American Discovery 250 Relay Will Pass Through Mills County Sept. 26

The route and itinerary for the American Discovery 250 Relay has been announced.

The coast-to-coast recreational relay commemorating America’s 250th birthday will make its way through Mills County on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The American Discovery 250 Relay will begin July 4 on the Golden Gate Bridge in California and end in Delaware on Thanksgiving Day. The relay will follow the route of the American Discovery Trail, the nation’s first non-motorized coast-to-coast trail, which runs for 6,800 miles through 15 states and Washington, D.C. The route incorporates numerous local, state, and national trails, with most of them designed for walking, hiking, running, bicycling and equestrian use.

The relay is a celebration of America’s milestone birthday and the American Discovery Trail — educating people about American history, culture, and nature along the way. The American Discovery Trail goes past numerous historic sites, through dozens of ecosystems and hundreds of communities. A copy of the Declaration Of Independence will be carried  along the relay route.

In Iowa, the American Discovery Trail is 543 miles long, running primarily along recreational trails on abandoned railroad lines, including the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in southwest Iowa. The American Discovery 250 Relay will run from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River over a nine-day period in Iowa.

The relay’s journey through southwest Iowa will last two days and be exclusively by bicycle. From Omaha, the relay will cross the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge into Council Bluffs on Saturday morning Sept. 26, for a 56.5-mile trek to Red Oak. In Council Bluffs, the relay will join the Wabash Trace Nature Trail and pass through the Mills County communities of Mineola, Silver City and Malvern. The relay will leave the Wabash Trail in Malvern and then head east via county roads to Hastings and Emerson. The bicyclists will ride on “Old Highway 34” between Emerson and Red Oak .

The leg on Sunday, Sept. 27, is considerably longer - 87.4 miles. The bicyclists will travel from Red Oak to Audubon, passing through Lewis, Griswold, Atlantic and Exira.

After moving across the Hawkeye State, the relay’s final day in Iowa will be Monday, Oct. 5, when bicyclists will travel from West Branch to Davenport. Although there will be some hiking portions of the relay in central and eastern Iowa, the majority of the route across Iowa will be covered by bicyclists.

The relay is a celebration of America’s milestone birthday and the American Discovery Trail — educating people about American history, culture, and nature along the way. The American Discovery Trail goes past numerous historic sites, through dozens of ecosystems and hundreds of communities.

The residents along and near the relay route interested in participating in the event are asked to register online at discoverytrail.org/america-250-relay. Organizers say they’ll work with registrants on their relay destinations and assignments closer to the start of the event. Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are also available. Additional information is available online at discoverytrail.org/america-250-relay.

The state of Iowa is in the North Central route of the American Discovery Trail, which connects the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes Region. There is also an Eastern State Route, South Central Route and Western States route.