Cross-Country Bike Tour
2026-08-05
I am going on a cross-country bike tour! I am leaving later than I planned, so I might need to call it off early if the weather turns and I don't feel comfortable with the later segments. This page will be the hub for information about the tour. A list of updates is shown at the end of this page.
If you or someone you know lives in, around, or between any of the following locations and wants to say hi (or, even better, offer me a place to stay for the night), get in touch!
- New York, NY
- Princeton, NJ
- Trenton, NJ
- Philadelphia, PA
- Wilmington, DE
- Bel Air, MD
- Baltimore, MD
- Annapolis, MD
- Washington, DC
- Hancock, MD
- Cumberland, MD
- Elkins, WV
- White Sulphur Springs, WV
- Damascus, VA
- Johnson City, TN
- Knoxville, TN
- Cookeville, TN
- Nashville, TN
- Paducah, KY
- Carbondale, IL
- Southern MO, incl. Farmington, Marshfield
- Mid-central KS, incl. Newton, Scott City
- Southern CO, incl. Pueblo, Salida, Telluride
- Southern UT, incl. Blanding, Escalante, Cedar City
- Ely, NV
- Austin, NV
- Fallon, NV
- Carson City, NV
- Lake Tahoe, NV/CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Cordelia, CA
- Vallejo, CA
- San Francisco, CA
FAQ
What route are you taking?
The route begins in New York City and follows the East Coast Greenway to Washington, DC. From there, it follows the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath until it reaches the Eastern Divide Trail, which follows the Appalachian Mountains southward. In Northeastern Tennessee the route splits off and follows mostly back-country roads to Knoxville, and then Nashville. From here it works northwest until it meets up with the TransAmerica Trail near Carbondale, IL. It continues on here all the way to Pueblo, CO, where it takes the related Western Express trail all the way to the Pacific.
How long will this take?
At least 2 months; my working estimate is 3 months, although as mentioned above I might not finish it in one go.
Where will you be staying?
The majority of nights will be spent at campgrounds along the route. In more populated areas, I plan on staying with friends and acquaintances where possible, the occasional hotel, and hosts on [warmshowers.org].
How can I follow your progress?
I plan to post updates here most days (although don't expect a ton of detail). There will also be an occasional Instagram post. You can see my profile on Ride with GPS here; this is where you can find a recorded trace of my ride each day. If you have an RSS feed reader you can get updated here (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can ignore this).
What happens if there is an emergency?
I have a satellite communicator that can be used to send out an SOS. It also allows a few close family members to keep tabs on my location when I am out of cell service range.