The vast Ohio River Basin is poised for a multi-year ecological restoration after years of industrial pollution, but only if Congress decides to fund it. Forest Clevenger leads a nonprofit called the Ohio River Way. He's excited about an idea to protect the wetlands, rivers, and streams that make up the entire Ohio River Basin through investments in...

Even though the year is winding down, things are anything but quiet along the Ohio River Way! We’ve set the dates for our most ambitious Ohio River Way Challenge yet, launched a camping partnership with Hipcamp, and are ramping up for a festive season with non-stop river town events.

We’ve officially launched the Ohio River Way Collection on Hipcamp — a curated set of campsites and small campgrounds located near the National Water Trail. Instead of searching across multiple websites or relying on word-of-mouth, travelers can now browse a single collection that updates automatically as new hosts list their properties. Whether you’re planning a two-day paddle, a week-long ride, or a multi-town road trip, the collection makes overnight planning much simpler.

While experiencing the Ohio River Way National Water Trail from the water itself is unparalleled, there’s more than one way to travel along the river.  Recently, three avid cyclists, Volodymyr Golykov, Caitlin Sparks, and Braden Arestides, cycled from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Louisville, Kentucky, to mimic a section of the Ohio River Way Challenge by bike.  The two-day, three-state adventure followed the twists and turns of the river, winding through towns, small diners, and fog-draped mornings that make the route an unforgettable experience for cyclists.

It's been a heck of a month! We co-hosted the Ohio River Basin Confluence that brought together organizations, volunteers, and elected officials from across the region to share ideas and chart a course for the future of the Ohio River Basin. This month also brought the America’s River Roots Festival, one of the largest regional cleanups to date, as well as new ODOT funding. We've also launched our first-ever Fall Photo Contest and have growing seasonal events across our river towns. Dive on in.

Check out all of the fall events happening this weekend along the Ohio River.

The Ohio River Way has been awarded funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Pedestrian & Bicycle Special Solicitation to develop the Ohio River Trail Comprehensive Plan, a transformative initiative to create a safe, connected, and scenic cycling corridor along the Ohio River.

In the news: Louisville Public Media— A 308-mile stretch of the Ohio River earned the title of National Water Trail this summer. KyCIR’s Morgan Watkins rowed a slice of the path. Here’s what she heard.

We’d love to connect—whether that’s seeing you on-screen at the September Coalition meeting or catching up in person at America's River Roots Festival in October. Either way, we’re excited for all the collaboration ahead.

On behalf of our co-hosts—the Ohio River Basin Alliance, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute—we are excited to share that registration is now open for the Ohio River Basin Confluence, presented by the Owsley Brown II Family Foundation. The Summit will take place October 16–18 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY.

As an aspiring Hospitality Management student hoping to work in Outdoor Recreation, I never expected to find my place—or my passion—right in the heart of the American Midwest. I’m so grateful to have been proven wrong.

In honor of Great Outdoors Month and National Trails Day, both in June, the Department of the Interior designated five trails in six states as National Recreation Trails. The Ohio River Way was born on a starry evening in 2019. During an overnight paddle from Cincinnati to Louisville, the volunteer crew of a 30-foot voyageur canoe started to splash around the idea of linking up sites along this stretch of river.

June brought historic momentum for the Ohio River Way and our partners, from proudly supporting the release of a landmark Ohio River Basin restoration plan to celebrating our official designation as a National Water Trail. We've also opened our call for proposals—for presentations, field trips, exhibitions, and more—for Ohio River Basin Confluence, our joint summit this fall. Submissions are due by July 1.

The Ohio River Way, a trail connecting communities across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, has officially been designated as a National Water Trail at the recommendation of the National Park Service. This rare recognition marks the largest addition to the National Trails System this year—out of 387 miles designated nationwide, the Ohio River Way accounts for 308 miles. 

The Ohio River Way proudly supports today's launch of a landmark restoration plan titled "Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities, Healthy Economies: A Collaborative Plan to Restore and Protect the Waters of the Ohio River Basin." This effort aims to significantly improve environmental health, community wellbeing, and economic vitality throughout the Ohio River Basin.