm Street)
MKT Plaza
501 South Providence Road
(No parking)
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial at Battle Garden
800 West Stadium Boulevard
(Parking lot)
Forum Nature Area
2701 Forum Boulevard
(Parking lot)
Scott Boulevard Access
3662 Scott Boulevard
(Parking lot)
| Capital Improvement Projects |
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|---|---|
| Year Completed | Project Description |
| 2007 | Elm/Stewart/Providence Underpass Improvements |
| 2008 | New Restrooms at Scott Blvd. and Forum Blvd. |
| 2009 | Memorial/Heritage Bench Replacement (eight benches) |
| 2009 | MKT Trail Plaza Development (GetAbout Columbia Project) |
| 2009 | Forum Parking Lot - overlay and seal - (Annual Roads and Parking) |
2010 |
MKT Bridges #12 & 13 Replacement |
| 3M Urban Ecological Restoration Project | |
| 2011 | MKT Exercise/Fitness Station Replacements (2011 Annual Park Improv) |
| 2012 | MKT Exercise/Fitness Station Replacements (2012 Annual Park Improv) |
| Project closed | Providence Boardwalk Repair - (Annual Park Improvements) |
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