The Adventure Cycling Association, Great Rivers Bicycle Route is a 1,333 mile (2146 km) route that follows or crosses the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, the Tennessee River, the Cumberland River, and much of the Natchez Trace. This is a route of subtle beauty, replete with farmland, woods, caverns, rivers, and waterfalls. There's quite a bit of history along the route passing through Nauvoo, Illinois, the town from which the Mormons were driven in the 1800s, and Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain's hometown. Riders also pass a pirate's cave on the Ohio River, an old Civil War fort, and antebellum homes in Natchez, Mississippi, and St. Francisville, Louisiana.
Although titled the Great Rivers Bicycle Route, there are hardly any long stretches along
rivers. Instead, the route cross many of the great rivers that feed into the Mississippi. The
route can be ridden from mid-spring to late fall, and even into the winter on the southern
portion. Due to changing local conditions, it is difficult to predict any major wind patterns.
High summer temperatures and humidity can cause discomfort for those not used to
either. Tornadoes are common in Illinois and Missouri, occurring mostly in May and June.
ROUTE
Starting in Muscatine, Iowa, the route follows the west side of the river, beside the Mark
Twain National Wildlife Refuge. Riders will particularly enjoy the 11-mile stretch between
Nauvoo and Hamilton, right alongside the Mississippi River. After crossing the bridge into
Hannibal, Missouri, the route enters a town most famous as the boyhood home of
Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain). This town has tourist sites based on characters
and places from his books, e.g., Tom Sawyer's fence, Becky Thatcher's home, Grant's
Drug Store, and Mark Twain's Cave. The route heads southward into hilly farm country.
There is a side trip into St. Louis, Missouri to see the famous Gateway Arch. Granny gears
may be required off and on until Cape Girardeau, where riders cross back into Illinois.
This means more farm country, and then crossing the Ohio River by ferry into Kentucky.
Granny gears again, and then a very pleasant ride along The Trace Road in the Land
Between the Lakes Recreation Area, an expanse of woods where buffalo roam. No
commercial vehicles are allowed on this road, and a 45 mph speed limit is strictly
enforced. The route on the Natchez Trace follows a two-lane road in a national park that
continues through Alabama and Mississippi, with no commercial traffic or services
permitted. All services, except for occasional campgrounds, are off the route in nearby
towns. Riders will encounter fellow bicyclists and enjoy many hiking trails, boardwalks,
waterfalls, and historical sites along the Trace. At the end of the Trace, travellers can visit
the antebellum homes in Natchez, Mississippi. After that, it's a long day's ride through the
rural countryside into St. Francisville, Louisiana. The spur route to Baton Rouge connects
to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport for transportation home.
Terrain
The route starts out flat as it follows the floodplain of the Mississippi River. After Hannibal,
Missouri, the route becomes more difficult, with numerous steep, roller-coaster hills the
norm throughout the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. The southern part of Illinois is
generally rolling. Then it's back to the roller-coaster roads in Kentucky and Tennessee
until reaching the Natchez Trace. The Trace begins with a slight downhill and then levels
off with rolling-flat terrain for the remainder of the route through Mississippi and Louisiana.
