Missouri State Parks honors legacy of Edward “Ted” and Pat Jones
Celebrate the unveiling of Ted and Pat Jones Bridge in Pleasant Hill
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 25, 2026 – Join Missouri State Parks team members at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Rock Island Trail near Pleasant Hill. Originally breaking ground in April 2023, the project is officially complete, and team members are excited to unveil the finished construction of the Ted and Pat Jones Bridge.
Spanning an active railroad track, the new bridge links the Pleasant Hill Trailhead directly to the Rock Island Trail, eliminating a former road detour and bringing Missouri one step closer to connecting Rock Island Trail State Park with Jackson County’s trail system in Kansas City.
“Because of the generosity of Ted and Pat Jones, Missouri has a nature preserve, a vast native prairie, a state park at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and the famous Katy Trail State Park,” said Laura Hendrickson, director of Missouri State Parks. “And now, park visitors have direct, safe access to the Rock Island Trail, thanks to this final gift from the Ted Jones Trust created more than 36 years ago. Ted and Pat loved nature and our park system; without Ted’s drive and enthusiasm, Katy Trail State Park would not be what it is today.”
The couple shared a vision for a seamless cross-state trail system connecting Missouri’s two major metropolitan areas. Today, that vision continues through the Ted Jones Trust, which fully funded the new Pleasant Hill structure as one of the final links in the statewide network.
“Ted Jones spent the last five years of his life working to make the Katy Trail a reality,” said Dan Burkhardt, a spokesperson for the Jones Trust. “He saw the Katy as a way to show all of us the best of our state. In his will, he directed his trustees to invest any funds remaining after his wife's passing to "extend the Katy Trail to Kansas City." The Ted and Pat Jones Bridge in Pleasant Hill on the Rock Island Trail brings his dream one step closer to reality. Thousands of trail riders will experience his generosity and vision as they walk and pedal over this new piece in Missouri's trail puzzle!”
Following the unveiling, Edward Jones associates, guests, and community members will gather to plant trees around the site in honor of former Edward Jones Managing Partner Ted Jones and his enduring legacy. All are welcome to take a walking tour across the bridge following the formal program.
The primary source of funding for the state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax provides about three-fourths of the division's budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri's Division of State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds.
For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit Missouri State Parks Events. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit Missouri State Parks. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
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