U.S. Bicycle Route 76 5117359 218515246 2008-06-10T23:59:01Z 66.215.135.238 [[Image:US Bike 76.svg|right|70px]] '''U.S. Bicycle Route 76''' is a cross-country [[bicycle]] route east of the [[Mississippi River]] in the [[United States]]. It is one of the two original [[United States Numbered Bicycle Routes|U.S. Bicycle Routes]], the other being [[U.S. Bicycle Route 1]]. U.S. Bicycle Route 76 runs from the midwestern state of [[Illinois]] to the eastern seaboard state of [[Virginia]]. It is also known as the [[TransAmerica Bike Route]]. == Route description == === Illinois === In the state of [[Illinois]], U.S. Bicycle Route 76 intersects the [[Tunnel Hill State Trail]] in southern Illinois and passes through the following counties<ref>http://www.dot.state.il.us/bikemap/trailist.htm Illinois Department of Transportation: Trail List</ref>: * [[Randolph County, Illinois|Randolph County]] * [[Jackson County, Illinois|Jackson County]] * [[Williamson County, Illinois|Williamson County]] * [[Johnson County, Illinois|Johnson County]] * [[Pope County, Illinois|Pope County]] * [[Hardin County, Illinois|Hardin County]] === Kentucky === In the state of [[Kentucky]], U.S. Bicycle Route 76 is unsigned but a map is available as part of a state bicycle tours publication<ref>http://transportation.ky.gov/planning/pdf/bkgd.pdf Kentucky DOT Bicycle Tours Guide (PDF)</ref>. === Virginia === In the state of [[Virginia]], part of U.S. Bicycle Route 76 is signed, and a map is available as part of a state bicycling publication<ref>[http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=352 Bicycling in Virginia - Cycling the Commonwealth: Virginia Is For Lovers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The route passes along the following roads and through the following counties and communities: * [[Virginia State Route 80|State Route 80 (Virginia)]] from [[Elkhorn City, Kentucky|Elkhorn City, Kentucky]] to [[Meadowview, Virginia]] in [[Washington County, Virginia|Washington County]] * Washington County ** Meadowview to [[Damascus, Virginia|Damascus]] ** [[U.S. Route 58]] from Damascus, where the route crosses the [[Virginia Creeper Trail]] and the [[Appalachian Trail]] to County Route 603 through [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth County]] to [[Troutdale, Virginia|Troutdale]] in [[Grayson County, Virginia|Grayson County]] * Grayson County ** State Route 16 from Troutdale to [[Sugar Grove, Virginia|Sugar Grove]] in Smyth County * [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth County]] * [[Wythe County, Virginia|Wythe County]] * [[Pulaski County, Virginia|Pulaski County]] * [[Radford, Virginia|Radford]] * [[Montgomery County, Virginia|Montgomery County]] ** County Routes 787, 664, 600, and 666 from Radford to [[Christiansburg, Virginia|Christiansburg]] ** Ellett Road (County Route 723) from [[Cambria, Virginia|Cambria]] in Christiansburg to [[Ellett, Virginia|Ellett]] just east of [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]] passing under the [[Wilson Creek Bridge]], tallest bridge in Virginia, and part of the [[Virginia Smart Road]] ** Lusters Gate Road (County Route 723) from Ellett to [[Lusters Gate, Virginia|Lusters Gate]] passing through [[Ellett Valley]] with the North Fork of the [[Roanoke River]] to the east and the [[Eastern Continental Divide]] a few miles to the west ** Catawba Road (County Route 785) from Lusters Gate to the [[Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke County]] line<ref>http://www.montva.com/departments/plan/plancom/arch/2000/minutes/011900.php Montgomery County Planning Commission held on January 19, 2000</ref> passing through [[Catawba Valley]] * Roanoke County ** Catawba Road (County Route 785) from the Montgomery County line to [[Catawba, Virginia|Catawba]] passing out of the Roanoke River watershed and into the [[Chesapeake Bay]] ([[James River (Virginia)|James River]]) watershed ** County Route 779 from Catawba to the [[Botetourt County, Virginia|Botetourt County]] line * Botetourt County * [[Rockbridge County, Virginia|Rockbridge County]] * [[Augusta County, Virginia|Augusta County]] * Just south of [[Waynesboro, Virginia|Waynesboro]] near [[Afton Mountain]], the route runs along the [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] for 25 miles, overlooking the [[Shenandoah Valley]] to the west and [[Nelson County, Virginia|Nelson County]]'s Rockfish Valley to the east<ref>http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?featureID=363&md=1 Bicycling in Virginia - US Bicycle Route 76</ref>. * [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle County]] * [[Charlottesville]] * [[Fluvanna County, Virginia|Fluvana County]] * [[Goochland County, Virginia|Goochland County]] * [[Louisa County, Virginia|Louisa County]] * [[Hanover County, Virginia|Hanover County]]<ref>http://www.co.hanover.va.us/planning/complan/heritage.pdf Hanover County Preservation District Overlaf (PDF)</ref> * [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico County]] * [[Charles City County, Virginia|Charles City County]] * [[James City County, Virginia|James City County]] * [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]] * [[York County, Virginia|York County]] ** [[Yorktown, Virginia|Yorktown]] == History == Bicycle Route 76 was established in 1982 as an original U.S. Bicycle Route, along with U.S. Bicycle Route 1 from [[Florida]] to Virginia. The use of U.S. Bicycle Routes since 1982 has been nonexistent, but a 2003 conference encouraged the establishment of new bicycle routes<ref>[http://www.transportation.org/sites/scote/docs/2004meeting/presentations/Moeur.pdf AASHTO Ad Hoc Task Force on U.S. Bicycle Routes (PDF)]. Retrieved May 12, 2006.</ref>. It was preceded in 1976 by the Adventure Cycling Association's [[TransAmerica Trail]], which itself was formed upon the creation of the Adventure Cycling Association (then called "[[Bikecentennial]]").<ref name='aca'>{{cite web |url=http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/transamerica.cfm |title=TransAmerica Trail |date=2007 |accessdate=2007-09-22 |author=Adventure Cycling Association}}</ref> == References == {{reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/transamerica.cfm Adventure Cycling - TransAmerica Trail] [[Category:U.S. Bicycle Route System|076]] [[Category:Bike paths in Illinois]] [[Category:Bike paths in Kentucky]] [[Category:Bike paths in Virginia]]