COOKEVILLE – Some statewide publicity has been garnered for a dozen newly created bike trails that have been added here in anticipation of the 2014 H.O.G. Rally. The trails, which traverse both roads familiar and off the beaten path in Cookeville and the Upper Cumberland, are listed among several yearlong celebrations that will have “Tennessee abuzz throughout 2014,” according to a press release issued today by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
In preparation for hosting the H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) motorcycle rallies in 2014 and 2015, a new series of bike trails have been created in Cookeville and the Upper Cumberland region titled, “Carve the Cumberlands on the Tennessee Twelve,” where 12 scenic “righteous rides await,” the release says.
A folding brochure naming the routes – which include monikers like the Center Hill Thrill, Boilermaker and Standing Stone Loop, among others – was distributed by the Cookeville-Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau to the 2013 H.O.G. rally attendees in Maryville this summer.
Two years ago, Cookeville hosted the H.O.G Rally, becoming the smallest market to date to do so, and the return of the event in 2014 and 2015 garnered much buzz last year. The 2012 gathering brought more than 2,700 attendees to the region from 41 states and three foreign countries. The rally provides a significant economic boost not just for Cookeville, but around the Highlands and Upper Cumberland, chamber officials say, especially at hotels and restaurants. It’s been said to create a $2.5-3 million impact for Putnam County alone.
