Bicycling Guide to the Mississippi River Trail

Bicycling Guidebook Updates

Minnesota:
Page 13 add the following:

Mississippi River Hostel

Itasca State Park

218-266-3415

Douglas Lodge

Itasca State Park

866-857-2757

Itasca State Park Campgrounds

218-699-7251

If you are unable to ride or drive to Itasca State Park to begin your MRT adventure, one option would be to have your bicycle shipped to Itasca Sports Rental, located within the state park, and fly into Bemidji Regional Airport. The employees at the sports rental make regular trips to Bemidji, and are willing to shuttle cyclists to the park.

Iowa:

Page 64 should read: Approximately 3 miles north of the town of Marquette, the MRT passes Effigy Mounds National Monument. This is a definite RS. What makes this unique is that of the 206 mounds, 31 were made in the shapes of birds and bears. These effigies and other mounds in the park were constructed by Native Americans 800-2500 years ago. They devoted great effort in engineering these burial and ceremonial mounds. Archeologists have unearthed clay in the mounds that is only found on the banks of the river below. This means the builders hauled the clay up this 400 foot bluff to where the mounds are located.
Thanks to Phyllis Ewing, Superintendent of Effigy Mounds National Monument for the correction.

Missouri:
Page 137: There have been route changes in the Cape Girardeau area. The MRT signs have been relocated along the new route, so it should be easy to follow. At this time I have not ridden the re-route. If there are errors in the Mileage Log listed below please let me know.
Thanks to Derek Fichtel, of MoDOT, for providing the new route information.

Miles N/S	Mileage Log: MO Section 4 - Fruitland to Dorena	Dist	S	T	Services	Miles N/S
	*Fruitland				QR	98
0	L onto SH 177	0.4	2	M		98
0	R onto SH W	2.2	0	L		97
3	L onto Route Y	4.5	0	L		95
7	R onto Route V	3.1	0	L		91
10	R onto SH 177	7.4	0	M		88
18	R onto Old Route V	0.1	0	L		80
18	Verr R remaining on E Cape Rock Dr	1.8	0	L		80
20	L onto Main St (*Cape Girardeau)	2.1	0	H	CGLQR	78
22	S onto Aquamsi St	0.6	0	H		76
22	L onto S Fountain St	0.1	0	H		76
22	R onto Elm St	0.3	0	M		75
23	L onto S Sprigg St	3.2	0	M		75
26	S onto Hwy 74	5.3	0	M		72
31	L onto SH 25	1.8	1	M		67
33	L onto SH 77	2.9	0	M		65
36	L onto Route A (*Chaffee)	9	0	L	GQR	62
45	R onto US 61	2	2	M		53
47	L onto SH 77 (*Benton)	6.6	0	M	GQR	51
53	L onto Route D	3.6	0	L		44
57	Veer R onto Route N/Main St	10.7	0	L		41
68	S onto SH 105 (*Charleston)	9.9	6	M	GQR	30
78	L onto SH 80 (*East Prairie)	2	0	M	GQR	20
80	R onto SH 102	15.4	0	L		18
95	R onto SH 77	2.7	0	L		3
98	Dorena/HIckman Ferry (*Dorena)	0				0

Tennessee:
Page 149: In reference to the first option for crossing the MR, the primitive path under the bridges had become really overgrown the last time I rode through this area, so I am changing the instructions for this option to the following:

Follow the parking lot at the end of Martyr Park out to Riverside Road and turn right. Follow the sign for Little Rock onto I-55. Almost immediately you will reach exit 12C, which you will take. This exit will circle under I-55. After 1 block you will reach the Super 8 Motel. The parking lot for E. H. Crump Park is in front of the motel. Cross this parking lot, then push your bike across the grass to the northbound pedestrian walkway. Use this walkway to cross the MR.

Page 150: Add the following bike shop.

Outdoors, Inc
1710 Union
Memphis, TN
901-722-8988
(closest to the MRT)

Change of address for Midtown Bike Company to 509 South Main St.

Arkansas:

Page 157: I confused the miles to Tom Sawyer CG with the mileage to the next turn. Here are the corrections. Also, they have renamed the Airport Rd intersection College Blvd. After you turn onto College Blvd it soon becomes Airport Rd again. Here is how the mileage log should read.

4	L onto US 70 (*West Memphis)	5.6	H	GLQR
	*L onto S 8th St to Tom Sawyer CG (1.6 miles)		M	C
9.6	L at SL onto College Blvd/Airport Rd/Waverly Rd/Lake Rest Rd	10.8	L	G