Tennessee Partners with Popular Cycling App “Ride with GPS” to Make Routes Easily Accessible

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) is inviting cyclists to experience Tennessee on 52 new curated road cycling routes that wind their way through the state’s picturesque landscapes. The new program, Bike Tennessee, launched today at BikeTN.com and allows cyclists to engage with the routes using the app Ride with GPS.

“From our music to our makers, Tennessee is a state full of storytellers and our beauty is unmatched,” said Commissioner Mark Ezell, TDTD. “As travelers increasingly seek sustainable and authentic experiences, we invite them to explore our scenic routes and discover the charm of our small towns. We are pleased to partner with Ride with GPS and showcase the hidden gems and breathtaking landscapes that define our state.”

Tennessee has been named an Ambassador for the popular cycling app Ride with GPS, making all 52 routes easily accessible across the platform. Each Bike Tennessee route was meticulously mapped, ensuring cyclists have access to detailed navigation and route information. Ride descriptions provide valuable information about the terrain, waypoints and hidden gems along the way, as well as modifications to tailor each ride to the individual.

The routes were created in collaboration with professional cycling guide Shannon Burke of Velo View Bike Tours, who brings more than a decade of experience leading cycling tours. Routes were selected with safety and scenery in mind, with 1,739 miles of routes mapped and 53 Tennessee counties included in the Bike Tennessee program. They offer seasoned cyclists mostly rural, low-traffic experiences in some of Tennessee’s most scenic and historic landscapes, including 14 routes in Tennessee State Parks.

“Tennessee has all the right ingredients to be one of the premier cycling destinations in the country—low-traffic backroads, welcoming communities, and stunning scenery,” said Shannon Burke. “It’s an amazing place to ride!”

The outdoor recreation economy generates $11.9 billion for Tennessee, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Bike Tennessee aims to leverage the growing cycling community to increase visitation and economic impact throughout Tennessee.

Cyclists can learn more about Bike Tennessee and explore the available road cycling routes by visiting www.BikeTN.com. Join the conversation on social media using hashtag #BikeTN.

About Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) is dedicated to driving economic growth and tourism in all 95 counties. TDTD’s global marketing efforts increase visitation to Tennessee, which boosts tax revenue, creates jobs, and attracts new investment across the state.

Tennessee is a global destination of choice offering visitors world-class music, live entertainment, family-friendly experiences, charming communities, innovative and classic culinary creations, renowned scenic beauty, and outdoor adventure—all centered at the crossroads of rich history and unrivaled hospitality. Vacations “sound perfect” in Tennessee.

Visit TNvacation.com and follow @TNvacation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration.

Tennessee’s governor has approved legislation designed to block adults from helping minors get an abortion or receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, proposals that are both likely to face immediate legal challenges when they go into effect later this year.

The Republican governor, Bill Lee, quietly signed the bills on Tuesday without comment. However, the governor’s actions were not unexpected. During his time in office, Lee has enacted sweeping restrictions on gender-affirming care for young people and has defended Tennessee’s near total ban on abortion while stressing his opposition to the procedure.

Both laws go into effect on 1 July.

Lee’s actions mean Tennessee will soon become the second state in the nation to enact legislation that supporters say will stop any adult who “intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports” a pregnant minor within the state to get an abortion without consent from the minor’s parents or guardians.

Ambulance drivers, emergency medical services personnel and other common transportation services are exempt under the law.

Those convicted of breaking the law would be charged with a class A misdemeanor, which requires a nearly one year imprisonment sentence.

“Parents have a right to be involved with their daughters’ wellbeing. The abortion industry has no right to keep parents in the dark at a time when their daughters are so vulnerable and could possibly be in danger,” said Stacy Dunn, Tennessee Right to Life’s president, in a statement.

Meanwhile, Tennessee is so far the first state to pursue penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent.

The bill mirrors almost the same language from a so-called anti-abortion trafficking proposal, where violations could range from talking to an adolescent about a website on which to find care to helping that young person travel to another state with looser restrictions on gender-affirming care services.

Last year, Idaho became the first state to enact the so-called “abortion trafficking” law, but a federal judge has since temporarily blocked the law after reproductive rights groups sued to challenge it.

The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Lee earlier this month warning that “there is nothing” in the statute that “suggests a court will look more favorably on its content-based criminalization of speech and expression” as they described the bill as “unconstitutionally vague”.

At the same time, the Planned Parenthood CEO, Ashley Coffield, told reporters that her organization was in “consultation with our lawyers about how to comply with the law if we need to comply with it or whether we can challenge the law”.

The Tennessee version does not contain exemptions for minors who may have been raped by their parents or guardians. Instead, the new statute says that the biological father of the pregnant minor may not pursue a civil action if the pregnancy was caused by rape.

Like Idaho, Tennessee bans abortions at all stages of pregnancy but there are exemptions in cases of molar pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies, and to remove a miscarriage or to save the life of the mother.