Route GPX Data Archives - Adventure Cycling Association

Underground Railroad Section 3 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

Riding close to the Ohio River in the tri-state Kentucky/Indiana/Ohio region, this section moves through the Borderland. This is a narrow strip of land lining both sides of the river that saw some of the Underground Railroad's most intense activity, and where a concentration of physical evidence remaining from those days still exists. The towns of New Albany, Lancaster and Madison in Indiana, and Augusta, Old Washington, and Maysville in Kentucky all have buildings, churches, homes or sites to visit. Roads are generally narrow and winding with low traffic counts. The route alternates between following the river and heading inland. At Maysville you will cross the river into Ohio, and then ride downstream a few miles to Ripley, which comprises a fifty-five acre National Historic District. There is a 16-mile spur into downtown Cincinnati. The city holds numerous sites relating directly to the struggle for freedom, including the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House.

More information about this route is available here.

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Underground Railroad Section 4 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

From Milford north to Xenia, you will cycle along the Little Miami Scenic Trail. One of the longest paved rail-trails in America, it offers fifty miles of the most enjoyable cycling you will experience on the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. The trail parallels the Little Miami State and National Scenic River, creating the additional option of stashing your bike for a day and checking out the same scenery by canoe. The majority of the roads in Ohio are rural in nature and tend to be excellent for bike touring, with smooth, high quality blacktop. You'll travel through many small towns where traffic will increase during commuting hours. In Wilberforce, an unincorporated community just northeast of Xenia, you will find the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center. The route travels through Ohio's capital, Columbus, and temporarily deviates from the Ohio to Erie Trail to follow the Olentangy Trail through the city. Continuing northeast on the Ohio to Erie Trail, it passes through the small towns of Mt. Vernon, Millersburg, and Massillon. In Akron, the route navigates efficiently through the urban hub entirely on traffic-free bike paths. Learn about abolitionist John Brown, and see the house he lived in between the years of 1844 and 1854. Ashtabula County occupies the extreme northeast corner of Ohio. Best known for its numerous wineries and beautiful covered bridges, the area held some three-dozen Underground Railroad safe houses. Here you will ride on the Western Reserve Greenway, a linear park following the former right-of-way of the PennCentral Railroad. A dozen Underground Railroad interpretive markers line the twenty-seven miles of the greenway claimed by Ashtabula County, identifying such sites as the Hubbard House, which is situated adjacent to Walnut Beach in the city of Ashtabula. The safe house was considered a northern terminus of the railroad, as escaped slaves would go from there by boat across Lake Erie to Canada. It is now home to an Underground Railroad museum that includes a map showing the locations of all known Underground Railroad stations in the area.

More information about this route is available here.

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Underground Railroad Section 5 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

Riding northeast from the city of Erie you will enjoy a long stretch of waterside along Lake Erie, the southern-most of the five Great Lakes. Then, after turning back inland south of Buffalo, you will ride through Orchard Park, home of the Pedaling History Bicycle Museum and one of the largest collections of antique and classic American bicycles to be found. There is a great deal of history to be explored in the Buffalo/Niagara area, ranging from American Revolution times to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. This region became a natural funnel for freedom seekers, due to its remoteness, its proximity to Canada, and the anti-slavery sentiment that ran strong throughout New York state. After crossing into Canada, from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake, the route mainly uses the Niagara River Recreation Trail and short portions of the Niagara Parkway along the scenic Niagara River. The route near Niagara Falls is extremely busy in summer, with many international tourists visiting the area. Numerous plaques memorializing people, structures, and events important to the Underground Railroad and other periods of black history are found on or close to the route as you proceed northwest through the Niagara area. Throughout Ontario the route traverses the Niagara Escarpment, so expect climbs and descents. This will provide a challenge for the fully loaded cyclist, especially when going off-route for services or exploration. Owen Sound, where your ride of discovery ends, was known as the final terminal of the Underground Railroad. It is where many former slaves found their hard-earned freedom, and many of them settled in the village originally called Sydenham. Every year since 1862 the community has held its Emancipation Picnic, which today celebrates two historic milestones of freedom: the British Emancipation Act of 1834, and the United States Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

More information about this route is available here.

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Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate Section 1 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

This alternate, beginning in Everett, Ohio, takes cyclists around the western side of Lake Erie through historically rich Michigan. There are many sites to visit in the towns that the route goes through. In Michigan the route becomes much more urban. Because there is no bicycle-friendly connection between Detroit and Windsor the route crosses into Canada north of these cities, which were both important sites to freedom seekers.

More information about this route is available here.

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Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate Section 2 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

From Sombra, Ontario, the route heads north through rural countryside, visiting several Underground Railroad sites before reaching Owen Sound, the terminus of the main route, located on the southern side of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay. The Windsor Option, also in this section, can become a loop on its own connecting to section 1. From Sandusky,Ohio, you can cross Lake Erie via ferry. The route then goes northwest along the shore to Windsor, where many freedom seekers settled after their escape to Canada. It continues to the northeast where it reconnects to the Alternate at Sombra, Ontario.

More information about this route is available here.

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Eastern Express Connector Section 1 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

Heading eastbound from Walden, Colorado, the Eastern Express Connector crosses the southern Rocky Mountains only once at Cameron Pass, compared to the three high-elevation passes on the traditional TransAmerica route. The route then descends the scenic Poudre River canyon into the bicycle-friendly college town of Fort Collins, the only significant population on the entire section. Things start to dry out as you get into the eastern part of Colorado and cross into the southwestern corner of Nebraska. Carrying extra water is a good idea here – this is hot, barren country and services are limited. You might have to do some early morning and early evening riding to escape the midday sun. Many of the small towns along the way have public swimming pools to help to beat the heat, so pack your swimsuit! The route through Kansas continues to be rural in nature, with not a single town’s population over 2,000 until the section's end in Atchison, Kansas.

More information about this route is available here.

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Eastern Express Connector Section 2 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

A highlight of this route is the historic Katy Trail, the country’s longest recreational rail trail. Now a state park, the crushed-limestone trail is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and winds alongside the mighty Missouri River. The Jefferson City Option can be used if the western portion of the Katy Trail is flooded. In Boonville, Missouri, the TransAmerica Crossover provides a mid-way connection to the traditional TransAmerica Trail. It follows the Katy Trail to its western terminus in Clinton, Missouri, and links up to Section 8 of the TransAmerica Trail just north of Toronto, Kansas. For cyclists who also plan to ride the Western Express Bicycle Route, this Crossover creates a more streamlined route across Middle America. The Connector terminates in Indianapolis, the state capital and largest city in Indiana. From here, ride onto the Chicago to New York City Route to continue east on your “express” cross-country journey.

More information about this route is available here.

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Eastern Express Connector Map Set GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:48:17 +0000

The Eastern Express Connector connects the TransAmerica Trail in the west to the Chicago to New York City Bicycle Route in the east. Designed to be a quicker (and easier) coast-to-coast experience for the time-constrained cyclist, this route avoids some of the most strenuous climbing in the southern Rockies, Ozarks, and Appalachian Mountains.

More information about this route is available here.

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Chicago to New York City Section 4 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:47:54 +0000

The route enters the Appalachian Mountains. Most of it follows valleys but you will encounter several ridge crossings with steep climbs and descents. At the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border the route traverses quiet roads through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Continuing eastward into New York, the route follows state highways and rural roads to the Hudson River. New York State Bicycle Route 9, a popular route for bicyclists, takes you into the suburbs and you’ll cross the river on the George Washington Bridge. The Hudson River Greenway is used to reach Battery Park, the end of the route at the southern tip of Manhattan Island.

More information about this route is available here.

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Chicago to New York City Philadelphia Alternate Section 1 GPX Data

Tim Heuermann — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:47:54 +0000

In Pittsburgh you’ll make the choice to stay on the main route or to follow the Philadelphia Alternate. The route uses the Great Allegheny Passage, a multi-use trail that primarily follows railroad corridors from Pittsburgh to Cumberland. It traverses four tunnels; the longest is the Big Savage Tunnel at 3,294 feet. Grades along the trail are less than 2 percent. In Cumberland the route continues onto the C&O Canal Trail and follows the Potomac River eastward along the Maryland/West Virginia state border. At Hagerstown the route heads northeast past Gettysburg National Military Park, crosses the Susquehanna River, and enters Lancaster County, known as “Pennsylvania Dutch Country.”

More information about this route is available here.

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