Two Not Hard-Ball trails - Great American Rail-Trail or the Transamtrail

[Ryld]

Rail-toTrail:

https://youtu.be/OYIWyotllZ0

https://www.railstotrails.org/greatamericanrailtrail/


Anyone planning on this railway to trail path? - familiar/traversed some of the route? It looks like it would be a lot of those awful powdery stone gear-eating paths. It follows the transamerica route around Colorado- maybe? It parallels the Transamerica except it is about 100-200 miles north. I would theorize it is less isolated and goes through more built-up populated areas than the Transamerica- so better chance to get hit with a bat and robbed but almost zero chance of getting hit by a RV like on the transamerica.


I think I might even opt to get overtaken by adult hillbillies on 4 wheelers on the:

Transamtrail

https://www.transamtrail.com/

rather than by town kids on the Rail-toTrail route where I would get hit by a group of teenagers on bikes who want to get into my cool bikepacking bags when they see a lone spandex rider to target.

I was thinking of doing a mostly dreadful gravel path journey and avoiding 80 mile an hour reckless cars and RVs in the Western States this time when I cross America again.

What path do you think is better?

[John Nettles]

Check out the https://www.easternexpressroute.com/

This is a non-ACA rail trail heavy route from Washington, DC to Walden, CO, at which you can connect to ACA's TransAm Route (not the TransAm route you are referencing). Granted there are so heavier traffic sections in Indiana and Illinois that I personally would re-route but it is a pretty good compromise while maximizing rail trails.

Both routes you reference are little used by bicyclists.  The non-ACA TransAm is geared for motorcyclists so you would need to really review the map for services plus the terrain is not nearly as gentle as the Eastern Express Route mentioned above.

Tailwinds, John