Welcome to the 10 Longest Biking Trails In The United States.
You can’t buy happiness, but you don’t need to buy happiness when you can roam around on two wheels. What better way to explore all your options for long-distance biking than with a list of the ten longest biking trails in the United States?
Experts believe biking is excellent for the mind. Apart from that, it’s an incredible sport to stay healthy and fit. Biking along the long trails will allow you to explore the world’s beauty. And believe me, exploring the world on two wheels is an awe-inspiring experience that will leave an everlasting impression on your mind.
America’s got some fantastic biking trails, riding those twisted and long routes, exploring the historical sites, natural pastures, and much more that will amaze you.
This article will be your complete biking guide featuring the ten longest biking trails in the United States because we know how thrilling it would be to ride on a long beautiful trail without being distracted.
So, let’s begin a virtual tour of these mesmerizing longest biking trails in the United States before planning a virtual tour.
1. TransAmerica Bike Trail
If you are a staunch biker who loves to be on two wheels, this biking trail is a must-try. The great TransAmerica bike trail is the king of all biking trails. It’s longer than any other trail and more beautiful than your expectations.
Notably, this biking trail holds an immense honor to be a pioneering bicycle touring route across America. It covers around twelve states of America, routing towards the Pacific Ocean and the West of Seattle.
It is also one of the oldest biking trails developed by the Adventure Cycling Association in 1976. The trail is the best and longest biking trail in the United States, measuring approximately 4200 miles long.
Imagine exploring the diverse beauty of different States of America through biking. The trail follows a rural route providing an opportunity to get amazed by the serene dipped valleys.
It takes around three months to complete a trip on the great TransAmerica biking trail. Oh well, now that’s a challenge! We know you must be excited to start this trail because every staunch biker feels that high in emotions.
And the best part is the excitement you are feeling right now is not even one-third of the excitement you will experience while roaming on two wheels over this beautiful biking trail.
2. Lewis & Clark Bike Trail
A saying goes that four-wheel moves the body, whereas two wheels move the soul. If you ask me, that’s true, actually! Imagine having the perfect bike ride – the most uninterrupted and enthralling.
But where? The Lewis & Clark Bike Trail is the answer to this question. It is a trail created to celebrate the historical journey of the Corps of Discovery’s 1804-1806. The trail is considered one of North America’s longest biking routes, stretching to 3252 miles.
The most exciting feature is that it passes through 11 different states of America, providing a great opportunity to explore the diverse beauty of the United States. In addition, the trail can be divided into eight different mapping routes. The distinctive elements make this trail special.
From mountain paths to rivers, flat lands to unpaved paths, the path will offer you all the perks of riding on two wheels. So, if you are a staunch biker and love biking on challenging and diversified routes, the Lewis & Clark Bike trial will be your favorite biking route.
3. Cowboy Trail
The longest biking trail is the Cowboy Trail. It was earlier a rail line that was first developed in the late 1800s. Later on, in 1996, it was converted into a biking trail with the efforts of the Rail-to-trail Conservancy.
Notably, it is one of the most extended rail-to-trails conversions in America, welcoming hundreds of people annually. Also, the Cowboy Trail is a multi-use recreational trail that holds the designation of the National Recreational Trail in the United States.
The distinctive quality of this rail trail is that it can be used for many purposes, such as hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, and biking.
Like other biking trails in the United States, this one also offers a diversifying beauty of America. Moreover, the trail has a surface of finely crushed gravel that makes biking expeditions full of thrill and fun. So, if you want a thrill-packed biking adventure, the Cowboy biking trail is ideally the best.
4. Katy Trail State Park
The top on our list of longest biking trails is the Katy Trail State Park in Missouri. The Katy Trail is one of the oldest biking trails with great historical significance.
The trail is almost 240 miles long and is located in Missouri. It was initially built on old railroad lines that have a history dating back to the late 1800s.
However, that abandoned rail line became the most welcoming and iconic trail. Being one of the longest biking trails, it almost spans the entire midsection of Missouri. Notably, this well-maintained trail is considered a premier destination for jogging, biking, skating, and horseback.
In addition, the Katy trail has also been honored to host many exciting events – one such event is the Michelob ULTRA’s Annual Katy 5K event. This multi-use recreational trail serves thousands of bikers, joggers, and cyclists all year round.
The trail also has the facility to accommodate visitors with wheelchairs.
However, the visitors are warned to be aware of certain unusual situations such as rough surfaces, fallen trees or rocks, water over trails, wildlife or domestic animals, or farm equipment for maintenance purposes.
5. Palouse to Cascades States Park Trail
Like Katy Trail, Palouse to Cascades States Park Trail, Washington, is another longest rail-trail conversions in America.
In 1981, the rail line was converted to a biking trail with the efforts of the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders’ founder. Also, the trail was named the John Wayne Trail in 1985 in tribute to his efforts.
Being one of the longest biking trails in the United States, this trail park covers an area of around 5794 acres. And the trail itself is 280 miles long. The beauty of this historic biking trail is that it offers countless scenic views, and the serenity of the place is another added benefit.
The park offers a true sense of Washington’s diversity, from the lush green pastures to mesmeric waterfalls.
In addition to a biking trail, this hiking trail has fully facilitated restrooms equipped with ADA amenities. Another bonus is that it has a bike repair station. So this trail is an amusing planet for bikers that provides maximum facilities.
Also, the park has many exciting activities for those not into biking, such as dog sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, etc. Besides, it is essential to keep in mind that trail administration does not allow any motorized vehicles to enter the premises of this park trail.
6. OC&E Woods Line State Trail
This 109 miles-long trail along the Sprague River goes through the valley. It was initially a railroad which was later turned into a rail trail. The trail is now Oregon’s longest linear park trail, ideal for bikers who like to ride for recreation.
Notably, the trail begins from Klamath falls, and road cyclists and joggers like this section the most. It becomes rugged in terrain with dirt and gravel, making it ideal for bikers.
The different landscapes, from cityscapes to farmlands to rolling hills, offer the bikers an ideal biking experience and help them build their skills.
From Olene to Sprague river, the trail has a rugged terrain that challenges the bikers. It opens into thick forests of juniper, pine, and fir. For 24 miles, the trail stretches along the Sprague river.
Bikers enjoy riding on the ridges and dunes of the devil’s garden, a remnant of an old volcano on the trail. The woodland is a grassy wetland. It is a joy to ride in the marshes.
Also, the bikers can camp here and witness the migrating swans. Planning a biking trip on this beautiful and one of the longest trails? All you need is a good bike and sunblock to enjoy the urban beauty, the gateway, the river, and the woodland section of the trail.
7. East Coast Greenway
Another longest biking trail in the United States is the East Coast Greenway, which connects around 15 different States of America and 450 cities. It is approximately 3000 miles long, mainly covering the land from Maine to Florida.
Notably, the route was finalized and mapped in 2008. Later, with the support of the surrounding States, its completion reached over 1000 miles. Importantly, it allows bikes to travel through the woods, explore marshes, ride over bridges, and through beautiful parks.
It’s not just bikers who love this fantastic biking trail, it has also won the hearts of many photographers and landscape artists for capturing the mesmeric beauty of nature. Additionally, while riding on this trail, you will see many rare bird species, another plus of this biking trail.
8. Pacific Coast Bicycle Route
Life does not always remain as beautiful as you imagine. But your biking adventure can be even more beautiful and exhilarating than your imagination. And we can guarantee this if you ought to ride on the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route.
If we say that the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route is one of the world’s most serene-filled and beautiful biking trails, it won’t be wrong.
The route is also known as PCBR. It starts from the US/Canadian border and stretches to the US/Mexico border in San Diego. With these parameters, the route is stretched to almost 1800 miles.
Whether you are a newbie biker or an experienced one, the PCBR trail will serve you in the best way to make your ride as memorable as your best birthday bash. Also, thanks to the PCBR administration, who managed to arrange fully facilitated camping and lodging areas for the riders.
With the provision of the best possible services and offering the most exhilarating scenic views, the place has become a HUGE tourist destination where bikers, along with many other people, come to enjoy the cool breeze or big waves, see the wondrous animals, and have the finest feast.
Riding on this route would be your life’s best decision, and that’s our promise.
9. The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route
The underground railroad biking route is another beautiful conversion of rail lines into biking trails. It is 2000 miles from Mobile, Alabama, to Owen Sound, Ontario.
Developed by the Adventure Cycling Association in 2007, it is another well-kept and well-maintained biking trail in America. The bikers who love historic sites would love every bit of this trail as it commemorates the Underground Railroad, a Clandestine route used by Africans during the Civil War.
Besides that, the trail offers many scenic views that no one wants to miss.
10. The Great Divide Bike Trail
We are not sure whether your life is beautiful, but we will ensure you have a beautiful biking ride. And for that, we would suggest you bike on the Great Divide Bike Trail. Just like its name, it is an incredibly great trail to complete.
The trail was first developed by the Adventure Cyclists Association in 1997. It stretches over an area of 2808 miles. Moreover, the trail is divided into five regions depending on their natural diversity.
Notably, it also offers a diversity of surfaces. For instance, from concrete pavements to rocky tracks, you will be thrilled to ride a bike on one of the longest biking trails in the United States.
The exclusivity of this track is that it is best known for its remoteness and spectacular terrain. The spectacular beauty and serenity of the trail warmly welcome its visitors and multiply the joy of biking. Also, you will be amazed to see beautiful wildlife such as bears, deer, wild horses, eagles, pronghorn antelope, osprey, sandhill cranes, and beautiful species of birds.
The Great Divide Bike Trail is a great trail to experience an incredible ride or a perfect spiritual journey away from the humdrum of daily life.
The Bottom Line on 10 Longest Biking Trails In The United States
To conclude, biking is a great sport supporting physical well-being and mental health. That’s why biking has become a common hobby, especially for those people who want to escape the daily monotonous life.
So by now, you must have made a plan in your mind to visit one of the biking trails mentioned above. We recommend you to prefer visiting the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route if you are a newbie biker and the Lewis & Clark Bike trail for the experienced ones.
Whichever trail you opt for, you will thank us for recommending that trail, and that’s a bet!
And if biking isn’t your thing, perhaps consider the Longest Hiking Trails in the US, or the Prettiest trails in the US for some hiking options.
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