Applications are now available for bicyclists to "Ride West" on the eighth annual Katy Trail Ride. This year's weeklong bicycle ride on Katy Trail State Park will take place June 16 through June 20.

Jefferson City, MO - infoZine - Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri State Parks Foundation, this 225-mile, scenic bicycle ride will go from St. Charles to Clinton plus an additional three-mile ride into Hermann. Katy Trail Ride 2008 will allow bicyclists to experience the entire Katy Trail State Park, which is the longest developed rail-trail in the nation. The trail will take travelers through many of Missouri's rural communities, alongside open fields and between the Missouri River and its bordering bluffs. Daily mileage ranges from 35 to 65 miles.

Participation is limited to 300 people, and the deadline for registration is June 2. The registration fee includes breakfast and dinner daily, outdoor camping spaces each night, portable hot showers, gear shuttle, sag support and a Katy Trail Ride t-shirt and water bottle. Evening activities and daily trivia questions will highlight this scenic five-day ride.

For an additional fee, transportation will be available between Clinton and St. Charles on June 15 or June 20, along with roundtrip transportation from Columbia to St. Charles on June 15 and Clinton to Columbia on June 20. Day trips are available for bicyclists that would like to participate in this scenic ride but don't have five days to spare.

For more information about the ride or for an application, call the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 1-800-334-6946 (voice) or 1-800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) or visit the Web at www.katytrailstatepark.com.