Cycling Tips & Stories

Cooper’s Landing consists of an acre and a half of land wedged between the Missouri River and the Katy Trail, on Easley River Road south of Columbia. Opened as a live bait shop in 1986, it has endured two floods and grown into a live music venue and community gathering place. . . .

Cooper said he originally envisioned expanding the bait shop into a boat sales and repair business. But the Flood of ’93 closed Cooper’s Landing for two years. When the business reopened in 1995, Cooper revamped the bait shop into a convenience store to serve the hikers and cyclists on the Katy Trail as well as the river traffic.

Eventually he added tent camping sites, live music and barbecue. The site has even hosted retirement parties and wedding receptions. In 2001, the business had perhaps its most interesting addition with Chim’s Thai Kitchen, owned by Pramuan "Chim" Duncan, in a mobile kitchen at one side of the store.