The US Bicycle Route System has bypassed the 20,000 mile benchmark with three completely new routes and two major extensions!

The three new routes are USBR 51 in Arkansas, USBR 76 in Wyoming, and USBR 85 California. USBR 76 will be Wyoming’s first U.S. Bicycle Route. Additionally, Florida extended USBR 15 to go north-south through most of the state and California extended USBR 95 to finish the coastline.

“State departments of transportation are focused on delivering a safe, multimodal transportation system that offers mobility for all,” said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “The recent additions to and expansion of the USBRS network by Arkansas, California, Florida, and Wyoming further highlight the active transportation benefits that flow from partnership between AASHTO, state DOTs, and the Adventure Cycling Association.”

AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing state DOTs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO and Adventure Cycling formalized their nearly two-decade partnership of designating new bike routes by signing a memorandum of understanding in February 2021.

Digital maps for all designated U.S. Bicycle Routes are available to the public for free here.

With the new designation and realignments, the U.S. Bicycle Route System now boasts over 22,000 miles of routes in 35 states and Washington, D.C. At least 25 states are currently developing additional U.S. Bicycle Routes.

“It’s satisfying to see the USBRS network grow and know that we are playing a part in making long distance bicycle travel more accessible to more people through these routes,” said Jenn Hamelman, Director of Routes. “None of this would be possible without new and long-standing partnerships with state departments of transportation and local advocates.”

If you have experience with the USBRS, we invite you take this survey to help us understand the needs and experiences of the USBRS community.

Arkansas — NEW Route

USBR 51 in Arkansas goes 88 miles from the Missouri state line to Alma, Arkansas (with eventual plans to connect to the Louisiana border). This is the first USBR 51 segment designated in Arkansas. Approximately 35 miles of this route follows along a separated trails system called the Razorback Greenway, connecting touring cyclists to restaurants, hotels, entertainment, and other amenities.

California

USBR 85 — NEW Route

USBR 85 traverses eastern California in the Sierras for 788.5 miles, beginning in Hornbrook in Siskiyou County at the Oregon border and ending in Lenwood in San Bernardino County. USBR 85 routes through 14 jurisdictions: Siskiyou County, Shasta County, Truckee, Placer County, El Dorado County, Mariposa County, Madera County, Fresno County, Tulare County, Kern County, Kern, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County. This route is characterized by volcanoes, long stretches of forested countryside, busy towns, deserts, orchards and everything in between.

At Lake Isabella, to the east of Bakersfield, USBR 85 intersects USBR 50 and the Western Express Bicycle Route in Woodfords, California. USBR 85 terminates where it connects to USBR 66/Adventure Cycling’s Bicycle Route 66 near Barstow, CA.

USBR 95 — Extension

This expanded route traverses through western California along the Pacific Coast for 1,070 miles, beginning at US 101 near Pelican State Beach at the Oregon border and ending at Monument Road near the California-Mexico border. USBR 95 routes through 14 jurisdictions: Del Norte County, Humboldt County, Mendocino County, Sonoma County, Marin County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barabara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Diego County. This route is characterized by all the California coast has to offer, including massive redwoods, breathtaking coastline vistas, marine wildlife such as sea lions, farmland and fruit orchards, and bustling urban areas.

Due to a short gap in the route, the directions are available in two sections: OR to Camp Pendleton and Camp Pendleton to Mexico.

Florida — Extension

USBR 15 now goes the length of the state, from Georgia border to Near Miami where it connects with USBR 1 for a total of 513 miles.

Some of the highlights include crossing the historic Suwannee River on the Nature Coast Trail, stopping in rural towns like Inverness and Floral City with its Avenue of Oaks along the Withlacoochee State Trail (the longest rails-to-trails in Florida), the city of Punta Gorda on the Peace River with its beautiful Harborwalk, then south to the historic Tamiami Trail. After leaving the outskirts of Naples and Marco Island, the Trail traverses through several national and state parks/preserves: Collier-Seminole State Park, the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and the Everglades National Park. You will want to stop at the century-old Everglades City, the original Collier County seat and now a designated Florida Trail Town. Also along the Tamiami Trail in the eastern section of the Tamiami Trail is the Miccosukee Indian Village, 20 miles west of the Krome Ave Path leading to Homestead and USBR 1.

Photo and description from Patty Huff.

Wyoming— NEW Route

USBR 76 stretches 496.3 miles across western and southern Wyoming from Idaho to Colorado. This is Wyoming’s first US Bicycle Route! The route’s northern terminus connects the State of Idaho, just west of Teton Pass, in northwest Wyoming through Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, Dubois, the Wind River Reservation, Lander, Medicine Bow, Saratoga, and Riverside, before reaching its southern terminus, the Colorado State Line in Carbon County. Please see WYDOT’s website for updated infomation on the closure of Highway 22/Teton Pass.

The route is primarily rural on US and state highways with several segments on adjacent pathway or local city streets. The designation efforts for this route were led by Adventure Cycling Association working with local and regional bicycling advocates, county, municipal, and tribal governments, the National Park Service, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, and the Colorado and Idaho Departments of Transportation.