Free Copperhead Trail Ride Saturday, July 24

If you are a motorcycle rider, who enjoys group rides with lots of turns, then you may want to head down to Williamsburg Saturday (July 24) morning for the free Fourth-Annual Copperhead Trail Ride.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, and the 60-mile ride will start from the parking lot of the Kentucky Splash Waterpark, which is off Ky. 92W, at 10 a.m. Riders will then wind their way through more than 300 turns in parts of Whitley and McCreary counties and by scenic Cumberland Falls before returning to Williamsburg.

“It is an absolutely gorgeous ride. I’ve rode it many times when I was I was riding. You get to see Whitley and McCreary counties, and all the scenic routes that go up and down through there. It is absolutely a great motorcycle run,” said Jeff Gray, one of the event organizers.

In part, the purpose of the ride is to expose motorcyclists to what the area has to offer.

“It just supports the area and lets the motorcyclists be able to ride the back roads of Kentucky,” Gray added.

Normally about 75 – 100 motorcycles turn out for the event.

“I anticipate a larger crowd this year because we had to cancel because of COVID-19 last year. I am hoping for a big turnout,” Gray said.

In the event of a rainout, the ride will be held the following Saturday on July 31.

“We won’t be stopping for lunch anywhere this year. We are just going to make one loop all the way and come back to the waterpark,” Gray said.

Speeds usually don’t exceed 40 – 45 mph on the ride, which means that it will probably take about 90 minutes or so to complete.

In 2017, officials with the Whitley County Judge-Executive’s Office came up with the idea for the motorcycle ride as a way to draw motorcycle-riding tourists to the area.

It was inspired by motorcycle riding trails in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The law naming the route went into effect on June 29, 2017.

For more information about Copperhead Trail, call (606) 549-6010.