Northern Tier Bicycle Route
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The Adventure Cycling Association Northern Tier Bicycle Route is a cross country route that roughly follows the northern border of the "lower 48" of the United States. The route is a total of 4295 miles (6915 km). The route is divided into three route segments as follows: Anacortes, Washington, to Fargo, North Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota, to Muscatine, Iowa, and Muscatine, Iowa, to Bar Harbor, Maine
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[edit] Anacortes, Washington, to Fargo, North Dakota
This section, beginning at sea level, offers large expanses of mountains, the Great Plains, and beautiful farmland. It can be ridden from late spring to late fall. Due to snow, State Highway 20 east of North Cascades National Park in Washington is only open only on certain dates. The same is true for Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana, which is usually closed until early June. Even in July there are cold nights and occasional snow at higher elevations during storms. Due to changing local conditions, it is difficult to predict wind patterns.
This portion of the Northern Tier begins in Anacortes, Washington, on a peninsula in Puget Sound. Anacortes is also the jumping-off point for going to the San Juan Islands, a favorite cycling destination. At the start, the culmination of lush forest and ocean feeds and moistens the soul. Heading east along the Skagit River, riders carry that feeling up to the top of Rainy and Washington passes in the Cascade Mountains. Descending to the east side of the Cascades, the route enters the drier part of the state and the orchard country of the Okanogan Valley. Leaving this valley, riders climb and descend several more passes full of ponderosa pines and find sleepy farming communities along the rivers. The valleys run in north-south across the northwestern United States, and because the route travels west to east, riders work their way up and down. There are plenty of towns, rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests in eastern Washington, Idaho, and western Montana until the route reaches Cut Bank, Montana, on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains.
Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is a hard climb and is closed to cyclists after roughly 11:00 AM due to heavy tourist traffic. The route takes a jump into Canada to Waterton Lakes National Park, and then heads back into the USA at Del Bonita. Cut Bank is the beginning of the Great Plains, and from here riders pray for tailwinds. Supposedly, heading eastward, tailwinds predominate in the summer. The route uses US Highway 2, the main road through central and eastern Montana along the railroad, so camping spots can occasionally be loud. Where possible, side roads relieve the monotony of the highway. Afternoon thundershowers are a constant companion on the Plains. The route follows the Missouri River from Havre, Montana, to New Town, North Dakota, and the plains of Montana transform into the green rolling hills of western North Dakota. In season, sunflowers are everywhere as the terrain flattens in eastern North Dakota. Fargo is on the banks of the Red River, on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota.
[edit] Terrain
The route allows riders to warm up before four major passes in the first 300 miles, Sherman Pass is the highest at 5,575 feet (1699 meters). It then becomes rolling, the route following valleys until Glacier Park. Logan Pass (elevation 6646 ft/2025 m), on Going-to-the-Sun Highway, is the last climb. There's a series of roller-coaster hills heading into Canada. About 20 miles east of the Rocky Mountains, the landscape starts to become Big Sky Country with moderately hilly plains. The plains roll out through Montana and become hilly in western North Dakota, and then the route flattens in eastern North Dakota.
[edit] Logistics
Services are generally good along this route. There is a 71-mile stretch of limited services between Cardston, Alberta, and Cut Bank, Montana. There are also some sporadic spots lacking services in central Montana, but nothing is farther apart than a day's ride. The people of the towns across the plains of Montana and North Dakota are super generous and genuine. Camping in town parks is not uncommon. Another 74-mile stretch of limited services occurs between Williston and New Town, North Dakota. Only a few bike shops exist between Whitefish, Montana, and Fargo, North Dakota, a distance of 1,150 miles (1852 km).
[edit] Fargo, North Dakota, to Muscatine, Iowa
Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa are the greenest states on the Northern Tier. From either direction, this greenery proves a relief from the giant plains to the west and acres of farmland to the east. This portion of the Northern Tier can be ridden from late spring to late fall. Due to changing conditions, it is difficult to predict wind patterns, but tornadoes are common in Iowa, mostly in May and June.
Heading east from Fargo and Moorhead in the Red River Valley, riders slowly leave the Great Plains. Lakes and hills become the standard and mosquitoes increase. The birthplace of the Mississippi is in Lake Itasca State Park, northern Minnesota. This area is so full of forests, lakes, and rivers that it draws tourists in summer. The route follows the Mississippi River until it heads east around Minneapolis, St Paul and surrounding suburbs. There is a spur into Minneapolis-St. Paul that ends at the airport. Along the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers, towns are older. At Prescott, Wisconsin, the St. Croix joins the Mississippi, and the route follows that river south for 175 miles. The route leaves the river occasionally on less-traveled roads, but these mean climbing and descending the river bluffs. Upon entering Iowa, the hills continue after leaving the river. Small laid-back farm towns are abundant. This section ends in Muscatine, an old industrial town on the Mississippi.
[edit] Terrain
The terrain is continuously rolling over the entire length of this route. Ask any Iowan if Iowa is flat, they will respond with a "No," especially in the northeastern part of the state.
[edit] Logistics
Services are abundant.
[edit] Muscatine, Iowa, to Bar Harbor, Maine
The Iowa to Maine section stretches from the Mississippi to the Atlantic Ocean. It touches two Great Lakes, and Niagara Falls, then follows a transportation corridor that opened the country west of the original colonies. It passes through cities that were once the backbone of American industrialism, through hamlets, villages, and towns that define the region, and through places that played pivotal roles in the history of the United States.
This portion of the Northern Tier can be ridden from early spring to late fall. Due to changing conditions, it is difficult to wind patterns. Midwest and Great Lakes summers can be hot, especially inland. Along the Lakes, breezes provide cooling and are sometimes a friend and sometimes a foe.
Beginning at the Mississippi, the route traverses the prairie farms of central Illinois and the smaller farms of Indiana and Ohio, reaching the shore of Lake Erie at Huron, Ohio. Along the lake shore in eastern Ohio and Pennsylvania, the route passes through small towns, where tourists flock to the shore in summer. Leaving Erie, the route enters the fruit and wine region of Pennsylvania and New York and hugs the rural lake shore to the outskirts of Buffalo, New York. Views across Lake Erie of the Buffalo skyline and Canada usher the cyclist into the bustle of the southern end of the metropolis.The route passes the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, and its Italian Renaissance and French Baroque architecture. From Lackawanna to the Peace Bridge, the route passes through a depressed post-industrial area to emerge at the lakefront Buffalo Naval and Military Park.
The route uses Peace Bridge into Canada and follows trails along the Niagara River to Niagara Falls. The route then crosses into the U.S., enjoying the view of the Niagara Gorge. Heading east, the route uses Erie Canalway Trail for 90 miles. At Palmyra, New York, the route turns north to Lake Ontario, where it follows the lake shore to Sodus Bay, dips inland to Fair Haven, then leaves the Lakes to cross the Adirondack Mountains and arrive at Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. A visit to Fort Ticonderoga will give meaning to Revolutionary War history.
After a ferry ride over Lake Champlain, riders are in New England, cycling through Vermont farmland, forested hills, and picturesque villages. In New Hampshire, the route follows the Connecticut River, passing through the villages of Orford with its ridge houses and Haverhill, a classic New England village with fenced village commons and old homes. The route crosses the White Mountains, the backbone of New Hampshire, on the famous Kancamagus Highway. Mt. Washington, noted for its fierce weather, is just a few miles north, and the Kancamagus shares some of its weather. Entering Maine, the route traverses forests and fields, arriving at Damariscotta on the Atlantic coast. An end to the trip includes cycling gravel carriage paths of Acadia National Park and viewing a sunrise from Cadillac Mountain. The park is near Bar Harbor, at the end of the route.
[edit] Terrain
The first 946 miles of this route (from the Mississippi River to Palmyra, New York) is virtually flat. Illinois has some gently rolling prairie and is mostly treeless except in towns. The trees increase in Indiana. East of Cleveland, Ohio, the route climbs to a low ridge for a few miles and then descends back to the lake shore until Buffalo, New York. From Buffalo to Palmyra, the route experiences only slight elevation changes at the locks along the Erie Canal. The mountains in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire extend north and south, and the route travels east-west, so the remainder of the route has a lot a variety; flat sections along river valleys and several challenging climbs. The Kancamagus Pass at 2,860 feet (871 meters) is the highest point on the eastern half of the Northern Tier Route.
[edit] Logistics
Overall most services along can be found only in towns. Campgrounds are reasonably plentiful but there are few gaps and planning is needed
[edit] States and Provinces on the Northern Tier Bicycle Route
- Washington
- Idaho
- Montana
- Alberta, Canada
- North Dakota
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
