The Dubuque County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to place directional signs along a 65-mile bike route in Dubuque County. The plan was developed by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. A grant is being provided by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition for route signs. A local group of bike advocates was led by Lisa Mormann and the Dubuque Bike Club to obtain permission from Dubuque County to place the signs.
The Dubuque-1 Bike Route is one of the most scenic bike rides in the Midwest. This is a challenging 65 miles with a couple of spectacular climbs. But the breathtaking scenery and low-traffic, paved roads will make up for the uphill challenge.
The route starts at the Heritage Pond on Hwy 52 on the north end of Dubuque. The beginning of the route is on Hwy 52 for two miles, but most of the route has paved shoulders or is very low traffic shared roads. The route turns right in Sageville and then climbs to Sherrill and Balltown. The route continues to Holy Cross, Dyersville, Farley, Epworth, and Centralia. The route concludes by re-joining the trail through Asbury to the trailhead at the Heritage Pond.
In the spring, signs will be placed showing turns and distances between towns. A confirming bike route sign will notify riders that they are on the right path.
Bicycling Magazine has highlighted the route in the past as one of the Top 50 Bike Routes in the US.
For more information and a map on the Dubuque 1 Bike Route, visit http://iowabikeroutes.com/road/dubuque/dubuque-1/
