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Review

Bicycling Guide to the Mississippi River Trail

by Bob Robinson

Reviewed by Rolf StenglBicycling Guide to the Mississippi River Trail by Bob Robinson

I used this book to ride the MRT self supported from New Orleans to Lake Itasca in May and June of 2014. I relied on the book to find the route, and to help find accommodation and food.

The MRT is a series of trails and back roads chosen for good bicycling, which means quiet roads in out of the way places. The route is poorly marked and often has no signs. There is no practical way to find and ride the MRT without this book.

I was a stranger to the MRT, bought the book, and followed it from south to north. It became apparent that Bob did a lot of work collecting and organizing the information he presents. The book describes the route in the text, followed by a turn by turn list of trails and roads, and a simple map for each section. It helps you find accommodation and food. The text gives explanations and adds color commentary for some of the sights along the way. This is important, since common guides and maps are designed around car travel with no understanding of the needs of the touring cyclist. If you want to ride the MRT, buy this book.

Bob’s Guidebook appears to be a one man effort, and has limitations you should plan for:

First, the maps are weak because they are small scale, show all towns as dots with no reference to size, and there is little to show where the route is in relation to adjacent towns and highways. I was faced with a thin black line and often had nothing to guide me when roads had no MRT or other signs. Once off the route, it was difficult to find the way back to it. I partly solved the problem by carrying state road maps, and putting the route in context at the beginning of each day.

State maps will show when you are heading for a larger center that has more accommodation and food options. For example, I arrived in Hamilton, IL after four hours of rain to find the listed hotel as not existing. It took a while to realize that Keokuk, a large town with several motels, is just 2 miles across the river.

Second, the book is organized into states and sections, with little cross reference. I found this confusing, because the trail goes on both sides of the river in different states. I was looking for a unified map that identifies each state and section. I also wanted to see connections to the different sections shown on the maps themselves. To make sense of things, I eventually marked river crossings on the maps and noted the related chapters. I also made a full page chart showing where each section fits into the big picture.

Third, the book is designed to be used going in either direction, but the default is north to south. As a result, I lost the route several times, going in and out of towns. For example, south of Memphis the signs for Tunica Resorts and the local bicycle paths had me lost, as did the lack of signs when entering Martyr’s park in Memphis. When leaving Memphis on the north, the lack of signs had me on 3 miles of gravel. When entering La Crosse, WI, it is impossible to see the bike path from the highway. I realized I had missed it when I passed the Wal-Mart which the author mentions in the text. In both cases I looked at the directions again, and concluded that the route from north to south would be obvious due to the street layout, but not going south to north. You will have to think for yourself in several places like this.

Fourth, Bob tries to be politically neutral and paints the route as wonderful, no matter which side of the river you choose. This is a disservice to riders, who have good reason to choose. For example, a riding companion was given strong advice by two separate local riders to avoid a long series of hills by crossing from east to west at Nelson, WI, south of Minneapolis. Bob does his usual cheerful boosting of the route, but is silent about the hills. I missed the advice of the local riders, and rode up and down wondering why the book said nothing about the terrain. I was lucky and had good weather, and enjoyed the day. On the other hand, I think I should be given the information to make an informed choice. I met riders who love the challenge of hills, but wind and rain, and a loaded bike on a tiring day make for a different set of priorities.

Finally, the book has no town maps. Bob says to always head for the info center in each large town. That is easier said than done, and these places have limited hours, so I often asked locals to get the info I needed.

I’ve used lots of Lonely Planet guides, which give you pretty well everything you need to survive and enjoy a new country. I’ve also seen highly detailed guidebooks for cycling in Europe. Bob’s book is in a different class.

Bob’s Guidebook is a basic MRT route guide, with accommodation and food information for surviving as a touring cyclist. You can use it for the whole route, or short sections. It is indispensable. At the same time, be prepared to think for yourself and supplement the guide with additional maps and the web.

The MRT is a fascinating adventure.

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long distance, self-supported bicycle trips

riding the Mississippi River Trail
from New Orleans to Lake Itasca
. . . and then home to Canada

riding the Lake Michigan Trail, from Chicago around Lake Michigan

along the LMT

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Lake Michigan Trail (LMT)

Lake Michigan Trail Summary

July 2, 2015

Touring Chicago Part 2

June 23, 2015

Touring Chicago Part 1

June 22, 2015

Riding into Chicago

June 21, 2015

Riding to Chesterton

June 20, 2015

Good day to St. Joseph

June 19, 2015

Holland

June 18, 2015

Muskegon

June 17, 2015

Ludington, tourist town

June 16, 2015

Fog to Ludington

June 15, 2015

Foggy day to Arcadia

June 14, 2015

Glen Arbor

June 13, 2015

Acme

June 11, 2015

Petoskey

June 10, 2015

Tourist on Mackinaw Island

June 9, 2015

Naubinway & St. Ignace

June 8, 2015

Indian Lake State Park

June 6, 2015

Ford River

June 5, 2015

Good road to Menominee

June 4, 2015

Green Bay

June 3, 2015

Egg Harbor

June 1, 2015

Cold Air

May 31, 2015

Rain

May 30, 2015

North to Point Beach State Forest

May 29, 2015

Milwaukee to Kohler-Andrae State Park

May 28, 2015

Milwaukee

May 27, 2015

Illinois Beach State Park

May 25, 2015

Boating in Chicago

May 24, 2015

Chicago

May 23, 2015

A New Ride Begins

May 22, 2015

Coming soon…

May 6, 2015

Recent Posts

  • Lake Michigan Trail Summary
  • Touring Chicago Part 2
  • Touring Chicago Part 1
  • Riding into Chicago
  • Riding to Chesterton
  • Good day to St. Joseph
  • Holland
  • Muskegon
  • Ludington, tourist town
  • Fog to Ludington
  • Foggy day to Arcadia
  • Glen Arbor
  • Acme
  • Petoskey
  • Tourist on Mackinaw Island
  • Naubinway & St. Ignace
  • Indian Lake State Park
  • Ford River
  • Good road to Menominee
  • Green Bay
  • Egg Harbor
  • Cold Air
  • Rain
  • North to Point Beach State Forest
  • Milwaukee to Kohler-Andrae State Park
  • Milwaukee
  • Illinois Beach State Park
  • Boating in Chicago
  • Chicago
  • A New Ride Begins
  • Coming soon…

Mississippi River Trail (MRT)

Mississippi Slim

July 16, 2014

Dog River, Saskatchewan

July 11, 2014

Into Saskatchewan

July 10, 2014

Leaving nothing behind

July 9, 2014

Wind & rain to Velma

July 7, 2014

Headwind to Harvey

July 6, 2014

The straight & narrow

July 5, 2014

Heading into North Dakota

July 4, 2014

From hills to flat in 30 miles

July 3, 2014

Mississippi Headwaters

July 3, 2014

Update from Suzanne

July 2, 2014

Bemidji in the rain

June 29, 2014

To Bimidji with a tail wind

June 27, 2014

A dam site closer

June 26, 2014

Andy Griffith Kind of Place

June 25, 2014

Simple ride to Crosby MN, 54 miles

June 24, 2014

Bugged in the great outdoors

June 23, 2014

Moving on to St. Cloud

June 23, 2014

Mill City

June 21, 2014

Rain & Shine, to Minneapolis

June 20, 2014

The Jackpot

June 17, 2014

A note on summer

June 16, 2014

Tourist in La Crosse

June 16, 2014

La Crosse with a tailwind

June 15, 2014

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Campground

June 14, 2014

Town that time forgot

June 13, 2014

Notes on camping

June 13, 2014

Hills & Headwind to Galena, Illinois

June 12, 2014

Liver & onions in Fulton

June 11, 2014

To Rock Island, Illinois

June 10, 2014

To Great River Campground south of Keithsburg

June 9, 2014

Rest in Nauvoo, Illinois

June 8, 2014

Riding in the rain

June 7, 2014

Hannibal, Missouri

June 6, 2014

Pleasant Hill, Illinois

June 5, 2014

“Meet me in St Louis”

June 3, 2014

Chester to St. Louis

June 2, 2014

We are here

June 1, 2014

When you’re hot, the trip is not

May 31, 2014

Riding in the pain

May 30, 2014

Rain

May 29, 2014

to Reelfoot Lake State Park, 80 miles

May 28, 2014

to COVINGTON, 58 miles

May 27, 2014

Takin’ a lickin’ in Memphis

May 25, 2014

To Tunics Resorts, 85 miles

May 23, 2014

I swim in the Mississippi!

May 22, 2014

Tourist Opportunity

May 21, 2014

Roy’s Store is a town

May 21, 2014

To Roy’s Store, 56 miles

May 20, 2014

To Chotard Lake, 48 miles

May 19, 2014

T’Beaux’s

May 18, 2014

To Vicksburg – 60m/100k

May 18, 2014

To Natchez State Park – 44 miles

May 17, 2014

To Red Deer Lake, 62 miles

May 17, 2014

Camping in Morganza

May 16, 2014

To Morganza – 46 miles/76 K

May 15, 2014

Sitting on the levee

May 14, 2014

To Baton Rouge

May 14, 2014

In Paulina

May 12, 2014

On the river

May 11, 2014

Bourbon Street

May 10, 2014

New Orleans

May 10, 2014

Depart Calgary Airport

May 9, 2014

Louisiana

2014-05-15_125927SFW

Mississippi

Mississippi River Trail

Tennessee

Kooky Canuck, Memphis

Kentucky

Mississippi River Trail

Illinois

Mississippi River Trail

Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri arch

Iowa

2014-06-07_182832sfw

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Minnesota2014-06-19_083135s

North Dakota

North Dakota

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

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