GART vs ACA TransAm?

[cotajack]

Hello All,

I'm planning to cycle across the country next summer on the Great American Rail Trail or TransAm and would truly appreciate any advice/wisdom or resources the group could share. Thanks in advance!

[John Nettles]

Hello,

First, welcome to the ACA Forums!

The TransAm is an almost 50 year old established route. It is also a somewhat "historical" route in the sense that it starts at an historical area of the USA's beginnings and has numerous places it offers the USA's history. 

The route has/is well researched, really good maps with all the services a touring bicyclists needs shown so you don't have to do the research of say where to camp for the night, etc.  The route offers a very diverse topography, climates, etc. regions where the "feel" of the route changes about every week or two so you do not always have the same look or feel to the route.  This is especially nice since the route takes about 2.5 to 3 months to complete if you do not rush.

The big difference is that the TA is almost entirely paved.  Granted the TA has much more traffic in places but overall, ACA has done a good job of avoiding it. 

The GART is a "work in progress" based on a route of abandoned railroads that have been converted to trails.  It too offers a diverse topography but not as much since overall it tends to follow a flatter route.  Though flat is nice, this means you will not see as a diverse area since there are not many abandoned railroad tracks in mountainous areas.  While there are maps, GPS info, etc. about the GART, it is definitely more in the "pioneering" stage where you may have to do a lot of route search and/or services research so you may spend much more time on tour looking for a place to camp for instance.  If I had to guess, I would say the GART has less traffic compared to the unmodified TA (see below) but the TA has more services available. 

To me, one big negative of rail trails (and thus the GART) is you very well may ride in a tunnel of trees.  While this sounds nice, after 50 miles or so, it gets a bit boring when all the scenery is just beyond the trees. Also, as mentioned above, the TA is almost entirely paved while the GART has lots of unpaved trails, some good and some not so good.  I do not know what the percentage of unpaved sections are but for instance the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska is almost entirely unpaved and the surface is not as smooth as say the Katy Trail so wider tires are definitely needed compared to the TA.

Most of the trails on the GART are nice, i.e. GAP, Ohio, and some are spectacular, i.e Hiawatha in Idaho/Montana (ok, that is a spur but it is right off the GART route) while some not so nice or the same (Cowboy trail). However, it leaves some nice ones out like the Katy and the Mickelson trails. 

Unfortunately, you did not say what you are looking for, your lodging preference, etc.  See https://forums.adventurecycling.org/index.php?topic=14587.0 for info on requesting better route advice.  Since we don't have that info, I guess it really depends on what you are looking for.  If you want less traffic, don't mind slow going at times, and a flatter route, and don't mind doing services research then the GART is probably for you.  If you don't mind some traffic (very little to moderate), a definitely more diverse route elevation profile, and have decent maps already to go, then the TA. 

There are several videos out there that show the condition of various trails, i.e. GAP and Cowboy trails, to see if these are right for you.  Additionally, check out CrazyGuyonaBike.com and/or Cycleblaze.com for journals of people who have ridden the GART.

As mentioned above, by using a modified TA, you could come close to combining the two.   By combining ACA's Eastern Express Connector Route and/or choosing various routes within the unofficial Eastern Express Alternate Routes ( https://ridewithgps.com/collections/2244653?privacy_code=IeKurbFOSOwNV3t50ARrQwuy3dTAcWvP ) and Katy Connector Route Network  ( https://ridewithgps.com/collections/1838413?privacy_code=VwkXD6IyPPcX4pFH ) and then connecting to the TA in Rush Center, KS, you can get a flatter, less trafficked TA for eastern half the TA. 

If you prefer, you could go from say Platte City, MO, (Katy Connector) to the NW using various rail trails (Chief Standing Bear and Mickelson come to mind) and/or other routes (ACA's Parks, Peaks, and Prairies Route) and combine it with the GART to get a route that is ideal for you.  As mentioned previously, if you provide more info on your needs/desires, the community can offer you more focused suggestions. 

Whatever you choose, have a great tour! Tailwinds, John

[jamawani]

The Great American Rail Trail is more a publicity stunt for the Rails to Trails Conservancy
than an effective bicycle route, although some sections have been used far before the GART was announced.
The C&O NHP is a historical canal towpath which connects to the GAP which is on converted rail lines.
The GART zigzags all over Iowa with short trails here and there - much better routes available.
The Cowboy Trail is a sand trap, US 20 has wide shoulders and moderate traffic, but do ride the Niobrara Bridge.
Virtually nothing in Wyoming or Montana - and the idea of it going thru Yellowstone is preposterous.
In Washington state, the Palouse to Cascades Trail is brutal east of the Columbia, MTB only.

[mattdwyerva]

As others have said, preferences should dictate your choice here.

Do you have a bike selected for the trip? 
What size tires do you plan on using? 
Do you want to camp or use hotels?
How do you feel about traffic?

My wife (ebike) and I are riding a modified Trans Am route.  Until Kansas, we mostly used trails.  Compared to the noise and threat of traffic, we love bike trails.  But we rode from Togwotee Pass to Jackson yesterday, mostly on roads and it was just glorious. 

[canalligators]

  …
But we rode from Togwotee Pass to Jackson yesterday, mostly on roads and it was just glorious.

Coming down Togwatee, I had to stop and dry my eyes.

[mathieu]

I cycled the TransAm in 2009 as my first trans-US route and the GART in 2022/23 as my last trans-US route. I would easily prefer the TransAm.

Most of the arguments have already been mentioned : more variation in landscapes, better support from maps and services along the route, links to the US history. One aspect that hasn't been mentioned : company. On the TransAm you will meet many cyclists going the same way who you could join for a day or two, or coming the other way happy for an interesting chat. I rode the eastern part of the GART until Omaha from east to west. After Pittsburg I rarely met another cyclist. I longed for just a brief meeting and chat in Illinois and Iowa, but it didn't happen. That was one of the reasons why I quit the GART in Omaha after 4 weeks - the main reason was the excessive heat in the Midwest in June 2022. If you start from the west, you will be in the company of many cyclists on a few very popular sections : climbing to the Snoqualmie tunnel, the Coeur d'Alene Trail or the Hiawatha Trail, but most of Washington, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska you will be alone.

If you still decide for the GART, I recommend a start in late August from Seattle, because of the prevailing wind direction and the more agreable temperatures in the east in October. See the last page of my blog https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/gart .

[mattdwyerva]

We are currently in Cameron Montana, riding east to West on the Trans Am.   From start to Great Bend, we met far more cyclists on bike trails (C&O, GAP, OTET, Katy, and other lesser known ones) than on the Trans Am.   Most TA cyclists are more serious, and maybe 1/4 of them have been doing GDMBR actually.

Does ACA have estimated #'s by year for Trans Am and other routes that go thru Missoula?   It might be interesting to see numbers.

[John Nettles]

Does ACA have estimated #'s by year for Trans Am and other routes that go thru Missoula?   It might be interesting to see numbers.

I too would like to know.  They probably have something that shows how many people visited the HQ at least.

While they probably can't give a highly accurate number as to how many people actually ride a given route due to a variety of reasons such as one person buying maps but two ride, someone bought the maps last year and only rode part of it this year, chose to not help ACA by buying maps by using routes posted to RWGPS, etc., I have suggested as part of their annual "state of the union" article they say how many maps were bought for what routes as I think it would be interesting to know.  This would be easy to do since they probably already know how many have sold. This could be helpful in several ways.  For instance, say you are trying to decide between two routes and you see Route A has 5 times the maps sold as Route B.  Since you would really like to meet people along the way you decide to go with Route A and have a more positive experience due to meeting people.

I have also suggested (and offered to help) ACA does an annual survey to members asking about what trips, if any, they had done the past 12 months.  Again, not super accurate since only members are surveyed but it would at least give a decent glimpse into what routes are popular, what direction, time of year, demographics, eat out/cook, pluses/minuses to a route (good for determining if a significant portion think a certain road is not good), WHAT ROUTE THEY WOUlD LIKE TO SEE DEVELOPED, etc.  With the survey data, they could use it for beneficial purposes for touring cyclists such as letting a state know that X number of riders ride by Y State Park and it would sure help to have a no-turn-away camping policy; letting towns know on proposed routes how many cyclists might come through and thus help that town's businesses; letting Amtrak know that X number of riders start a route near particular Amtrak station during these months so maybe Amtrak and ensure certain rail cars have bike carrying capacity; or helping to determine the next route.

Unfortunately, they have yet to do either but hope springs eternal. 
Tailwinds, John

[mattdwyerva]

Great ideas, John. 

Some of this is they need to understand their customers better if they want customers.

[John Nelson]

Does ACA have estimated #'s by year for Trans Am and other routes that go thru Missoula?

No.

[BikeliciousBabe]

Does ACA have estimated #'s by year for Trans Am and other routes that go thru Missoula?   It might be interesting to see numbers.

Note that Missoula is a spur off the Trans Am route from Lolo.  The route does not go through the city itself.  It's definitely worth a visit though.  Among other things, there is an REI two blocks away from the KOA (You can see the back of the shopping center from the campground office.) at the west end of town if you need to pick up anything.

[mattdwyerva]

We are going to Missoula, although I just realized ACA is closed on weekend, which is when we'll be there.