Update: Sept. 11 — Bike ride marks Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trails as longest in US
Many of the long bicycle trails in the Eastern US don't fade away at the state line, they just change names and keep on truckin'.
I'd been digging into some cool, long-distance suggestions for bicycle tours on “non-motorized trails” when I discovered that many well-known bike trails meet at the state borders.
Such is the case on the Georgia-Alabama border where Silver Comet joins the Chief Ladiga. It happens twice between Maryland and Pennsylvania, where the C&O Canal and Northern Central meet the Great Allegheny Passage and York County Heritage Trail.
If you're looking for a bicycle tour away from the roar of traffic, you might find one of these to be suitable. There are towns for food and lodging and nearby camping along these bike trails. Here are links to maps and in-depth trail descriptions:
Maryland-Pennsylvania I (335 miles)
C&O Canal Trail (MD) (above) — The towpath affords a 184.5-mile bike trip from DC to Cumberland, Maryland. Bicyclists can take a week to ride the C&O and GAP between Pittsburgh and Washington, spending nights at campgrounds or motel/hotels along the way. Connects with ….
Great Allegheny Passage (PA)– Actually a system of trails linking Cumberland, Maryland, with Pittsburgh. About 150 miles in length, it just opened last year. This isn't strictly a matchup at the state line, as part of GAP is in Maryland as well as Pennsylvania. Also, it's a connection between a canal towpath and a railroad right-of-way.
Maryland-Pennsylvania II (41 miles)
Northern Central Railroad Trail (MD) — Also named for former state Department of Natural Resources chief Torrey Brown, this trail extends 20 miles from Ashland Road in Cockeysville area north to the state line (aka the Mason-Dixon Line). There are few amenities along this stretch, which is covered in a stone dust surface. Connects with …
York County Heritage Trail (PA) — The continuation of the old railroad line runs 21 miles from the state line north to York. There are more small towns for services along this route than the section in Maryland, though you'll have to look off-trail for camping. Those wanting to continue to the New York State line can follow the BicyclePA Route J (.pdf map), an on-road signed route that heads through Harrisburg and Williamsport to cross the border at Bradford County. (BicyclePa routes)
Georgia-Alabama (95 miles)
Silver Comet (GA)– The trail runs from Smyrna, Georgia (about 13 miles north of Atlanta) to the Alabama boarder, a distance of 61.5 miles. Crews finished paving the last section in September 2008. It is now becomes part of the longest continuous bike trail in the US, because of its connection with:
Chief Ladiga Trail (AL) — This trail runs about 30 miles from Anniston to the Silver Comet, a connection that was completed in August 2007. Also a rural ride, this passes through farmland, forest and across wetlands. See a combined map of the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga.
Virginia-North Carolina (35 miles, connection never made)
Virginia Creeper Trail (VA) — Named for the former railroad, the 35-mile bike trail rolls from Abingdon to the North Carolina line near Whitetop, the high point on the trail. This passes through a very scenic part of Virginia, as those who've ridden along the Damascus section of the TransAmerica route can attest.
The Virginia Creek railroad headed south to Lansing, North Carolina, but the property easements for the railroad right-of-way are locked up in private ownership, so the trail stops at the state line. It's a missed opportunity for extension of a wonderfully scenic bike trail.
(Something else cool about the Virginia Creeper Trail; it's the only one I've found with it's own blog.)
Undoubtedly there are others that I missed. Also, sometime in the future, all the states on the Eastern seaboard will be linked by the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway bike trail.
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