August 10, 2006

Adventure Cycling Releases Southern Section of Underground Railroad Bicycle Route Maps

Missoula, Mont. - After two years of planning, route research, and map-making, Adventure Cycling is proud to announce the completion of maps for the southern section of its newest and most unique creation — the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. Starting in Mobile, Alabama, the southern section of the UGRR traverses the Deep South on scenic back roads, traveling 867.5 miles to Owensboro, Kentucky, on the Ohio River. A heritage route in the spirit of the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail, the UGRR follows one of the many historic paths of the Underground Railroad, the most fabled trek to freedom in American history.

"The Underground Railroad Route celebrates the bravery of freedom seekers who escaped and the countless Americans who offered aid on their route to freedom," says Carla Majernik, Adventure Cycling's director of routes and mapping. "It also happens to have lots of incredible riding."

Adventure Cycling relied on the knowledge and efforts of our members as well as outside experts, such as historians and preservationists, to steer the route to rich historic destinations while maintaining Adventure Cycling’s standards of great cycling roads and paths. Besides the lush green scenery and the many small towns the route passes through, a host of museums, historic parks, and visitor centers bring the history of this remarkable period alive. A few of the historic highlights of the route are the National African-American Archives and Museum; the Civil War Interpretive Center; Fort Donelson National Battlefield, which borders the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area; and Historic Blakeley State Park, site of the last battle of the Civil War.

To develop and promote the Underground Railroad Route, Adventure Cycling formed a unique partnership with the Center for Minority Health, a trailblazing organization based at the University of Pittsburgh that works to improve the health of minorities in America. They share Adventure Cycling's vision of promoting lifelong health through bicycling, a form of physical activity available to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Adventure Cycling also received generous financial support from its members, REI, and Bikes Belong for route development, mapping, and promotion, as well as educational outreach.

To learn more about the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, visit http://www.adventurecycling.org/ugrr/index.cfm. The maps, which feature historical sites as well as field notes on points of interest, can be viewed at http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/undergroundrailroad.cfm and purchased in Adventure Cycling’s online store at http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/category.cfm?Category=98.

Maps for the northern section of the UGRR, which will extend to Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, will be released in the winter of 2006-7.

For more information on the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, contact Ginny Sullivan at gsullivan@adventurecycling.org or (800) 755-2453, ext. 229.

Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with more than 43,000 members. A nonprofit organization, our mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. We produce routes and maps for cycling in North America, organize more than 30 tours annually, and publish the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists' Yellow Pages. For information, call (800) 755-BIKE (2453), email info@adventurecycling.org, or visit www.adventurecycling.org.

Established in 1994 with a generous grant from the R.K. Mellon Foundation, the Center for Minority Health (CMH) is committed to translating evidence-based research into community-based interventions and innovative outreach practices. The CMH provides the infrastructure, among the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Health Sciences, for addressing health issues among ethnic and racial minorities and other vulnerable and underserved populations. For information, call (412) 624-5665 or visit www.cmh.pitt.edu/home1.html.