Shortest is 3,092 miles - Florida to Sand Diego
Astoria, Washington, to Yorktown, Virginia
The TransAmerica trail, established in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial, stretches 4,262 miles from coast to coast. Still the most-used cross-country route, the ride takes about three months if cyclists take some time for sightseeing and is best ridden from May through September. Snow falls year-round on some of the mountains in the Rockies, where the highest pass is above 11,500 feet. Campgrounds and services are available around cities and tourist attractions, and along much of the trail from Missouri to Virginia. Portions of the western stretch, particularly through the Rockies and to the Kansas border, require planning ahead and carrying extra water.
Jacksonville, Forida, to San Diego, California
The 3,092-mile Southern Tier trail is the shortest route from coast to coast. This ride is best taken from early fall into late spring to avoid the high temperatures common in the south during the summer; however, days are shorter during the winter, which leaves less time for riding. The highest pass on the route, at 8,228 feet, is in New Mexico. The ride is mostly flat from Austin, Texas to Florida. Parts of the western leg have few campgrounds or services, and one 144-mile stretch between Marathon and Comstock, Texas, has no water or food.
Anacortes, Washington, to Bar Harbor, Maine
The Northern Tier route covers 4,286 miles. The trail, best ridden from late spring to late fall because some stretches close during the winter, follows the Mississippi River in the Midwest. The trail crosses into Canada on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park and again in New York for a ride along the Niagara River to the falls. The highest pass on the western portion of the route is Sherman Pass, at 5,575 feet. In the east, The Kancamagus Pass at 2,855 feet is the highest. Services and campsites are plentiful for most of the route except in Montana, where they may be a day's ride apart.
