Bicyclists to scout Iowa's Mississippi River Trail

Sun June 03 2007
Posted Jun 3, 2007
6,757

For the Daily Gate City A caravan of 30 “route scouts” will begin their grand bicycle excursion of Iowa's Mississippi River Trail Saturday in Keokuk. The Mississippi River Trail, once completed, will be approximately 3,000 miles long and connect 10 states, 123 counties and more than 400 communities. Beginning at Lake Itasca, Minn,, and following the river to the Gulf of Mexico, the trail offers a wealth of recreation opportunities, scenic vistas, historic communities and varied bicycling conditions. The scouting expedition will end at the northeast corner of Iowa in New Albin. Anyone near the trail is encouraged to welcome the route scouts as they pass through. The caravan may represent the first group of thousands that will travel through each of Iowa's river towns via the MRT. The ride, scheduled Saturday through Wednesday, is designed to note the trail's highlights as well as pinpoint trouble spots that need work. At this point, the route includes signed trails and roads as well as unsigned roads. Consequently, drivers should be especially cautious of cyclists during the ride and be sure to give them plenty of room. The route's many natural areas and attractions include Pikes Peak State Park, the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Effigy Mounds National Monument and Starr's Cave and Nature Center. An abundance of historic landmarks also dot the route, from the Mines of Spain in Dubuque to the Toolesboro Indian Burial Mounds in southern Iowa. Art galleries, shopping centers, riverboats, casinos, an IMAX theater, and the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium are among hundreds of other features that will draw future trail users to Iowa and the MRT. The Mississippi River Trail project was established more than 10 years ago by Mississippi River Trails, Inc. Since then, it has been designated as a National Millennium Trail. Its founders hope the trail will encourage healthy lifestyles, create new opportunities for economic development and connect more people to the Mississippi River. Many people already utilize the trail corridor to explore the scenic countryside and rich history of the Mississippi River Valley. Some of the agencies and organizations that have made development of the MRT possible will be represented on the grand biking excursion. Riders include Milly Ortiz, Iowa Department of Transportation bicycle and pedestrian coordinator; Terry Eastin, executive director of MRT, Inc.; Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and member of the MRT board; Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and chairman of MRT, Inc.; and Clyde Bradley, a trail enthusiast, retired engineer and former Iowa legislator from Clinton. “The Mississippi River Trail is all about linking people to nature, their communities and each other,” said Ackelson. “For centuries, this corridor has been a transportation and recreation route for millions of annual visitors. The MRT will add an important new component.” According to a route feasibility study performed in 2003 by the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State, the Mississippi River trail will have a significant economic impact on river communities. In Iowa alone, the completed trail is estimated to boost the economy by up to $20 million each year. So far, 60 percent of the 3,000-mile trail is marked as a bike route, mostly in the lower Mississippi River states. Less than half of Iowa's portion is complete with signs for bicyclists, but reports from the scouting crew on the conditions of the route should help accelerate its development. “Although we like to think of the MRT as a 3,000-mile trail, it is really more about creating new networks for communities and local trail users,” Ackelson said. “We are hopeful that this scouting expedition will also encourage the communities to do their part in helping develop the route and encourage its use.” For more information on the Mississippi River Trail and Iowa MRT Grand Bicycle Excursion, visit www.mississippirivertrail.org #or contact the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation at info@inhf.org.