TRANS AMERICA TRAIL
The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail is a 4,247.5 mile (6836 km) long transcontinental bicycle
touring route which crosses ten American states from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown,
Virginia. The TransAmerica Trail was established for the Adventure Cycling Association's
celebration of the U.S. bicentennial in 1976. At that time, the organization and route were
called Bikecentennial, a name many still associate with the TransAm Trail. The
TransAmerica Trail is still the most used route crossing America. It offers everything
expected in a transcontinental crossing. The route encounters all kinds of scenery and
terrain, including ocean coastline, lush forests, high desert, mountain passes,
snow-capped peaks, sweeping vistas, expansive plains, fertile farmlands, rolling hills,
and wide rivers. Largely avoiding urban areas, the route passes through small,
out-of-the-way towns
ROUTE
Grand parks along the TransAm include Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton
National Park, among the best in the United States. Because the route has been ridden
by cyclists for years, many cafes, restaurants and overnight accommodations have
journals of entries written by cross-country riders from previous years, providing riders
with a cyclist's history of the route.
The TransAmerica Trail takes about three months. It can be ridden from May through
September. Snow can occur at any time in the Rocky Mountains, and the highest pass on
the route is more than 11,500 feet. Although the prevailing weather patterns are from west
to east, local wind patterns are more dependent on the passing pressure systems and
local terrain, so riders can expect a fair share of tailwinds and headwinds regardless of
which direction they ride.
Astoria, Oregon, with the hills of a miniature San Francisco, is the official start. The view
from the Astoria Column is considered worth the uphill pedal. Stretches of beaches,
outstanding state parks, steep ascents and descents, and great seafood abound during
the first days before the route turns inland to the Willamette River Valley. Eugene, Oregon,
is the largest city along the route, with about 140,000 residents. Other sizable cities along
the way are Missoula, Montana; Pueblo, Colorado; Carbondale, Illinois; and
Charlottesville, Virginia. The route skirts around Hutchinson, KS; Roanoke, VA; and
Richmond, VA. The lush, green western side of the Cascade Mountains is a contrast to
the dry terrain after McKenzie Pass. The road over McKenzie Pass cuts through an ancient
lava field and offers spectacular views of the Three Sisters and other snow-capped
volcanic peaks of the Cascade Mountains. Central and eastern Oregon is made up of dry,
mountainous terrain and demands riders carry extra water. The National Historic Oregon
Trail Interpretive Center is outside Baker City, and after completing a trip crossing the
country, riders have no trouble relating to the experiences of the early pioneers.
Idaho offers a ride along the Salmon River, and Native American historic sites. The route
then follows the winding, scenic Lochsa River for the longest ascent of the trip (around 70
miles). The route climbs up and over Lolo Pass, enters Montana, and soon reaches the
spur into Missoula, Montana. Missoula, a college town, houses Adventure Cycling
headquarters. Beautiful panoramas and mountain passes are features of the route in
Montana.
The views in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming are
incomparable. Towns such as Dubois and Lander are a reminder that the route is in the
West, with their historic architecture and western-style cooking. Lamont is an oasis in the
windy, desolate Great Divide Basin.
The scenery quickly changes from dry, high desert to alpine as the route reaches
Kremmling, Colorado. Breckenridge, Colorado is a good place for a layover day. From
there, the route begins a long climb to crest the Continental Divide at Hoosier Pass,
11,542 feet, up among snow-covered peaks. As the route leaves the Rockies, Royal
Gorge Park offers a layover day, for the Arkansas River bridge or a helicopter ride over or a
raft trip through the gorge. Pueblo, Colorado offers bike shops and places to eat and is
the halfway point. It's the largest city until Carbondale, Illinois.
Things start to dry out in the eastern part of Colorado and western Kansas. Carrying extra
water is a good idea here -- this is hot, barren country. Right around Haswell, Colorado,
riders see the last hazy glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. Riders might have to do some
early morning and early evening riding to escape the midday heat. The
flat-as-a-pool-table terrain of the Great Plains will change quickly into the roller-coaster
riding on the Ozark Plateau of Missouri.
The route crosses the Mississippi River at Chester, Illinois, and heads into Carbondale, a
college town. A ferry takes riders across the Ohio River into Kentucky. Kentucky offers
rolling white-fenced farms and woodlands until reaching Berea, the gateway to the
Appalachian Mountains. A loop south of the route will take riders to see Mammoth Cave
National Park, the longest cave system in the world. Past Berea comes the ascents and
descents of the Appalachians, and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. The
mountains turn to rolling hills and then flat riding through lush plantations and farmlands.
The last stretch of the route is rich in the history of the American Revolution, with Colonial
Williamsburg as the highlight. Yorktown, Virginia, situated on the Chesapeake Bay, is the
route's end.
Terrain
Some stretches of the western portion of the route follow large river valleys and can be
generally flat, but expect some climbing almost every day between Astoria, Oregon, and
Pueblo, Colorado. The passes throughout the Rocky Mountains are generally long but not
terribly steep. The descents from these passes are, of course, a blast. Most of Kansas is
beautifully flat. Missouri through the Ozarks and eastern Kentucky through the
Appalachian Mountains offers short, steep climbs. The Virginia portion of the route,
surprisingly, has more total elevation gain than any other state.
