
UGRR Detroit ALT Everett, OH to Owen Sound, ON 2 Map Set (564.7 mi.) |
GPX Data | Overview
UGRR Detroit ALT Overview Image![]() |
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DET ALT 1 - Everett, OH to Sombra, ON (340.8 mi.) | Detail
UGRR Detroit ALT Section DET ALT 1 Detail Image![]() |
DET ALT 2 - Sombra, ON to Owen Sound, ON (223.9 mi.) | Detail
UGRR Detroit ALT Section DET ALT 2 Detail Image![]() |
Due to limited resources, the paper map versions of some sections of this route have been discontinued and will no longer be available once sold out. All sections of this route are still available digitally. More info here: Going Digital: App or GPX.
The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR) memorializes the Underground Railroad, a network of clandestine routes by which African freedom seekers attempted to escape slavery before and during the Civil War. This page describes the 564.7-mile Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate route from Everett, OH, to Owen Sound, Ontario. You may also be interested in the main Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR), the UGRR Pittsburgh Spur, or the day-trip rides in Ripley, Ohio (PDF).
The 564.7-mile Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate provides alternate routing, and a host of new historic sites, for cyclists traveling the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR) between Everett, Ohio, and Owen Sound, Ontario. Departing from the main Underground Railroad route in Everett, the Detroit Alternate guides cyclists through Toledo and Detroit, around Lake St. Clair, tracing the shoreline of Lake Huron before heading to Owen Sound. The maps also provide a ferry option across Lake Erie from Sandusky, Ohio, through Windsor, Ontario.
This alternate begins in Everett, Ohio, a tiny community that is located on Section 4 of the main route. It takes cyclists around the western side of Lake Erie through historically rich Michigan. There are many sites to visit in the towns that the route goes through. Oberlin is home to Oberlin College, among the first colleges in the United States to admit African-American students. Sites in town include the Westwood Cemetery, the final resting place for many abolitionists and freedom seekers; and the First Church of Oberlin, which served as the headquarters of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society. It was also here that memorial services were held for John Copeland and Shields Green, two men who were hung for their participation in abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry. Not far east of Oberlin is Hudson (on section 4), Brown’s boyhood home. The early abolitionist movement ran strong in Hudson, which in 2000 became the first town in northern Ohio to receive a state Underground Railroad historical marker, commemorating the community’s involvement in the anti-slavery movement. In Michigan, the route becomes much more urban. Because there is no bicycle-friendly connection between Detroit and Windsor the route crosses into Canada north of these cities, which were both important sites to freedom seekers. You have an option though, which could also become a loop on its own. From the Sandusky Spur, you can cross Lake Erie via ferry and follow the 162-mile Windsor Option. The route goes northwest along the shoreline to Windsor, where many settled after their escape from the U.S. Continuing northeast it reconnects to the route just northwest of Wallaceburg, Ontario. The route then heads north through rural countryside, visiting several more Underground Railroad sites before reaching Owen Sound, the terminus of the main route, located on the southern side of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay.
Photo by Ginny Sullivan
Northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan are mainly flat. You will find a few rolling hills between Adrian, Michigan and the outskirts of Detroit. After crossing the St. Clair River into Ontario, Canada, the route becomes hillier, even when riding along Lake Huron. There is a big descent riding to the route's terminus at Owen Sound.
UGRR Detroit ALT - Main Route | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Section | Distance | Elevation | Total Climb | Avg. Climb/mile |
Total | 564.7 miles | Minimum: 570 ft. Maximum: 1,205 ft. |
11,525 ft. north bound 11,705 ft. south bound |
20 ft. per mi. north bound 21 ft. per mi. south bound |
DET ALT 1 | 340.8 miles | Minimum: 570 ft. Maximum: 1,205 ft. |
5,480 ft. north bound 5,645 ft. south bound |
16 ft. per mi. north bound 17 ft. per mi. south bound |
DET ALT 2 | 223.9 miles | Minimum: 575 ft. Maximum: 955 ft. |
6,045 ft. north bound 6,060 ft. south bound |
27 ft. per mi. north bound 27 ft. per mi. south bound |
UGRR Detroit ALT Alternates | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Section | Distance | Total Climb | Avg. Climb/mi |
Sandusky Spur | DET ALT 1 | 14.8 miles | 190 ft. north bound 280 ft. south bound |
13 ft. per mi. north bound 19 ft. per mi. south bound |
Windsor Option | DET ALT 2 | 162.1 miles | 1,225 ft. north bound 1,220 ft. south bound |
8 ft. per mi. north bound 8 ft. per mi. south bound |
This route can be ridden from mid-spring to mid-fall. Some cyclists may want to do the northern portions of it during the colors of autumn. If you do, call ahead to verify campground availability because many close after Labor Day.
Many UGRR activities historically took place in what were then villages and small towns, which became large cities. Due to this growth, the route passes through several major metropolitan areas and thus involves serious urban cycling. These large cities are generally devoid of campgrounds.
In Ohio, the route makes use of two paved rail trails. The North Coast Inland Trail between Oberlin and the Lorain/Huron County line, and again between Clyde and Elmore; and the University Trail in the suburbs of Toledo. These trails are shorter and safer than adjacent highways.
The route changes dramatically from urban to rural at the Ohio/Michigan state line. Cyclists are advised to stay on the marked route in rural Michigan as there are many unpaved secondary roads. Also, the state and U.S. highways carry considerable truck traffic and do not have paved shoulders. The route uses the Kiwanis Trail between Adrian and Tecumseh.
Note that Michigan does not allow left turns at signalized intersections from a highway having a center median. Instead, left turning traffic proceeds a couple hundred yards beyond the intersection and then makes a U-turn at a sometimes-signalized crossover. Cyclists should make left turns as a pedestrian.
The Walpole Algonac Ferry between Algonac, Michigan and Walpole Island, Ontario operates from 6:50 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.
Although none of the major highways in Ontario have paved shoulders, the speed limit outside of urban areas is 80km/hr (50 mi/hr) and motorists generally abide by that limit.
Rural secondary roads throughout southwest Ontario are often gravel. The route has been carefully researched to avoid those roads. What may look like a tempting shortcut down a paved road may become a miserable ride on a gravel road. Cyclists are advised to stay on the route.
It is worthwhile to spend a few minutes in Sarnia at the park under the Blue Water Bridge connecting Canada and the United States. It is where all of the water from the upper Great Lakes funnels into the narrow St. Clair River. Bicycles are not allowed on the Blue Water Bridge.
North of Sarnia the route goes inland and then continues mostly as an inland route to avoid the relatively heavy traffic and trucks on PR 21. This highway is the major tourist and commercial route between Sarnia and Owen Sound. The consequence of this routing is that there are few on-route services outside of towns and cities. Cyclists wishing to use services on PR 21 should return to the UGRR route to continue their trip and avoid the traffic on PR 21.
The 14.8-mile Sandusky Spur is the connection to the ferry across Lake Erie to Ontario, Canada, and the Windsor Option on section 2. All ferries to Canada from Sandusky, Ohio, stop at Pelee Island which is the Port of Entry/Customs to Canada. Sandusky is the Port of Entry/Customs to the United States.
The area near Sandusky is home to Cedar Point, one of the largest amusement parks in the country, and is therefore a busy summer tourist destination. Bicycles are not allowed on the Cedar Point Causeway and Bridge.
The 162.1-mile Windsor Option follows the Lake Erie coastline through the city of Windsor and visits several notable sites. You need to consult the ferry schedule before crossing Lake Erie as the schedule varies by month and day of the week. Ferries arrive and depart from Kingsville or Leamington at different times of the year.
The route from the ferry to Windsor provides views of Lake Erie and especially the Detroit River. The multi-use path between the Ambassador Bridge and the north side of Windsor is imbedded in a riverfront park and is very pleasant cycling. Bicycles are not allowed on the Ambassador Bridge or in the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel.
Some campgrounds will charge a cyclist traveling alone less if they have hiker/biker sites, but often they will charge the price of a regular tent or RV site, and that can easily be $10-$40/night. The maps list churches that have opened their doors to cyclists, but they aren't all that closely spaced. If you're friendly and ask around, you can often get yourself invited to camp in a yard. In the U.S. our routes sometimes go through national forests (moreso in the west) and you are allowed to camp anywhere on national forest land as long as you "pack it in, pack it out." Many city parks are free to camp in.
You may also wish to sign up with Warmshowers, a reciprocal hospitality site for bicycle travelers, for other overnight options.
Medina, OH
Oberlin, OH
Sandusky, OH
Sylvania, OH
Blissfield, MI
Adrian, MI
Albion, MI (off route)
Marshall, MI (off route)
Saline, MI
Ann Arbor, MI
Ypslanti, MI
Romulus, MI
Detroit, MI
The following sites are within a day’s bike ride from the Detroit Alternate route in Michigan.
* Denotes a site not listed on the map.
Amherstburg, ON
Windsor, ON
Puce, ON
Buxton, ON
Chatham, ON
Dresden, ON
Lucan, ON
Owen Sound, ON
The project was born in 2004 when Adventure Cycling began a partnership with the Center for Health Equity at the University of Pittsburgh to further encourage people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds to explore America's landscapes and history by bicycle. Combined with the nation's burgeoning health crisis, Adventure Cycling and the Center for Health Equity saw a natural alliance with common goals.
Adventure Cycling contacted historians, preservationists, and researchers and asked: “How do you pick a single route that represents thousands of escape routes?”
During this period of slavery, the tribal custom of creating songs to transmit information was used to communicate between slaves from plantation to plantation. Adventure Cycling chose to map the first part of the route guided by the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” This song refers to following the North Star and waterways to the Ohio River — in essence, it describes an escape route from Alabama and Mississippi. 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 destinations while maintaining Adventure Cycling’s standards of great cycling roads and paths.
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.
Mario Browne, MPH, CHES; Chuck Harmon; Anthony Ratajczak; Todd Scott; Stephen Thomas PhD
Barb Bickel, executive director, Visit Lorain County; Nancy Darga, managing director, MotorCities National Heritage Area; Deborah Johnson, clinical therapist; Joe Levin, board member, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance; Carol E. Mull, author of The Underground Railroad in Michigan; Joseph D.R. Tanner, administrative generalist and educational outreach specialist, The Hub of Detroit; Kimberly L. Simmons, founding president and executive director, Quarlls Watkins Heritage Project; Leslie C. Strong Williams, president, Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society; Kathryn Underwood, city planner, Detroit Planning Commission.
Due to limited resources, the paper map versions of some sections of this route have been discontinued and will no longer be available once sold out. All sections of this route are still available digitally. More info here: Going Digital: App or GPX.
The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR) memorializes the Underground Railroad, a network of clandestine routes by which African freedom seekers attempted to escape slavery before and during the Civil War. This page describes the 564.7-mile Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate route from Everett, OH, to Owen Sound, Ontario. You may also be interested in the main Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR), the UGRR Pittsburgh Spur, or the day-trip rides in Ripley, Ohio (PDF).
The 564.7-mile Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate provides alternate routing, and a host of new historic sites, for cyclists traveling the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR) between Everett, Ohio, and Owen Sound, Ontario. Departing from the main Underground Railroad route in Everett, the Detroit Alternate guides cyclists through Toledo and Detroit, around Lake St. Clair, tracing the shoreline of Lake Huron before heading to Owen Sound. The maps also provide a ferry option across Lake Erie from Sandusky, Ohio, through Windsor, Ontario.
This alternate begins in Everett, Ohio, a tiny community that is located on Section 4 of the main route. It takes cyclists around the western side of Lake Erie through historically rich Michigan. There are many sites to visit in the towns that the route goes through. Oberlin is home to Oberlin College, among the first colleges in the United States to admit African-American students. Sites in town include the Westwood Cemetery, the final resting place for many abolitionists and freedom seekers; and the First Church of Oberlin, which served as the headquarters of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society. It was also here that memorial services were held for John Copeland and Shields Green, two men who were hung for their participation in abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry. Not far east of Oberlin is Hudson (on section 4), Brown’s boyhood home. The early abolitionist movement ran strong in Hudson, which in 2000 became the first town in northern Ohio to receive a state Underground Railroad historical marker, commemorating the community’s involvement in the anti-slavery movement. In Michigan, the route becomes much more urban. Because there is no bicycle-friendly connection between Detroit and Windsor the route crosses into Canada north of these cities, which were both important sites to freedom seekers. You have an option though, which could also become a loop on its own. From the Sandusky Spur, you can cross Lake Erie via ferry and follow the 162-mile Windsor Option. The route goes northwest along the shoreline to Windsor, where many settled after their escape from the U.S. Continuing northeast it reconnects to the route just northwest of Wallaceburg, Ontario. The route then heads north through rural countryside, visiting several more Underground Railroad sites before reaching Owen Sound, the terminus of the main route, located on the southern side of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay.
Photo by Ginny Sullivan
Northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan are mainly flat. You will find a few rolling hills between Adrian, Michigan and the outskirts of Detroit. After crossing the St. Clair River into Ontario, Canada, the route becomes hillier, even when riding along Lake Huron. There is a big descent riding to the route's terminus at Owen Sound.
This route can be ridden from mid-spring to mid-fall. Some cyclists may want to do the northern portions of it during the colors of autumn. If you do, call ahead to verify campground availability because many close after Labor Day.
Many UGRR activities historically took place in what were then villages and small towns, which became large cities. Due to this growth, the route passes through several major metropolitan areas and thus involves serious urban cycling. These large cities are generally devoid of campgrounds.
In Ohio, the route makes use of two paved rail trails. The North Coast Inland Trail between Oberlin and the Lorain/Huron County line, and again between Clyde and Elmore; and the University Trail in the suburbs of Toledo. These trails are shorter and safer than adjacent highways.
The route changes dramatically from urban to rural at the Ohio/Michigan state line. Cyclists are advised to stay on the marked route in rural Michigan as there are many unpaved secondary roads. Also, the state and U.S. highways carry considerable truck traffic and do not have paved shoulders. The route uses the Kiwanis Trail between Adrian and Tecumseh.
Note that Michigan does not allow left turns at signalized intersections from a highway having a center median. Instead, left turning traffic proceeds a couple hundred yards beyond the intersection and then makes a U-turn at a sometimes-signalized crossover. Cyclists should make left turns as a pedestrian.
The Walpole Algonac Ferry between Algonac, Michigan and Walpole Island, Ontario operates from 6:50 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.
Although none of the major highways in Ontario have paved shoulders, the speed limit outside of urban areas is 80km/hr (50 mi/hr) and motorists generally abide by that limit.
Rural secondary roads throughout southwest Ontario are often gravel. The route has been carefully researched to avoid those roads. What may look like a tempting shortcut down a paved road may become a miserable ride on a gravel road. Cyclists are advised to stay on the route.
It is worthwhile to spend a few minutes in Sarnia at the park under the Blue Water Bridge connecting Canada and the United States. It is where all of the water from the upper Great Lakes funnels into the narrow St. Clair River. Bicycles are not allowed on the Blue Water Bridge.
North of Sarnia the route goes inland and then continues mostly as an inland route to avoid the relatively heavy traffic and trucks on PR 21. This highway is the major tourist and commercial route between Sarnia and Owen Sound. The consequence of this routing is that there are few on-route services outside of towns and cities. Cyclists wishing to use services on PR 21 should return to the UGRR route to continue their trip and avoid the traffic on PR 21.
The 14.8-mile Sandusky Spur is the connection to the ferry across Lake Erie to Ontario, Canada, and the Windsor Option on section 2. All ferries to Canada from Sandusky, Ohio, stop at Pelee Island which is the Port of Entry/Customs to Canada. Sandusky is the Port of Entry/Customs to the United States.
The area near Sandusky is home to Cedar Point, one of the largest amusement parks in the country, and is therefore a busy summer tourist destination. Bicycles are not allowed on the Cedar Point Causeway and Bridge.
The 162.1-mile Windsor Option follows the Lake Erie coastline through the city of Windsor and visits several notable sites. You need to consult the ferry schedule before crossing Lake Erie as the schedule varies by month and day of the week. Ferries arrive and depart from Kingsville or Leamington at different times of the year.
The route from the ferry to Windsor provides views of Lake Erie and especially the Detroit River. The multi-use path between the Ambassador Bridge and the north side of Windsor is imbedded in a riverfront park and is very pleasant cycling. Bicycles are not allowed on the Ambassador Bridge or in the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel.
Some campgrounds will charge a cyclist traveling alone less if they have hiker/biker sites, but often they will charge the price of a regular tent or RV site, and that can easily be $10-$40/night. The maps list churches that have opened their doors to cyclists, but they aren't all that closely spaced. If you're friendly and ask around, you can often get yourself invited to camp in a yard. In the U.S. our routes sometimes go through national forests (moreso in the west) and you are allowed to camp anywhere on national forest land as long as you "pack it in, pack it out." Many city parks are free to camp in.
You may also wish to sign up with Warmshowers, a reciprocal hospitality site for bicycle travelers, for other overnight options.
Medina, OH
Oberlin, OH
Sandusky, OH
Sylvania, OH
Blissfield, MI
Adrian, MI
Albion, MI (off route)
Marshall, MI (off route)
Saline, MI
Ann Arbor, MI
Ypslanti, MI
Romulus, MI
Detroit, MI
The following sites are within a day’s bike ride from the Detroit Alternate route in Michigan.
* Denotes a site not listed on the map.
Amherstburg, ON
Windsor, ON
Puce, ON
Buxton, ON
Chatham, ON
Dresden, ON
Lucan, ON
Owen Sound, ON
The project was born in 2004 when Adventure Cycling began a partnership with the Center for Health Equity at the University of Pittsburgh to further encourage people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds to explore America's landscapes and history by bicycle. Combined with the nation's burgeoning health crisis, Adventure Cycling and the Center for Health Equity saw a natural alliance with common goals.
Adventure Cycling contacted historians, preservationists, and researchers and asked: “How do you pick a single route that represents thousands of escape routes?”
During this period of slavery, the tribal custom of creating songs to transmit information was used to communicate between slaves from plantation to plantation. Adventure Cycling chose to map the first part of the route guided by the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” This song refers to following the North Star and waterways to the Ohio River — in essence, it describes an escape route from Alabama and Mississippi. 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 destinations while maintaining Adventure Cycling’s standards of great cycling roads and paths.
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.
Mario Browne, MPH, CHES; Chuck Harmon; Anthony Ratajczak; Todd Scott; Stephen Thomas PhD
Barb Bickel, executive director, Visit Lorain County; Nancy Darga, managing director, MotorCities National Heritage Area; Deborah Johnson, clinical therapist; Joe Levin, board member, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance; Carol E. Mull, author of The Underground Railroad in Michigan; Joseph D.R. Tanner, administrative generalist and educational outreach specialist, The Hub of Detroit; Kimberly L. Simmons, founding president and executive director, Quarlls Watkins Heritage Project; Leslie C. Strong Williams, president, Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society; Kathryn Underwood, city planner, Detroit Planning Commission.