See the full RAGBRAI 2024 route map for Day 1: Glenwood to Red Oak

Each day this week, the Des Moines Register will be presenting one of the daily maps for RAGBRAI 2024, along with the pertinent stats and highlights. Here's today's.

Day 1, Sunday, July 21: Glenwood to Red Oak

• Miles: 41.9.

• Feet of climb: 2,435.

• Themes: Tire dip, Mile of Silence.

• Pass-through towns: Silver City and Emerson.

• Meeting town: Henderson.

• Gravel option: 7.6 miles, 638 feet of climb.

• Highlights: Climbing through the scenic Loess Hills of the Missouri River valley, one of the world's most unique landscapes, with lots of long-range views. Those charmed enough by it to consider a return visit will want to check out the Wabash Trace Nature trail passing through the heart Silver City, a 63-mile rail trail from Council Bluffs to the Missouri border. Red Oak, the overnight town, is a former railroad town with a thriving and historic town square and an impressively ornate and ― appropriately ― deep-red-hued county courthouse.

Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RAGBRAI 2024 Day 1 route map unveiled