Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
June 2026

Contact:
Ivy Tan Ager
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.ager@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445

State Historical Marker Unveiled in Botetourt County for TransAmerica Bicycle Trail

—The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, which stretches to the state of Oregon, covers over 500 miles in Virginia, including Botetourt County—

—Text of marker reproduced below—

PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance. In this regard, erected markers are not memorials.

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) has announced that a state historical marker approved by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources was dedicated in Botetourt County highlighting the Commonwealth’s segment of the first and longest transcontinental bike route in the United States.

The marker dedication was held Monday, June 29, starting at 8 a.m., at the site of the marker on State Route 779 / Catawba Road in Daleville (24083), located approximately one mile from U.S. Route 220 on the left. This event was free and open to members of the public.

The Lee family, which sponsored the marker, began the dedication ceremony with welcome remarks. Individuals who spoke included Cyndi Steiner, ex officio board member of the Adventure Cycling Association; Tom Ewing, history professor at Virginia Tech; Lynsey Crantz-Allie, executive director of the Botetourt County Historical Society; and Dan Phelan, a participant in Bikecentennial76, the inaugural transcontinental cycling tour in 1976 that established the TransAmerica trail to commemorate the United States’ 200th anniversary. DHR’s historical marker program manager, Jennifer Loux, sent a statement to be read on behalf of the department. In addition to the marker, the USBR76 Resting Bench was also unveiled following the dedication ceremony. The bench, which was built by local artists at Lift Arc Studios LLC in Roanoke and partly funded through a grant from the PEDAL project, was designed to represent the welcoming spirit of local communities and businesses that supported riders of Bikecentennial76 along their journey.

After a decade during which recreational cycling became increasingly popular among young Americans in the 20th century, four cycling enthusiasts started to plan Bikecentennial76 in 1973 to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial. Inaugurated at Jamestown in May 1976, Bikecentennial76, a monthslong event, included tours along a specially designed route known as the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. Stretching 4,250 miles on public roads from Yorktown to Oregon, the trail passed through Botetourt County. Approximately 4,100 cyclists from across the country and beyond encountered rural vistas, small communities, and historic points of interest while riding on the TransAmerica trail. The eastern third of the trail encompasses more than 500 miles in Virginia and was designated U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in 1982.

The Virginia Board of Historic Resources, which is authorized to designate new state historical markers, approved the manufacture and installation of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail historical marker in September 2025. The marker’s sponsor, the Lee family, covered its manufacturing cost and organized the dedication ceremony.

Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.

Full Text of Marker:

TransAmerica Bicycle Trail

In 1973, after a decade in which recreational cycling became increasingly popular among young Americans, four cycling enthusiasts began planning Bikecentennial76 to mark the nation’s bicentennial. The months-long event, inaugurated at Jamestown in May 1976, featured tours along a specially designed route known as the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, which stretched 4,250 miles on public roads from Yorktown to Oregon and passed here. Roughly 4,100 riders from the U.S. and beyond encountered rural vistas, small communities, and historic points of interest. The eastern third of the TransAmerica trail, including more than 500 miles in Virginia, was designated U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in 1982.

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