Mark's Bike Tock

Epic Bike Trail Tour

I have set a goal of cycling in all 50 states. I had 40 states done as of this spring. I was planning on a trip to do some more and concluded flying and renting a bike or shipping my bike would be a logistical nightmare. Long lines for TSA screening sealed the deal, I would drive.

I was seeking bike trails with no cars, rail-trails and towpaths. I had already done most neighboring states, so it was going to be a long drive. Starting from my home in Pennsylvania, I headed west. I had ridden in Ohio but found a couple of new to me trails that I had not ridden. I used these as a way to break up my car ride. I was heading to Nebraska where I had never ridden. From there it was South to Oklahoma then East to Alabama before returning home. This would give me five states that I had never ridden in. I planned to go early in the year, before tornado season started.

Below are the trails I was able to ride. All were new to me except the Silver Comet, I had previously ridden a different part of this trail. I didn’t get as many cycling miles in as I had hoped since three of the days I had planned long rides had fierce winds. I had a great time experiencing many trails I had only heard about. I finished with 3,955 miles driven over 14 days and 415 miles pedaled on my analog bike. I have now cycled in 45 states! Subscribe to Mark’s Bike Tock on YouTube where I will soon be posting videos of all these trails.

Ohio & Erie

Wabash Cannonball

I &M Canal

Omaha/Council Bluffs Riverfront

Wabash Trace

Cowboy Trail

Chief Standing Bear

Red Bud Trail

Keeper of the Plains/Arkansas Riverfront

Prairie Sunset Trail

Skydance Bridge

Oklahoma River

Centennial Trail

Tulsa Riverfront

Razorback Greenway

Big River Crossing (Mississippi River)

Chief Ladiga

Silver Comet

Wabash Cannonball Trail

This recreational trail is 66 miles long (Ohio’s longest) and located in Northwest Ohio. I rode here in late March of 2026. I started at the end of the developed section North fork (41.55593, -84.00146). I rode to the intersection with the South fork then about 5 miles South to Whitehouse (41.51799, -83.80290) where I had lunch then rode back to my car for a round-trip total of 44 miles.

Everything I rode was asphalt paved and smooth. There were regular road crossings, but most were low traffic and good visibility. The trail was straight and flat. The first 3 miles of my ride was through farmland. It got more wooded from there and was mostly residential by the time I got to the intersection with the South fork. The South fork ran under a powerline for the portion I rode.

The Fraker Mill covered bridge was on the trail near the beginning of my ride. The restrooms at the Springbrook trailhead are a designated tornado shelter.

Get additional information here:

Wabash Organization

Lucas County

Fulton County

Northwestern Ohio Rails-to-Trails Association

Ohio & Erie Canalway

This towpath trail stretches 90 miles starting in Cleveland, Ohio. I rode a portion of this trail near Cleveland in late March 2026. The surface that I rode was asphalt paved for about 6 miles then crushed stone. Some of the low spots on the crushed stone section were a bit wet and slippery.

I started at Harvard Ave (41.44687, -81.68240). Along the ride I found the visitor center (41.43043, -81.66242) on a short spur that had better parking. The visitor center is up a short but steep hill from the main trail. It is worth a visit with well-done displays and modern restrooms. I turned around at lock 34 (41.28945, -81.56466) where there was also parking.

The first 6 miles were a typical urban trail. The crushed gravel section reminded me of the C&O Canal perhaps because both fall under National Park Service. There were preserved canal locks, a lock house, a mule statue and plenty of interpretive signs along the way. The was not any camping sites along the section I rode. I enjoy seeing wildlife on my rides and spotted 9 deer on this ride. The highlight for me was seeing a glimpse of a wolf on a remote section on my way back to the car.

Get additional information here:

National Park Service

Canalway Partners

Cleveland Metroparks

American Tobacco Trail

The American Tobacco Trail is a nice 22 mile trail in Durham, NC. I found it to be an excellent commuter trail. It is paved and generally well signed but it does have several road crossings. Some of the crossings were busy but there were also bridges over major roads. It seemed a bit less inviting for out of town folks to visit due to a lack of trailheads for parking, at least on the portion I rode. I parked on the street and started riding at (35.98374, -78.90887). I rode to Herndon Park (35.87846, -78.93431) where there was parking and restrooms.

For more information see: