Ohio River Way Challenge Passes Through Aurora, Rising Sun

Today's voyage took paddlers from Petersburg, Kentucky to Rising Sun, Indiana.

Photo by Travis Thayer, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Rising Sun, Ind.) - The Ohio River Way has a mission to help people find adventure, inspire care for the land and water, and grow the economies of vibrant Ohio River communities.

One of the primary ways the Ohio River Way promotes their mission is through the Ohio River Way Challenge. 

On May 10, The Ohio River Way launched its most ambitious Challenge to date. Over 23 days, a volunteer crew of paddlers will paddle 488 miles from Huntington, West Virginia to Evansville, Indiana. 

As the first thru paddle of the Ohio River Way since its designation as a National Water Trail, the 2026 Ohio River Way Challenge celebrates both ecological restoration and river recreation. 

Volunteers on the Challenge paddle between 15 and 35 miles each day. They voyage in two 30-foot and one 26-foot voyageur canoe. Along the way, the paddlers will stop in river communities to share meals with local elected officials and community members. Each evening, they camp on the river’s bank—in river communities, on islands and at campsites. 

Photo by Travis Thayer, Eagle Country 99.3.

On Tuesday, paddlers made the voyage from Petersburg, Kentucky to Rising Sun, Indiana. 

Among the paddlers on board was Mike Perleberg, Executive Director of One Dearborn, Inc. 

"It was a beautiful day on the water. We went past Laughery Island or what's left of it, saw a lot of interesting stuff, and certainly some unique angles of our river towns like Lawrenceburg, Aurora, and Rising Sun that you can only get from being out on the river. There was a lot of good conversations, stories, and games that we played in the canoes as we're paddling down building camaraderie and making new friends. Some people are real troopers and they're on for all 24 days. Tons of respect to them," said Perleberg. 

The paddlers enjoyed a stop in Aurora, where they met with Mayor Patrick Schwing, visited Weber Sports and the bike museum and enjoyed coffee and ice cream from local shops. Their day ended in Rising Sun, where they were met by Mayor Steve Slack and Ohio County Tourism Executive Director Kendall Miller. 

The paddlers will stay in Rising Sun on Tuesday night before venturing to Vevay on Wednesday and Madison on Thursday. Planned stops in Rising Sun include the Main Street Diner for lunch and The Patty Wagon for dinner. With inclement weather expected tonight, the City of Rising Sun has made plans for the paddlers to have indoor lodging. 

For more information about the Ohio River Way and the Ohio River Way Challenge, visit Ohio River Way