The weather was getting colder and we did not want to completely stop riding for the winter just yet. So, on this day we decided to try a route that we found on RideWithGPS that was uploaded by a local cyclist. The route was not far from our home and was 95% gravel logging/county roads. We were excited to test our tires to see just how stable they would be on this surface and we also were just ready to get out and ride after a long (for us) cold winter stuck inside.

This ride begins at the Bama Bison Ranch just off of State Highway 80 in rural Opelika, Alabama. There is no official parking lot for this route, as it is not an up-kept trail or greenway. We parked in a pull off at the corner of Huguley Road and Maringo Creek Road. At this roadside spot, you can see the bison ranch and the intersection was busy enough that we felt very comfortable leaving our locked vehicle there while we rode.

The route is all on county and state roads, but the traffic is next to nothing. I believe we saw a total of 15 vehicles over the 26+ miles that we rode. We encountered one or two dogs, but they were on property and way back from the road.

Packing a lunch, we stopped at this lovely shaded spot for that break and then continued on following the route.

The above photos are the only ones we took for this ride, but the video below shows almost the entire ride, complete with beautiful scenery and a surprise lake with waterfall around the mid-point of the ride.

I would recommend this route to anyone with an e-bike, provided you have the correct tires for gravel riding. The elevation changes were mildly steep, so if you want to ride an acoustic bike on this route, plan accordingly. Check the route info below for the exact elevation information along the route.

Ride with GPS Route

Below is the embed for our actual Ride with GPS profile ride from this trip, you can click on the title for more details.