Maps for day trips in Ohio

Three routes from the Adventure Cycling Association

Published: January 10, 2008 at 9:00 pm

The Adventure Cycling Association, an American nonprofit organisation that encourages bicycle travel, has published three day trip maps in the Ripley, Ohio area.

The routes range from 8.9 miles to 26.5 miles and make use of Adventure Cycling's new 2,028 mile Underground Railroad bicycle route, which stretches from southern Alabama to Ontario, Canada. The day trips all start and finish in Ripley, briefly hugging the Ohio River on the way out of town. They then branch out into three distinct routes, taking in historic sites such as the Rankin House and Parker House.

It's the first time that Adventure Cycling has published routes designed for day trips. "We will continue to develop longer distance routes," said the organisation's executive director Jim Sayer, "But we thought it was time to make it easier for beginners and other cyclists to get introduced to our routes. It's really no different from river rafting. Most people get their first taste of floating on the river during a day trip, not by rafting the whole river."

The maps, which are free, feature colour-coded directions, historical information, and tips for dining and lodging. They can be found at participating bike shops and tourism bureaus in the southern Ohio and northeastern Kentucky regions. They can also be downloaded from Adventure Cycling's website at www.adventurecycling.org/ugrr/ugrrdaytrips.cfm.