THE ROOTS OF THE UGRR ROUTE
Adventure Cycling developed this bicycle route to honor the Underground Railroad—one of the most fabled paths to freedom in the world. It is our goal to provide a bicycle route that celebrates the bravery of those who chose to flee slavery and the scores of Americans that offered aid on their route to freedom.
To further our goal of encouraging people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds to explore the landscapes and history of American by bicycle, Adventure Cycling began a partnership with the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh in 2004. With America facing a national health crisis, Adventure Cycling and the Center for Minority Health saw a natural alliance born from common goals. Learn more about the partnership between Adventure Cycling and the Center for Minority Health, download the April 2006 Adventure Cyclist article (PDF 1 M) on the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.
TRACING THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Historians, preservationists, and researchers were contacted and asked the question, “How do you pick a route that represents thousands?” During this period of slavery, the tribal custom of creating songs to transmit information from plantation to plantation was used. Adventure Cycling chose to map a route guided by the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” This song refers to following the North Star and the waterways—in essence, an escape route from Alabama and Mississippi—to the Ohio River. Upon reaching the Ohio River, Adventure Cycling relied on the knowledge and efforts of members and outside experts to steer the route to rich historic destination points while maintaining Adventure Cycling’s standards of great cycling roads and paths.
PASS IT ON
Outreach efforts began in 2006 with the development of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route brochure. Through the generosity of CMH, REI, Inc., and Bikes Belong Coalition, this brochure was created to inform others about the route and project. Are you interested in promoting bicycling and the Underground Railroad in your community? We are partnering with local communities to create day trip maps along the main corridor. Be a Day Tripper by exploring what’s available here or learn how you can become a partner in creating a Day Trip Map for your community here. You can also help us reach our goals by donating to the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.
OTHER PARTNERS AND ADVISORS
Successfully meeting the goals of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route continues to depend upon the contribution of volunteers, members, Underground Railroad enthusiasts, historians, health advocates and more. In the spring of 2006, an Advisory Board was formed to bring expertise into the planning process. Advisory Board Members along with an assortment of other experts tackle the jobs associated with the goals of the project.
Adventure Cycling began listing libraries on the service section of our bicycle maps at the request of our members. Now, through a unique collaboration with an on-line library community called WebJunction, Adventure Cycling and public libraries are working to make the journey on the Underground Railroad together. Find out more about OCLC/WebJunction.
To learn more about the various scenic and historic aspects of the route, see our other UGRR web pages listed on the upper right hand side of the page. There are a multitude of resources we’ve put together to help you enjoy the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route to its fullest potential.
For information on this collaborative project, call Ginny Sullivan at 800-755-2453 ext. 229 or email
Thanks to REI for their generous support of the
Underground Railroad Bicycle Route project.
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