[MrBaker87]

Hey all, seems like I may be driving a friend’s car from NYC back to Seattle, Washington and wanted to get some recommendations on spots I should check out along the way.

Trip seems like it’ll occur between late May and June. No set time.

Route can be squiggly and not straight forward. Taking me time across the country as I have never been to most states that don’t touch an ocean.

I’ll have an enduro bike with me, but would happily check out a bike park if any are open.

I am well versed on Washington/Oregon riding spots. Not much else.

Bonus points for dirtbag camping along the way.

 

[canadmos]

Is PA on the way? Has free camping in Rothrock forest.

 

[MrBaker87]

Is PA on the way? Has free camping Rothrock forest.

it definitely could be! Tell me more.

I definitely want to try a legit Philly cheesesteak and get some tasty cakes.

I have zero routes set and happy to even drive out of the way.

 

[djjohnr]

Detour to ride Teton Pass is well worth the add on time.

 

[schwaaa31]

My Creek in NJ about an hour northwest of Manhattan is worth a stop IMO.

 

[canadmos]

it definitely could be! Tell me more.

I definitely want to try a legit Philly cheesesteak and get some tasty cakes.

I have zero routes set and happy to even drive out of the way.

Check out the map on Trailforks. Rothrock is a large area, of which I only rode one trail (Tussey Mountain), which came recommended from folks here. It was great.

https://www.trailforks.com/region/galbraith-gap-rothrock-state-forest/

Camping info at the link below. It might have changed since I went, but it was free, so long as you reserved a spot.

I stayed at one called Bear Meadows, which you could park an 18 wheeler in. The site was huge - I'm sure if they're all booked, you could politely camp at the end of the site. Or just find a different spot.

Camping in Rothrock State Forest

www.dcnr.pa.gov

Another spot is McCarty Hill State Park in NY. It's further north, but the riding is nice. Nothing out of this world, but great long flowing trails.

https://www.trailforks.com/region/rock-city-and-mccarty-hill-state-forest/

There is a free camp spot nearby called CCC Camp (on the map). Just show up and hope no locals are partying.

 

[boostindoubles]

Glendo State Park in Wyoming could be on your list. Your still too early for alot of the good mountain riding. Phis World in Cortez, CO will be ripping though. Fruita has 18 Road for camp and ride.

I can't help you in the plains but theres all sorts of places to ride, camp, and soak in the rocky mountains.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Brevard, NC; Douthat State Park, VA; Definitely Rothrock. Any section of the Maah Dah Hey. Prescott, AZ...

 

[Jm_]

And Whistler.

 

[rideit]

Detour to ride Teton Pass is well worth the add on time.

All of the Pass will not be rideable until late June (probably first week of July, actually). Nor Targhee or JHMR bike parks.
There will be some very good riding, but limited.

 

[daisycutter]

Hit Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. You should try Kingdom Trails in Vermont have been drawing riders from the Northeastern US and Southeastern Canada for decades.

 

[Westy]

Gap the Midwest and huck the grand canyon

 

[canadmos]

Found this old photo of that camp site in Rothrock. Spacious, to say the least.

 

[boostindoubles]

Also - camping back east and camping in the west are 100% not the same at all. In WA any forest road is a campground in most places and theres plenty of public land to crash in.

Back east you are either sleeping in someones yard or paying for a camp site. There is not an equivalent to what we have in the west.

 

[Westy]

Also - camping back east and camping in the west are 100% not the same at all. In WA any forest road is a campground in most places and theres plenty of public land to crash in.

Back east you are either sleeping in someones yard or paying for a camp site. There is not an equivalent to what we have in the west.

Not true. There was plenty of open camping in Virginia forest land. In fact there was a mini-monkey fest near Sherando.

 

[boostindoubles]

Not true. There was plenty of open camping in Virginia forest land.

I've never been to Virginia. I am speaking on my experience in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

 

[Westy]

I've never been to Virginia. I am speaking on my experience in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

I must have been hallucinating when I camped in the Adirondacks.

 

[boostindoubles]

I must have been hallucinating when I camped in the Adirondacks.

Maybe in 1980 it was a different game - I had to pay for camping at Whiteface.

 

[Westy]

Maybe in 1980 it was a different game - I had to pay for camping at Whiteface.

No wilderness camping in an Olympic village?

Somebody think of the children

 

[boostindoubles]

No wilderness camping in an Olympic village?

Somebody think of the children

Exactly, I was in the woods at/near a ski hill and I had to pay for camping.

That's not how it works in the west.

 

[rideit]

That’s how it is at Whitefish!

 

[bullcrew]

Park city Utah, tamarack and brundige in Idaho (Cascade donnely) , goose Creek trail McCall Idaho, silver mountain kellog Idaho, Boise bike park eagle Idaho, bogus basin Boise Idaho, Mount Spokane (beacon hill), and of course a crap ton all over the NW Washington, Bellingham , ...

Mount Spokane used to be home of beacon bomber aka double down ho down..good riding , buddy Justin covey is digging up there now and there's some amazing riding,..jumps, drops, step ups, natural terrain, it has some really good easy pedalling for abgoodd a amount of features


Hiawatha Trail: Epic scenery and cool tunnels.
If you want a good 18 mile down and 18mile back out or shuttle bus back out

It's a good trip once your out of the mid west, ogalala Nebraska is like a corn field version of deliverance so avoid cops and people if your not white....
I'd stay 80 or north and hit the higher states for terrain that center section is boring as hell...

80 hits Wyoming and will drop you into Park city.

Did that drive from Maryland with wife when I met her and moved her out to San diego. She's from northern Idaho I'm from seattle . So we did that route and then back down the 5 to San Diego...

 

[boostindoubles]

That’s how it is at Whitefish!

But but you dont have to go far to find a place to crash in rural MT.

 

[djjohnr]

All of the Pass will not be rideable until late June (probably first week of July, actually). Nor Targhee or JHMR bike parks.
There will be some very good riding, but limited.

Ah, I missed the trip dates

 

[jonKranked]

I'm outside Philly (Northwest near King of Prussia to be exact). If you'd like some details on the region feel free to shoot me a PM.

But the recos others have made for PA are good. Blue bike park isn't too far off 78 if you want some lift access riding. Rothrock is good. Raystown is a good time too, but definitely on the trail/xc end of things.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I'm outside Philly (Northwest near King of Prussia to be exact). If you'd like some details on the region feel free to shoot me a PM.

But the recos others have made for PA are good. Blue bike park isn't too far off 78 if you want some lift access riding. Rothrock is good. Raystown is a good time too, but definitely on the trail/xc end of things.

Raystown's also very poorly marked, easy to get lost.

 

[canadmos]

Raystown's also very poorly marked, easy to get lost.

With trailforks is should be pretty easy to get around. And at the very least if you do get lost, all those trails circle back on themselves...usually.

 

[Jozz]

I'd probably take the south route rather than going straight west. So...

Virginia
North Carolina
Tennessee
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Arizona
Utah
Idaho
Montana

If you have time of course.

 

[Jozz]

With trailforks is should be pretty easy to get around. And at the very least if you do get lost, all those trails circle back on themselves...usually.

And it's not like trails are different from one or another. Copy paste.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

With trailforks is should be pretty easy to get around. And at the very least if you do get lost, all those trails circle back on themselves...usually.

I was there last year and Trailforks was not working. Eventually had to uninstall and reinstall it to correct the issue. Luckily, I was recording my route with my GPS, which helped me get out.

 

[jonKranked]

Raystown's also very poorly marked, easy to get lost.

I won't argue that it's poorly marked, but I had no issues navigating it without trailforks.

 

[jstuhlman]

virginia: massanutten bike park; douthat state park; carvin's cove near roanoke; more back country stuff west of harrisburg. i think there's some decent riding in western maryland too.

nc: lots of options depending on how you go. if you come down 77 to 40, there's the warrior creek area near wilkesboro and rocky knob near boone; lots of dirtbag camping and back country trails in the wilson creek area near morganton (pm me for details/routes); for flowier xc stuff and camping lake norman state park, further out west along 40 you get kitsuma, heartbreak, and the other old fort area trails; then you could dip down at asheville for pisgah near brevard; dupont; and kitsuma and rock creek bike parks. west of asheville are the trails by fontana (mire flow-y), fire mountain, and berm park. then you could head west into tennessee and hit all the stuff around knoxville and there's windrock of course.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Late May thru June is likely going to already be too hot to ride most of the SW desert goodies (Fruita, Moab, southern Utah, etc.). Just a heads-up.

 

[Jozz]

Late May thru June is likely going to already be too hot to ride most of the SW desert goodies (Fruita, Moab, southern Utah, etc.). Just a heads-up.

It's dry heat.

 

[SkaredShtles]

It's dry heat.

You're not wrong.

A brutal, vicious, dry, desiccating heat.

NTTAWWT

 

[Jozz]

You're not wrong.

Rarely.

 

[MrBaker87]

Hey all! Thanks for all the recommendations.

I appreciate you all.

I guess I should revise it and say I was looking at staying in the more northern portion of the country.
I feel driving down to the SE or Arizona might be a bit too much out of the way.

pennsyvania? Michigan? States on between? I’m definitely planning a more focused trip for Montana / Wyoming since they’re close to Washington for the most part.