With the 1,200-mile extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in May 2019, a fourth major North American river became an official part of the Trail – the Ohio River, joining the Mississippi, Missouri, and Columbia Rivers. Beginning at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Ohio is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. It ends 981 miles later at Cairo, Illinois when it empties into the Mississippi.

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Experience project is designed to support the public’s use and enjoyment of The Trail without adversely impacting the resources along it. This Geotourism project engages residents, enterprises, communities, and visitors in shared environmental and cultural heritage stewardship. The National Park Service has built a new travel website --https://lewisandclark.travel/ — specifically designed to bring together businesses like yours (attractions, landmarks, and other points of interest) to help promote sustainable tourism. We are working with the Ohio River Recreational Trail to garner as big a following as possible in and around the Ohio River in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

The second component of the webinar is to focus on state resources to develop tourism infrastructure of river towns. It will focus on the value of being designated as a trail town by your state. Kentucky’s designated Trail Towns put you near the best outdoor sites in the state, including hundreds of miles of trails, woods and waters but keep you in cities and towns offering hotels, restaurants, attractions, entertainment and other conveniences to round out your stay. To be a certified Kentucky Trail Town, these popular destinations have made a commitment to share their area’s outdoor opportunities, culture, history and stories to visitors hungry for adventure. Since its inception, this program under the state’s Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet has designated 20 communities across Kentucky to serve as official gateways

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