Bike Destinations in US
#26
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#27
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In the spring there are a couple short(ish) drives from Des Moines with great bike trails - Bentonville/Fayetteville Ark has a great bike trail and would be about a 6 hour drive. Tulsa has enough trails to keep you busy for 3 days and is also about a 6 hour drive. Mississippi with the Natchez Trace would be a little farther but probably worth the drive. (I've never been to the Natchez Trace in Mississippi but it's on my bucket list).
In the summer, as long as you are OK with limestone trails look no further than the surrounding states. Plenty of trails you can ride for days. Katy Trail in Missouri, Cowboy Trail in Nebraska, Mickelson trail in SD, Sparta Trail in Wisconsin. Also, you mentioned Minneapolis but the best trail in Minnesota is easily the Root River trail in the southeastern part of the state.
Living in Minnesota I may be spoiled with the trail miles available but as a native Iowan and veteran of many of Des Moines area trails I tell everyone that will listen that Des Moines has the best and highest quality trails in the Midwest.
In the summer, as long as you are OK with limestone trails look no further than the surrounding states. Plenty of trails you can ride for days. Katy Trail in Missouri, Cowboy Trail in Nebraska, Mickelson trail in SD, Sparta Trail in Wisconsin. Also, you mentioned Minneapolis but the best trail in Minnesota is easily the Root River trail in the southeastern part of the state.
Living in Minnesota I may be spoiled with the trail miles available but as a native Iowan and veteran of many of Des Moines area trails I tell everyone that will listen that Des Moines has the best and highest quality trails in the Midwest.
#29
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I'm a big fan of Acadia National Park in Maine. The Park Loop Road with a side spur up Cadillac Mountain offer wonderful ocean views. I get out very early when there's very little traffic on the road and it's just glorious. If your wife isn't comfortable with that, Acadia has an extensive network of gravel carriage roads. These roads are car-free, generally not very hilly and the gravel isn't too sketchy if you don't have wide tires. I love the cycling there - mile for mile some of the best cycling in the Northeast IMO.
On the way stop in Burlington Vt and ride the Island Line Trail, and the Champlain Islands.
I go to western Maine every year to a friends house, the road are in very good condition, and the drivers are frighteningly polite. (as compared to what I'm used to in NJ). Again it's pretty country, but not much sightseeing, just great roads..
And if you go to Acadia, stop at the LL Bean outlet in Ellsworth. Your wife will love it.
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#30
Senior Member
Minnesota is packed with bike trails and has a huge network of paved trails that go all over the state. Minnesota's tend to be paved. Wisconsins tend to be crushed gravel.
Gitchee Gamee trail runs along the north shore - unbelievable views. Our favorite section is the section between Gooseberry Falls and Beaver Bay.
There is an entire multi hundred mile trail system on the Iron Range called the Mesabi Trail. You can ride from the Mississippi to the Boundary Waters.
Southern Minnesota has the Root River Trail near Lanesboro.
Gitchee Gamee trail runs along the north shore - unbelievable views. Our favorite section is the section between Gooseberry Falls and Beaver Bay.
There is an entire multi hundred mile trail system on the Iron Range called the Mesabi Trail. You can ride from the Mississippi to the Boundary Waters.
Southern Minnesota has the Root River Trail near Lanesboro.
#32
Senior Member
I've ridden roads and trails in a lot of areas mentioned. One of the biggest trail networks is in the Boulder, CO area, heading towards Denver. One of my kids lives just outside Boulder and I keep my CX bike there for riding the trail network when I visit. It's a combination of gravel and paved in that area. I was just in Boulder last week and we had a wonderful time.
#33
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Ditto Acadia and Schoodic Point. Beautiful area. The carraige roads at Acada are without doubt my favorite place to ride, they are just beautiful.
I was also going to say look for a supported tour on the Erie Canal trail in upstate NY. 550 miles, Buffalo to Albany. Mostly gravel trail, some roads. Lots of nice towns along the way.
Ditto Cape Cod, good rail trail system.
Also Duchess County NY, Millerton and Millbrook are nice towns, so is Beacon in Putnam County, Has the Duchess Rail Trail and Walkway over the Hudson, the connected Maybrook Trail ( a beautiful trail), the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and across the Hudson in New Paltz is the Walkill Rail Trail. Up the mountain west of New Paltz is Minnewaska State Park with carriage roads that rival Acadia and are more scenic. Youncould set up home base here, be within an hour of eaxh trail by car, do all 4 or 5 of these a d never repeat anything,
Or do a supported inn to inn ride in Vermont. Its all road riding but mostly all low volume roads and very beautiful. The towns are all typical New England, there are country stores at every intersection. A bit hilly but a tour guide can minimize those.
I was also going to say look for a supported tour on the Erie Canal trail in upstate NY. 550 miles, Buffalo to Albany. Mostly gravel trail, some roads. Lots of nice towns along the way.
Ditto Cape Cod, good rail trail system.
Also Duchess County NY, Millerton and Millbrook are nice towns, so is Beacon in Putnam County, Has the Duchess Rail Trail and Walkway over the Hudson, the connected Maybrook Trail ( a beautiful trail), the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and across the Hudson in New Paltz is the Walkill Rail Trail. Up the mountain west of New Paltz is Minnewaska State Park with carriage roads that rival Acadia and are more scenic. Youncould set up home base here, be within an hour of eaxh trail by car, do all 4 or 5 of these a d never repeat anything,
Or do a supported inn to inn ride in Vermont. Its all road riding but mostly all low volume roads and very beautiful. The towns are all typical New England, there are country stores at every intersection. A bit hilly but a tour guide can minimize those.
Last edited by Steve B.; 07-02-21 at 07:07 PM.
#34
dollar-store reject
Michigan. Specifically, West Michigan and Upper Michigan (the tip of the mitten and not the U.P.)
Kal-Haven Trail, Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, and Battle Creek Linear Park are scheduled to complete the section between Ft. Custer National Cemetery and Galesburg, which will give you 80 miles between Battle Creek and South Haven, from there you pick up the Van Buren Trail, 40 miles through the orchards and vineyards..
Frederick Meijer Trail System, Grand Rapids to Cadillac, Lansing to Ionia to Owosso,
They announced a couple days ago they are going to connect the Musketawa Trail to the Grand River Valley Trail (which will share a trailhead with the White Pine),
Up by Traverse City there is the Benzie County Trail system, an absolute shload of trails and bikeways running through Grand Traverse and Antrim counties..
Kal-Haven Trail, Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, and Battle Creek Linear Park are scheduled to complete the section between Ft. Custer National Cemetery and Galesburg, which will give you 80 miles between Battle Creek and South Haven, from there you pick up the Van Buren Trail, 40 miles through the orchards and vineyards..
Frederick Meijer Trail System, Grand Rapids to Cadillac, Lansing to Ionia to Owosso,
They announced a couple days ago they are going to connect the Musketawa Trail to the Grand River Valley Trail (which will share a trailhead with the White Pine),
Up by Traverse City there is the Benzie County Trail system, an absolute shload of trails and bikeways running through Grand Traverse and Antrim counties..
#35
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Late to the party, but I would say it depens on when you want to go and what kind of cycling you like. I like riding in mountains and riding in reasonably dry, sunny weather. I also dislike humidity and detest biting insects. So places where it is humid, buggy or flat are no bueno for me.
For sunny, low humidity mountain riding, it is hard to beat SoCal (or Coastal Cal) pretty much year round. That isn't riding on bike trails ... it is riding on mountain roads, which are typically lightly trafficked. Our bike trails are "meh" at best, as is our flat riding (beaches excepted).
In the summer, there are a lot of places with as much or more to offer. The Eastern Sierra is gorgeous, and Colorado is beautiful and has some great climbs and descents. So does Utah (higher elevations), Idaho, Oregon and Washington State (Cascades National Park in particular).
For sunny, low humidity mountain riding, it is hard to beat SoCal (or Coastal Cal) pretty much year round. That isn't riding on bike trails ... it is riding on mountain roads, which are typically lightly trafficked. Our bike trails are "meh" at best, as is our flat riding (beaches excepted).
In the summer, there are a lot of places with as much or more to offer. The Eastern Sierra is gorgeous, and Colorado is beautiful and has some great climbs and descents. So does Utah (higher elevations), Idaho, Oregon and Washington State (Cascades National Park in particular).
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