Celebrating the Transamerica Trail through Missouri

Saara Snow of the Adventure Cycling Association is visiting Missouri this weekend to help MoDOT, MoBikeFed, the cities of Farmington and Springfield, and all the communities along the Transamerica Trail in Missouri celebrate the dedication of the Transamerica Trail in Missouri Saturday.

The Transamerica Trail/U.S. Bicycle Route 76 across Missouri has been officially designated and directional signs added to the route

The Transamerica Trail has been used for nearly 40 years. But only recently--after decades of work by MoBikeFed and our allies across the state--has the trail been officially designated as U.S. Bicycle Route 76 and signed by MoDOT.

So we're celebrating!

• Join MoBikeFed, Adventure Cycling, MoDOT, and the City of Farmington at 11:30 on Saturday, October 11th, 2014 at Al's Place Bike Hostel in Farmington.  
• Join Ozark Greenways and MoDOT at the Willard Trailhead near Springfield at 3:30 on Saturday, October 11th.

The Adventure Cycling Assocation posted a major article about the Transamerica Trail and its history--well worth the read if you're interested in cycle touring in the U.S. or any of Missouri's seven cross-state and cross-country routes.

Here is the section from the Adventury Cycling Association's article about the Transamerica Trail through Missouri and our celebration this weekend:

Celebrating U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in Missouri

Missouri in particular has a lot to celebrate when it comes to USBR 76/TransAm Trail. The state designated and signed the route in the same year – 2013 – which no other state has since accomplished in that time span. The route traverses 350 miles, from the Mississippi River in Chester, Illinois, to the Kansas state line near Golden City. Cyclists climb the beautiful Ozark Mountains, one of the oldest ranges in the world, ride through lush, green forests and agricultural land, and can swim at Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park on the East Fork of the Black River. They spend their dollars locally, stopping at small town cafes and restaurants to fuel up on pie and coffee, picking up bike parts at local bike shops, and finding quirky accommodations like Al's Place, an old jailhouse that was rennovated into a bike hostel in Farmington, Missouri. Towns like Farmington (population 17,800) have used the TransAmerica Trail to create a culture of welcoming bicycle travelers and building their identity as a bicycle tourism destination. 

Al's Place Bicycle Hostel in Farmington, Missouri

Farmington will be hosting a celebration and dedication of the TransAm's designation as U.S. Bicycle Route 76 this Saturday, October 11th at Al's Place on 11 North Franklin, starting at 11:30 am. We welcome you to join us and our partners, the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, the Missouri Dept of Transportation, and the City of Farmington, for this event which will feature speakers, lunch and a dedication cake, and tours of Al's Place. It will be an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the history of the TransAmerica Trail and the benefits that 40 years of bicycle travel has brought to Farmington and to Missouri, and to celebrate its incorporation into the U.S. Bicycle Route System. 

 

Creating a world-class statewide bicycle and pedestrian transportation system is one of the primary goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.  Missouri's six national bicycle routes and one cross-state bicycle route are important parts of that system. Your membership and generous financial support helps turn our Vision into reality!

Photo credits:

1. U.S. Bicycle Route 76 directional signs - Ron Effland, MoDOT

2. Al's Place Transamerica Trail Cycling Hostel - Dennis Coello