Great American Wheel Route

In summary, the Great American Wheel Route is an adventure of a lifetime that allows riders to discover the vastness, diversity, and sheer majestic beauty of the United States of America. They will follow historic transportation corridors across the United States, including former railroads, canals, and rivers that once moved people across the country’s enormous distances. Along the way, riders will intersect with portions of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery route, tracing many of the same waterways—including the mighty Columbia, Yellowstone, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries—on their own journey of exploration.

Highlights of the journey include engaging with people and gaining insight into their way of life. Whether meeting ranchers, farmers, locals, or fellow riders crossing the country, these interactions often become some of the most meaningful and lasting memories of the trip.

The most important aspect of this route is that riders make the 3,600-mile crossing their own. The route can be completed at any pace, whether starting at the Space Needle and heading east or beginning at the Washington Monument and traveling west. While the terrain is not especially technical, the sheer distance presents a formidable challenge, testing riders’ equipment, decision-making, and physical endurance.

You can find a more detailed list of highlights in each segment guide, but here’s a brief list of some of the standout places along the entirety of the GAWR:

• Snowqualmie Tunnel passing over the Cascades in Washington
• Beverly Bridge crossing over the Columbia River in Washington
• See a moose on the Coeur d’Alene trail in Idaho
• Anywhere in Montana – stop at Philipsburg a quaint mountain town
• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
• Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
• Warren Peak, Wyoming
• Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota
• Mickelson Trail and Crazy Horse, South Dakota
• Grandma’s Playhouse, Wood Lake, Nebraska
• Lewis and Clark Visitor Center in Omaha, Nebraska, right next to the Bob Kerry Bridge as you cross the Missouri River
• RAGBRAI Room at the Hotel Pattee in Perry Iowa
• High Trestle Trail Bridge, Iowa
• Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana
• Circus Hall of Fame and Clown Museum in Peru, Indiana
• Wright Patterson Air Force Museum, Dayton Ohio
• Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania
• C&O Canal
• Spend a few days in DC seeing the monuments and museums

We are assigning the GAWR an overall route difficulty of 4 due to its sheer length. The route is relatively easy to ride due to the abundant number of rail trails and canals. However, there are sections, especially out west, where surfaces are sandy or rough gravel. Additionally, depending on the weather, surface conditions can vary significantly from compacted dirt to sticky mud that clogs your drivetrains.

Technical Difficulty (3)

Overall, the route is not extremely technical, but there are some sandy or rough-gravel sections.

Physical Demand (4)

The route is given a 4 due to its length and the large number of days required to complete it. The record is 19 days, but most individuals take between 30 and 60 days to complete the adventure. Your body will experience physical wear and tear from the extended, repetitive nature of riding a bike long distances each day. You will most likely lose weight, as it is difficult to keep up with the number of calories you burn each day.

Resupply and Logistics (3)

Resupply and logistics are mostly straightforward, as the route routinely goes through small towns and resupply points. There are sections out west where resupply can be more than 50 miles apart, so adequate planning is required. A spreadsheet with resupply, camping, and lodging locations is provided and has been very well received by previous riders.

One of the challenges is the ability to reroute due to weather, flooding, fire, construction, etc. Due to the length of the route, predicting these issues is nearly impossible, so having the skill to safely reroute yourself when the route is blocked is paramount. In 2024, major flooding of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers required significant reroutes.

Transport to and from Seattle and Washington DC is easily provided by airlines, buses, or rental cars. Mass transit is available in both cities. There are also several bike shops in both cities that will receive or pack your bike for transport.

Climbing Scale (2)

There are long climbs (double-digit miles) in the western states, a high frequency of climbs in Nebraska and Iowa, and very steep (20+% grade) but short climbs in the Appalachians. However, overall, much of the route is on moderate elevation gravel roads, rail trails, and canals.

The Great American Wheel Route (GAWR) was finalized in 2024 as envisioned by the original organizers and race directors, Curtis Lane, Shelly Ann, and Eric Taylor. There have been many contributors to the development of the route, including Kevin Bilbee, Troy Hopwood, Stuart James, Dana McKnight, Crowell Harrick, and Dylan Tyler. Luke Staver is the current organizer and race director, with Dana McKnight as the current route maintainer. Both are supported by many of these same folks.

The Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Great American Rail Trail (GART) was an early inspiration for the development of this route. It provided the initial concept, but the creators of the Great American Wheel Route wanted a focused gravel experience that started in Seattle and finished in Washington, DC. This goal led to the creation of the GAWR, which leverages many of the GART rail trails and connects them via gravel roads and lightly traveled routes, meandering through remote locations and small towns across the United States.

• Summer to early fall are the ideal times to ride this route.
• Some of the passes in Montana and Idaho can still have snow in late May or early June.
• Riding east to west may provide the opportunity to start in late spring.
• Riders can start the route in June of each year as part of the Grand Depart Great American Wheel Adventure race. You can race or tour, but the most important part of the adventure is making the 3,600-mile journey across the United States your own. Primary information about the Grand Depart and race can be found at The Unsupported Cycling.

• Any comfortable endurance, gravel, adventure, touring type bike that can carry your gear and is durable. You will most likely experience mechanical issues due to the route’s length and gravel conditions.
• Know basic skills and be able to find a bike shop when necessary. You may have to rig a solution until you get to the shop.
• Tire size – 40mm to 2.2 inches with durable compounds and less aggressive tread patterns are recommended.
• Gearing – at least a 1:1 gear ratio between the crank and cassette for the lowest gear. Lower is better.
• Suspension – many riders have completed the route without any suspension components. Stem and seat suspensions may provide additional comfort depending on riders’ preferences. Knowing when and how to adjust your tire pressure for different riding conditions is probably more important than having suspension components.

• Ad-hoc route deviations – The ability and skill to reroute due to flooding, fires, weather, construction, etc., will enhance your ride and improve your odds of completing the adventure.
• Some trails require a fee – Palouse to Cascade, Mickelson, and some in Iowa.
• SEATAC airport in Seattle or Reagan National in DC. Dulles in the DC area is an option and can be reached by the Metro public transit system that allows bicycles on its trains. Bicycles on Metrorail | WMATA
• U.S. Visa requirements – U.S. Tourism & Visit Visa
• Dogs – dogs may be encountered anywhere along the route, especially in rural areas where owners don’t properly contain them. It is recommended that you carry pepper spray, an air horn, etc., to help deter them. Dogs have been encountered in rural Washington, Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia, but can be found anywhere.
• Grizzly bear territory – In Montana from approximately Missoula to Columbus. Be bear aware and understand how to carry and use bear spray, manage food, etc. Generally, black bears are not a safety issue except for food management during camping. Again, be bear aware.

• Especially out west, there are ample opportunities to camp on public lands that include National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and National Grass Lands.
• You will also legally ride through private land areas on public accessible roads and paths. Understanding whether you are on public or private lands is imperative, especially while camping. Private land ownership is taken very seriously in the United States, so it is of utmost importance that you understand when you will or won’t trespass on private lands along the entire route.