Hi friends! I’m looking for recommendations on your favorite 7-14 day touring routes in the US or Canada. (Up to about 1000 miles.) I’m planning a trip for August 2025.
I rode the Erie Canal Trail in NY and the GAP/C&O last summer. Something similar, with good portions of rail trail or separated bike paths, would be ideal.
I also like “state-themed routes” (I’ve gone around Vermont, NY, and Ohio on other trips).
Where should I go next? Nova Scotia? Idaho? Missouri? Wisconsin? Please help me narrow it down.
Scenery is #1, good food stops along the way (#2), quantity and quality of camping/lodging options (#3), and an interesting city to explore for an extra day (#4) are other top priorities.
by eateachike23
2 Comments
Blue ridge parkway? It’s scenic #1 but lacking in some of the others. Not that many food stops, enough (barely) lodging options, but not a ton of camping (but could probably pitch somewhere roadside every night without much trouble).
Lake Erie’s about that long, but Detroit/Windsor is still a pain. Cutting off the lake at Sandusky and taking the ferries to Pelee Island and then Ontario (if going clockwise) is nice.
Lake Ontario is also nice, but since you already did the Erie Canal you may have some repetition. I did it once without touching the canal – I rode the US side lakeshore from the Niagara River to Rochester, muddled through that, and went back to the lakes. Took the ferry from Cape Vincent to Wolfe Island, then to Kingston, rode Hwy 2 to about Oshawa. Hopped the GO train (roll on service) to avoid days of urban riding.