Trip Summary Trip Dates: Jun 01 - Sep 01 Start - End Locations: Anacortes, WA - Barharbor, ME Route Notes: CANCELLED Days: 93   Rest Days: 13   Level of Support: Self-contained Miles: 4340 Average Miles Per Day: 54 Surface: Road Riders: 14 Type: Self-Contained   Meals: Shared cooking Accommodations: Camping Physical Difficulty: Advanced   Airport: Seattle, WA/Bangor, ME Cost: $4249 Booking Status: Closed

The 4,300-mile Northern Tier Route may be a few years younger than its cross-country sibling to the south, but this “little brother” can hold its own against the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The ninety-three-day expedition covering the route provides participants ample opportunity to become intimately acquainted with the northernmost of the forty-eight contiguous states (and with a few miles of Canada thrown in for fun, eh?).

In terms of weather and terrain, the Northern Tier is a study in contrasts. Where the Skagit River empties into the Pacific Ocean not far south of the ride’s beginning point, approximately fifty inches of rain fall per year. The same goes for Maine’s Acadia National Park, at the other end of the route. Between those two somewhat damp places lie extremely wet areas, like the weather-battered ridges of North Cascades National Park, which can see 140 inches of precipitation annually. Then there’s the humid lakes country of Minnesota, Michigan, and Ontario, but also the vast, arid plains of eastern Montana and North Dakota. Some of those high-plains places are fortunate to see ten inches of precipitation fall in a year.

Just as the weather varies dramatically, the landforms, flora, and fauna change constantly throughout this trip, sometimes to a surprising degree within a very short distance. Beginning at sea level near the shores of Puget Sound, you’ll rapidly gain elevation as you work to surmount the magnificent North Cascades. After riding amid the grain fields of eastern Washington and forests of tall conifers in the Idaho panhandle, you’ll roll into Montana’s Glacier National Park and up its legendary Going to the Sun Road. Continuing eastward, you’ll ride through rugged plains country where it takes very little imagination to picture what the Lewis and Clark expedition might’ve experienced here over two centuries ago.

In Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” you and your riding companions will veer away from the official Northern Tier Route to take in another pair of popular Adventure Cycling trails: the North Lakes Route and the Lake Erie Connector. So, rather than riding through miles of uniform farm country in the Midwest, you’ll explore a mosaic of forests and lakes in northern Wisconsin, the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, and Ontario. You’ll rejoin the Northern Tier in western New York after crossing back into the U.S. near Niagara Falls and coming in close contact with Adventure Cycling’s new Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. From there, you’ll ride through the heart of New England to your final destination of Bar Harbor, where you and your close-knit group of friends will no doubt celebrate in Down East style with a dinner of fresh lobster.

Ninety-three days of pure, unadulterated northern exposure, underscored by the kindness of locals and the sights and sounds of wildlife like mountain goats, pronghorns, loons, and moose. This is more than a bicycle ride across the northern states—it’s a life-changing experience. Make 2008 your summer to bank a wealth of memories by riding the Northern Tier.

For more detailed information, see Self Contained trip logistics.

EXTRAS
To learn more about the Northern Tier Route, visit our Northern Tier maps page.