Seeking Trans/Am or Great American Rail Trail Group/Partners

[bobbyb]

Hello,

I know this probably isn't the most efficient place to find someone to ride across the United States with, but I figure its worth a shot. My goal is coast to coast, but this is too far and risky to go alone for me. I need to leave mid to late may, and I am open to pretty much any path, but the great american rail trail and its lack of traffic is most ideal to me. Is there anyone in this forum interested in a trip like this? Or would anyone know someone who is/where to find people? Even if someone only did a portion it'd be a great help. Please let me know if interested and we can discuss further.

[John Nettles]

Welcome to the ACA Forums. 

Try posting in the "Companions Wanted" thread in the Classified section. 

While you think crossing the country by yourself is daunting, several hundred people have done it each year for the past 50 years, literally.  I would guess that at least 33% of people doing it are riding alone.  Maybe 50%. Anyway, here is a suggestion for the most traffic-free published route: 
 
Start in Washington, DC, and ride the C&O Canal Path to Cumberland, MD (can be a bit bumpy as it is almost entirely unpaved but is definitely doable.
 
Connect to ACA's Chicago to NYC Route to Indianapolis 
 
Connect to either ACA's Eastern Express Connector Route (excellent maps and more riders) or a quieter, less traffic, and more scenic alternate route I created https://ridewithgps.com/collections/2244653 .  Both end at or near St Louis. 
 
From St. Louis, connect to ACA's Eastern Express Route to Atchison, KS. 
 
From there you have two options: 
 
Head north on a flatter, less traffic route via ACA's Lewis & Clark Route to Chamberlain, SD then west on ACA's Parks, Peaks, and Prairies Route to Yellowstone where you connect with ACA's TransAm Route.
 
Head west on the Eastern Express to Walden on a hillier route where you connect to ACA's TransAm Route.   
 
Sure, the above routes will be places with higher traffic but overall, it is fairly low traffic and has MUCH more paved roads than The Great American Trail, which is actually not a completed trail but more of a concept.

Take a look at this ACA Interactive map https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/interactive-network-map/.  It shows all of ACA's routes. If you want routes in a different area, just ask and one of us probably have a decent suggestion. 
 
Tailwinds, John
 

[John Nelson]

My suggestions:

• Go alone. Nothing like the freedom of going as far and fast as you want, stopping whenever you want, eating wherever you want, sleeping wherever you want, and not worrying about where anyone else is.
• Take the ACA Transamerica Trail. There are more cyclist services along this route than any other.
• You won’t be alone long. You’ll find lots of people to ride with if you want.
• Early-May to mid-May is the perfect time to start. Go east to west.

[davidbonn]

Something under sixty percent of the Great American Rail Trail is completed and actually available to ride.  There are estimated to be over eighty gaps in the route where you will have to find some other way (probably along roads) to make your way.  Even in states where the trail is pretty well developed (Washington and Idaho) there are sections where you will be riding on roads.

The Trans Am would definitely be easier to put together as a solo traveler.

[Westinghouse]

That is quite a ride for bicycling. You might want to use a pre-mapped route. You will meet like-minded people doing what you are doing---heading out cross country from coast to coast. Mind you, these mapped routes can have you traveling many more miles than other routes. The ACA southern tier is about 3200 miles. Other routes are 2800. The ACA Atlantic coast route will have you pedaling 3000 miles, and other routes are about 1800. The maps do put you on safer, quieter, less trafficked roads most of the way. I bicycle camped from Stuart, FL to Bangor, Maine in 22 days total, with 2 days off because of inclement weather. It rained like hell. Using the ACA route would have required about 36 actual days of cycling.

[Westinghouse]

The so-called great American rail trail is probably good for a cross-country bicycle ride. There are gaps, which, if you get a close look at a map, are easily traversable by alternate roadways that are safe, and they cut miles off the 3700. The gaps and short sections are sometimes out of the way. Skip those places and keep going in your cardinal direction. You can cut 400 miles off that 3700 doing that.

[BikeliciousBabe]

Look at NB, WY, and MT.

https://gis.railstotrails.org/grtamerican/?utm_source=map&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=grt&_gl=1*ndrpd8*_gcl_au*MTE2MzY2Njc2NS4xNzM3NDYyNzEz

That represents a lot of road miles in itself. And from what I have read, paerts of the Cowboy Trail in NB are not pleasant riding.  I know from experience that some of the Olympian Trail in MT are not.  On top of that, the Borax Tunnel of the NorPac Trail in MT was recently closed due to fear of imminent collapse.  Last I looked, there is no practical option other that I-90 over Lookout Pass to get to the CdA Trail.

[tjdale]

The so-called great American rail trail is probably good for a cross-country bicycle ride. There are gaps, which, if you get a close look at a map, are easily traversable by alternate roadways that are safe, and they cut miles off the 3700. The gaps and short sections are sometimes out of the way. Skip those places and keep going in your cardinal direction. You can cut 400 miles off that 3700 doing that.

I rode 2023 Seattle to Delmarva Peninsula (Maryland) using the GART and ACA routes TA, L&C, and PPP in combination with RAGBRAI and some of my own additions.  I have also used the GART my home to Iowa in 2021.  East of the Mississippi the GART is probably 60-65% rail trail.  The trickiest part to connect one trail to another is leaving Pennsylvania and traversing through the WVa panhandle.  otherwisw there are plenty of less busy roads along the way.  As you say, Washington and Idaho are really the only areas covered by the GART out west. And unless you like to ride very rough gravel the trail east of the Columbia River to Idaho is best ridden on roads, which are not busily trafficked.

[davidbonn]

And unless you like to ride very rough gravel the trail east of the Columbia River to Idaho is best ridden on roads, which are not busily trafficked.

The trail deteriorates rapidly where you cross over I-90 just E of Ellensburg, some miles before you cross the Columbia River.  There also is a goathead issue along the trail so you need to take that into account.

Two other options in Eastern WA:

1.  Leave the rail trail near Cle Elum and take the XWA route, which gets you back on the GART further east.  You will still be dealing with goatheads.
2.  Leave the rail trail near Thorp (between Cle Elum and Ellensburg) and cut south (either via the old highway 97 along the Yakima river or over decent and scenic gravel on the Umtanum Road to Yakima).  From Yakima you can make your way on quieter roads through scenic wine country further east and reconnect to the Gart in the Palouse.

The above two options have, in my opinion, better options on resupply and places to stay than the GART does as well.

[tjdale]

My road routes east of the Columbia. Listed in reverse order from my west to east trip. https://ridewithgps.com/trips/124159131
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123968381
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123768469
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123724759
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123660334

[BikeliciousBabe]

The so-called great American rail trail is probably good for a cross-country bicycle ride. There are gaps, which, if you get a close look at a map, are easily traversable by alternate roadways that are safe, and they cut miles off the 3700. The gaps and short sections are sometimes out of the way. Skip those places and keep going in your cardinal direction. You can cut 400 miles off that 3700 doing that.

As you say, Washington and Idaho are really the only areas covered by the GART out west.

What about the CdA Trail?  Paved from Plummer to Mullan, ID.  There is also the Olympian Trail in MT, which connects to the Hiawatha Trail at Taft.  I have ridden some of that.