Northern Tier to Boston

[cfessler]

Hi. Next summer I am going on the Northern Tier route from West to East.  My buddy and I may need to end it sooner than planned and want to cut directly to the Boston area.  Has anyone else done this before?  What would be the best route to cut over to Boston from the upstate NY area?  Thanks!
~Chuck

[BostonMc]

Chuck,
I am just about to do the opposite of what you are talking about. I will leave Boston and join the N. T. in NY near Syracuse. I have been looking around a bunch and it looks like it can be done, but there is no way around a bunch of hills to get you through the Berkshires.

Right now I am torn between rt 119 from Concord, MA all the way to Brattleboro, then VT 9 across to NY or backroads across MA to Northhampton and then up to MA 2 through the Berkshires.

Either way when I get into NY I will follow along the NYS Bicycle Route 5
 
https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/operating/opdm/community-assistance-delivery-bureau/biking

untill I meet up with the N.T.

-Phil

[ptaylor]

Don't be too concerned about the hills in the Berkshires. Looking at it positively, it will condition you for the mountains in the Rockies.

Paul

[cfessler]

well since I'm hitting the Rockies first I think the hills in Mass. will be manageable...

[canalligators]

Bike 5 across NY is mostly a pretty good route.  I recommend not using it in two places; the Bike 5 routing is on very busy roads with no shoulders in these spots:
* Rochester: take the (paved) Canal Trail between Long Pond Rd. in Greece and Pittsford.
* Albany area: take the Mohawk-Hudson Trail (also paved) between Schenectady and Cohoes or Albany.  It's a few miles farther.

Presuming an eastbound routing, you can take the Northern Tier to Palmyra, then get on Bike 5.

I'll follow up later with one route that a friend used between Cohoes and Newburyport MA.

[Peaks]

I think you have several options for getting from the Northern Tier to Boston.

Probably the most direct route is New York bike route #5 to US route 20 to MA state route 9.  Once east of Quabin check out Rubel's bike maps to get you off the busy roads and onto better local roads for biking.  

Got a little more time, then continue the Northern Tier to Ticonderoga, then go through Rutland Vermont and follow state route 103 across the green mountains.  Then Bellows Falls to Keene NH, and into Boston basically on Route 119.

Got a little more time, then continue on the Northern Tier to Sharon Vermont, and then follow US Route 5 to Bellows Falls, and then onto Boston as above.

Got more time, then follow the Northern Tier over the Kanc to Conway NH, and go to Portland ME before picking up the Atlantic Coast Route towards Boston.

Or, go all the way to Damarascota ME and pick up the Atlantic coast Route directly.