Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail - 1 Hartford, Illinois - Council Bluffs, Iowa - 558 Miles

Section 1 of the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail begins near the 1803-04 winter encampment of the Corps of Discovery. In Missouri, 151 miles of this route is on the Katy Trail, a crushed limestone trail built on an abandoned railroad bed next to the river.

If this surface is not to your liking, the Jefferson City Option offers a hilly, paved alternate reducing the number of miles on limestone. The route also uses the Steamboat Trace in Nebraska, another crushed limestone trail. The bustle of traffic of metropolitan Kansas City is avoided, but be prepared for hills whenever the route leaves the river valley. This section ends at the Iowa West Trailhead in Council Bluffs, a bicycling-friendly community with a network of cycling paths throughout the city.

ABOUT ADVENTURE CYCLING MAPS
Adventure Cycling maps are created by cyclists, for cyclists, and they are some of the best available for those in search of discovery and adventure in North America. The maps reflect the association's research as well as suggestions from thousands of cyclists who have explored the Adventure Cycling Route Network. Adventure Cycling develops the best cross-country, loop, coastal, and inland cycling routes available, with turn-by-turn directions, detailed navigational instructions for the tricky sections, and elevation profiles in the high country.

The maps are waterproof and designed to fit in a handlebar-bag window or jersey pocket. The maps provide information specifically for cyclists: the location of bike shops, sources for food and water, and listings of overnight accommodations including camping facilities, small hotels, and cyclists-only lodging.