Note: All odometers read slightly different, so the mileage stated here is meant to serve as a general guideline. But it should get you very close.

0.00 Start

Start your adventure in Madison at the county courthouse, at Jefferson and Main Streets. Head south on US 421, which is also east on Main Street.

0.4 Left turn before bridge

At the light right before heading up to the big bridge, turn left onto Hwy 56, towards Vevay.

4.5 Bee Camp Road side trip (optional for the off-road type)

There is a gravel road to the left off 56 called Bee Camp Road. This short route is legendary among dual-sport motorcyclists and Jeep owners. It has SIX wet creek crossings in about half a mile, and then ascends a gnarly gravel climb that is often washed out and very extreme. This should NOT be attempted on a road bike. Only dirt bikes and maybe adventure bikes, if you are skilled. And Jeeps, of course.

12.1 Lamb, Indiana and the Greeneville Treat Line

In 1795, General Anthony Wayne (founding father of Fort Wayne, IN) established a treaty with the native Americans that basically opened up the Ohio territory for white settlement. It established the famous “Greeneville Line” between Indian lands and United States land. The line swung south out of Ohio to a point directly across from the Kentucky River, which runs directly through little Lamb, Indiana. Everything west of Lamb (towards Madison) was Indian territory and off limits for settlers!

16.2 Thiebaud Farmstead

On the left side of the road here you’ll see a beautiful barn and a sign for Thiebaud Farmstead. It’s a great example of an early 19th century working farm, and the barn features one of the last functioning examples of a “Mormon” hay press, capable of compressing hay into 400-pound bales for shipment up and down the river.

19.6 Stay straight through Vevay onto Hwy 156

Vevay is a mainstay “oasis town” on a few of our loops, recently designed a National Historic Landmark District itself, be sure to check out these local stops: Roxy’s Tavern, Boondoggles, Tequila’s Mexican, and Cuz’s Bar. You can also get gas and other services in Vevay. By the way, the town name is pronounced “Vee-Vee” for reasons too convoluted to detail here. Gas – Food – Shopping

25.8 Markland Dam & Bridge over Ohio River

You’ll be taking a left here just before going under the bridge overpass, onto Hwy 101. This loops you around and up onto the bridge. As you cross the bridge, keep an eye out for any of the massive towboats and barges that might be locking through. The water in the locks lifts or lowers the boats about 35 feet in normal conditions.

NOTE: Belterra Casino just up ahead, before you turn onto the bridge

If you want to take a little side trip to the casino, just continue straight for another half mile or so. Belterra has several restaurants, a concert venue, and of course, a gambling casino. When you’ve had your fun, just come back and follow the signs up onto the bridge to continue the loop.

26.9 Turn right onto Hwy 42 as you descend off the bridge

This will take you around and out to US 42

27.0 Left on 42 towards Madison

If you take a quick right here, you’ll find a nice picnic and viewing area just a couple hundred feet up the road, where you can observe the boats locking through and take a quick break. There are public restrooms and some nice benches here.

You are now entering Factory Row!

The Ohio River valley is an ideal location for manufacturing and industry. Easy proximity to water, accessible shipping via barge, truck and rail, and a skilled and ready workforce make it a prime choice for many large companies.

You will pass, in this order: NuCor Steel. Kentucky Utilities power plant, North American Stainless (this one is huge!) Certainteed Gypsum, Dow Chemical (maker of silicone products) and PMC Chemical.

32.5 Straight through the town of Ghent

It’s pronounced Jent!

40.1 Downtown Carrollton

Carrollton, like many Kentucky towns, is extremely old and historic. It was laid out in 1792, scarcely 10 years after America won its independence from Britain. Compared to Indiana, the land south of the river was much less contested by the Indians, so the towns tended to be settled much earlier.

If you want to take a right into downtown Carrollton proper, you’ll be rewarded by a classic town square with some nice old architecture. You’ll find some food and drink downtown, but the gem of the town is Glauber’s Sporting Goods. It’s an old-time sport and gun store that will bring back memories of the times before Bass Pro and all the rest.

40.5 The Big Blue Bridge over the Kentucky River

The Kentucky River may not seem like much as you shoot across this small bridge, but it’s long and it’s deep, and it figures prominently in Kentucky history. The river was a major transportation artery during pioneer times, and then even into recent modern times the river was equipped with several locks and dams to facilitate barge traffic. It actually travels 263 miles, all the way to Beattyville in Lee County, quite a ways southeast of Lexington, Kentucky.

Enjoy the River views!

From the Periwinkle Blue Bridge all the way back to Madison, the road runs very close to the Ohio River. Keep your eye on the road, but be sure to steal some glances over at the majestic river vistas opening up between the trees.

51.0 passing you your left, Richwood on the River

This large southern style mansion was once part of a plantation, which were abundant along this stretch of river. Today it is a popular wedding destination, with couples coming from all over the U.S. to tie the knot and enjoy the fine river landscape.

52.1 Take a right at the Dairy Queen in Milton, and head up onto the bridge.

Milton was actually a vibrant and fairly large town in the early 1900’s. Two things led to its decline. The first was the bridge, completed in 1929. Overnight, people could cross the bridge and enjoy the much larger commercial district in downtown Madison. The flood of ’37 submerged the town, altering its landscape and destroying much of the historic character of the town. You can still see a few of the original late 1800’s buildings that survived the disaster.

About the Madison-Milton Bridge – an engineering marvel!

As mentioned above, the original bridge was opened in 1929, and it was an excellent steel truss design. It was 20 feet wide, which was plenty for the narrow cars and trucks of the time. But by the early 2000’s, the bridge was just too narrow and suffering from old age. Madison needed a new bridge!

Rather than the typical method, where you’d tear down the old and build new, resulting in a closure of a year or more, it was proposed to build a new bridge on temporary piers BESIDE the old bridge, allowing traffic to keep flowing. When the new bridge was complete, traffic was routed onto it and the old bridge imploded down into the river.

The next phase was enlarging and strengthening the old bridge piers. And then, when all was ready, the new bridge was slid over onto the upgraded piers. As soon as it was in place, traffic resumed. The total down time for the entire project was just 10 days! The project won multiple international engineering awards, and this vital cross-river connection is good for another 90 years or so! You can check out multiple YouTube videos on the bridge implosion and side – it’s a fascinating watch!

Welcome back to Madison!

Madison is known as the nation’s largest contiguous National Historic Landmark District and well on its way to boasting as Indiana’s Music City. That’s because on any given Friday or Saturday night you’ll find great live music playing at 5 or more places, all within easy walking distance of the core downtown area. So, park your machine, let it cool down, and visit the Off Broadway Taproom or Shipley’s Tavern or the Central Hotel Bar and relive the excitement of the day.

And start planning your next adventure, because The Markland Trail is not the only adventure trail you can take out of Madison. There are 4 more great routes of varying lengths and intensity, including the flagship trail, the Serpent of 62 – 1,000 curves in 100 miles! So, keep riding, for an entire weekend, or even a full week!