The 2026 Ohio River Way Challenge, which began May 10, is taking a volunteer crew from Huntington, West Virginia, to Evansville, Indiana, over 23 days. The journey marks the organization’s first end-to-end journey since the corridor earned designation as a National Water Trail.
The annual Better Together Fund program aims to provide regional organizations with flexibility to navigate a shifting funding landscape, whether by strengthening leadership, improving internal systems or investing in regional partnerships.
The new status puts the Ohio River Way – a route winding through wilderness, farmland and river towns – on the national map as a destination for paddlers, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts.
Crews will travel in 30-foot voyageur canoes, starting near Ashland, Kentucky, and Ironton, Ohio, and ending in Louisville, Kentucky.
The state of Ohio plans to invest $36,162,778 in Clermont and Brown counties to increase tourism and accessibility in riverfront communities.
