Wild Roads:
Adventure Road Trips
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Indiana Road Trip: Hoosier Hill Country
In southern Indiana 'tis the season for singletrack and cycling's rowdiest race of the year. Text by Andrea Minarcek Map by Computer Terrain Mapping
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Lance Armstrong called it "the coolest event I ever attended." Indiana University's Little 500 bike race is the epitome of grassroots athleticism. Open to amateurs only, the April intramural plays out in front of 20,000 screaming fans in Bloomington, as teams race one-speed Schwinns 200 laps around a quarter-mile (less than half a kilometer) cinder track. The cycling spectacle is one of a kind, and off the track, the hits keep coming. Kick back at one of Bloomington's myriad international restaurants—the Dalai Lama's nephew owns a Tibetan eatery downtown—then cruise the rural roads south, where forests of bluebells and phlox, dozens of DIY-friendly caves, and spanking-new singletrack await.Day 1In December 2006 the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association landed a $150,000 federal grant to revamp the state's trails. Test their wares at Brown County State Park, where a newly minted 25-mile (40-kilometer) loop leads to thousand-foot Hesitation Point. Rise early for breakfast at the Village Deli in Bloomington before setting out.
Day 2
On a daylong paddle of the placid Blue River, the rewards are in taking it slow. Catch glimpses of bobcats, otters, and rare hellbender salamanders hiding out along the protected stream's limestone bluffs. Launch at Milltown and kayak 13 miles (21 kilometers) to Rothrock's Mill. Come evening, pitch camp among the hardwoods at Indian-Celina Lake.
Day 3In 200,000-acre (80,937-hectare) Hoosier National Forest, the backcountry isn't always the way to go. Along the forest's southern edge, Indiana's Route 66 byway hems the Ohio River for tranquil valley views. Park at Mano Point, near Derby, and pedal 12 miles (19 kilometers) south to German Ridge Lake, near Rome. Then catch the sunset with country-fried chicken and biscuits at the Overlook Restaurant in Leavenworth.
Day 4Indiana's climbing scene is an underground movement: Easy-to-access caves spread across the region make spelunking a cinch. Scale the subterranean waterfall in Spring Mill State Park's Donaldson and Bronson Caves, where underground Mill Creek trickles into a massive cavern. Back on dry land, try the local varietals at Oliver Winery.
THE VITALS
Do: Revolution Bike & Bean ($105 for a four-day bike rental; www.revolutionbikeandbean.com); Brown County State Park (www.in.gov/dnr/parklake); Cave Country Canoes ($30 a day for kayak rental and shuttle; www.cavecountrycanoes.com); Spring Mill State Park (free caving permit; www.in.gov/dnr/parklake); Little 500 ($20; www.iusf.bloomington.com)
Sleep: Adventurewood Log Cabin ($85; www.adventurewoodlogcabin.com); Indian-Celina Lake Recreation Area ($17; www.fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier); Leavenworth Inn ($110; www.leavenworthinn.com)
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