Day 3 (Saturday, September 7)
Leaving Hitchcock Nature Center, riders will follow the Historic Lincoln Highway into the town of Crescent, which has several restaurants and a convenience store. You will turn east into the Loess Hills, up a big hill, and then back down onto Mudhollow Road, following a scenic valley into Council Bluffs. Once in Council Bluffs, the largest city on this year's route, you will be routed on city streets through the historic downtown 100 Block and Main Street districts, with numerous eating establishments. The route will then follow city trails along Indian Creek to Lake Manawa State Park, where an educational program will be held. From Manawa, trails connect to a county road that leads south out of Council Bluffs. On the southeast side of town, the route is on the beautiful Wabash Trace Nature Trail. This tree-lined, former railroad corridor offers some of the most scenic bicycling in all of Iowa. Riders will stay on the trail to the day's endpoint, the community of Malvern. See the map below for the route or click here to open in a new window. |