Turner Katy Trail Shelter is a trailside shelter located in the small town of Tebbetts, Missouri, 13 miles east of Jefferson City. It is basically a two-story bunkhouse with facilities for bathing, sleeping, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating the kitchen. Originally, it was a popular sandwich shop whose owner donated the property to the Missouri Charitable Trust Conservation Foundation for use by youth groups. Conservancy renovated the building and later added the bunks and other accommodations (see below). Various churches, scouts, and other youth groups use the shelter annually, but not often. Therefore, it is open to all route users on a first-come, first-served basis when not booked by a group in advance. For $5 a day, a guest will have cheap accommodation on a train that is free to the public to begin with.

Accommodation 

• Outside bike racks, covered front porch, outside picnic tables and bright streetlight.
• The front door key is stored on a nearby utility pole for easy access.
• Utilities: electricity, lights, furnace, window air conditioners, hot water, fans, clock.
• Double bunks with firm foam mattresses; 11 downstairs, 8 upstairs plus additional floor space.
• Large wardrobes – attached to the walls between the bunks.
• Large bathroom with double sinks and two closed flush toilets.
• Toilet: two individual shower cabins (separate from the toilet).
• Kitchen/Dining Room: Pantry locker with paper and plastic items and leftover snacks; electric coffe maker; fridge/freezer with ice buckets; microwave; single heating plate; large wooden picnic table. Note: Large vehicle-supported groups staying there will cook outdoors using their camp stoves or similar equipment.
• Bike room with tools: accessible from both inside and outside. Bicycles can be brought in there.
• Notebook-logs to register or to make comments.
• Entertainment – Two board games; ping-pong table (upstairs); various magazines, nature and wildlife pamphlets and various brochures. Local lounge or bar-grill nearby.
• Small store across the street when open and convenience store a third of a mile west on Route 94 – hot/cold snacks and sundries.

 

Instructions for using the shelter are well posted inside along with the self-addressed envelopes for payment. Postage is free if deposited in the outside drop box two doors down across the street to the east. Your daily rate: $5/each for individuals or visits; $20 for groups of up to 40 plus $1 for each person in the group. It is closed from December 1 to March 1; that is, the water and the oven are then closed.

This shelter is a proven asset to the trail. Many users have found protection from rain or windstorms there, often without knowing it existed until someone pointed it out to them. Other users stop there to cool off or use its facilities with or without an overnight stay. Cross-country and end-to-end trail riders spend the night there to save a few bucks on lodging during riding seasons. Others like to socialize with those who stop or stay there.

The guests themselves and other volunteers clean the shelter and do some of the maintenance. They leave things for others to use, like bars of soap and a towel or two, and occasional snacks, like chips, cookies, coffee grounds, and open packages of hot dogs, deli meats, bread/buns, and cheese slices. Basically, guests must provide their own bedding, toiletries, towels, food, and chastity/self-protection devices (eg, pepper spray), although this is not required for most guests. Drop-by’s are limited to one night stay, weather and other reasons permitting.

Large private groups, who have booked it in advance, generally want to keep it while they occupy it. That’s especially true if it’s a youth group, though bad weather might be a factor in sharing it with other responsible trail users. Otherwise it’s first come first served until full, which rarely happens.

The large size of the hostel increases by sharing it responsibly. Guests, often strangers to one another, practice common hostel courtesies such as exchanging basic information, looking out for one another, for example guarding shower or bathroom doors between the sexes, and keeping quiet. Most overnight guests are tired and want to rest before the next day’s adventure. The two floor levels plus a small extra room upstairs offer limited privacy as do the separate toilets and showers. Additionally, the main entrance door can be locked twice from the inside with a chain guard.

The shelter accepts tax-deductible donations and volunteer work. In addition to cash, you may be able to use the following things during extended periods of use:

1. spot checks or repairs on air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators, lights, and other types of general maintenance
2. blackout shower curtains, old towels, old blankets, or sleeping bags
3. shelves for small appliances, books, magazines, radio, TV
4. straighter chairs
5. latches on certain interior doors
6. space heater (for a single or small number of occupants during cold weather)
7. outdoor hydrant with hose
8. deep sink
9. dryer
10. external staircase to upper deck

 

The bike room or bathroom/water heater room has enough space to add a sink and a small clothes dryer. These two items could help guests coming from stormy or wet weather by allowing them to quickly wash and dry their clothes and other gear.

Another perk that often comes with the shelter is a large, friendly dog ​​that sleeps on the front porch. He makes great company and is a dependable night watchman.