Transcontinental Trail

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    • #238736

      I’ve been curious over the past few years if there has ever been a proposal to create a Mountain Biking trail that spans across the USA, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Why not? There are hiking trails that stretch a few thousand miles. Is the biking community not organized enough? This is an idea I feel warrants discussion. What does the community think? Too ambitious? I would like think it is a project worth taking on. Any thoughts?

    • #238738

      I’m sure many of considered this, but like you said… it’s an ambitious project!

      IMO, we need proper long-distance MTB routes on both coasts before we start talking about connecting the two. This is basically what happened with hiking. There was the AT, and the PCT, and now there’s… Does anyone know the name of the trail that goes across the USA? Nope, because hiking across the plains states isn’t as sexy as hiking (and biking) in the mountains. (The coast-to-coast hiking trail is actually called the American Discovery Trail, and according to Wikipedia, it’s also open to bikes.) Even the Triple Crown of hiking skips the American Discovery Trail in favor of the Continental Divide Trail (much of which is open to biking).

      Personally I’d love to see the Eastern Divide Trail project get completed, and then maybe something similar on the Pacific Coast. Mountain bikers have always joked PCT stands for Perfect Cycling Trail, but unfortunately, like the AT, it is closed to bikes.

      • #238779

        Okay, so perhaps the right group of motivated individuals need a spark and maybe I began this topic to plant a seed. I would think there are enough clubs across the country to get involved and it only seems like a positive thing for organizations like the AMC and ADK ( I can only speak of those two because I am most familiar with them) to get involved. The more the merrier, right? Organizations like that already have the man power, the volunteer base to move on a project as ambitious as building a mountain bike specific trail across the continent, east to west. I do like to dream.

    • #238908

      Haha. With all due respect, “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” (Thomas Edison said that.) Even Steve Jobs, lauded as one of the greatest tech visionaries of all time, said success comes largely through execution, not ideation.

      Pretty sure the seed of this idea has been planted many times over. If you really want to see a transcontinental bike trail come to fruition, start petitioning local governments for trail access, get out a shovel and start digging, or heck–just get out a map and propose a route. Trails don’t build themselves.

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