Trans-America Trail

[Cityslicker]

I'm in Pittsburgh, how much do you think it would cost to run the trail in fuel and upkeep costs on the jeep... then food n@.. I would love to do this trail.. I think I'd take my sweet *** time though,.. is most of the land state owned? or does it go across personal property?
cold you hunt along the way?

 

[goodtimes]

It's all on public land.

 

[drgnhrt1979]

I'm in Pittsburgh, how much do you think it would cost to run the trail in fuel and upkeep costs on the jeep... then food n@.. I would love to do this trail.. I think I'd take my sweet *** time though,.. is most of the land state owned? or does it go across personal property?
cold you hunt along the way?

Not sure about the hunting, would have to check in with each state and see where their hunting grounds are in comparison to the TAT... I grew up in the Pgh area, were abouts are you? I am familiar with the area though I have not lived there in 3 years and last visit was about 2 years ago.

 

[forsakenfuture]

Anyone making the plunge yet?

 

[Cary&Angela]

We just recieved our maps yesterday. We are planning on starting the last week in June. We will only have a week this time, so we hope to make it into Ark. and we can pick up from where we left off later. (Maybe this fall?) We plan on tent camping most of the time. It looks we will be able to stay in state parks most every night.

 

[Rovertrader]

That is an impressive first post!! Welcome aboard. Are you running it solo, open to other participants, via Jeep???

 

[MN ZJ]

I've run the TAT from the start, in TN, up to Green River, UT on motorcycles. So far, the only section that you wouldn't be able to do in most stock 4X4s is War Loop Road in the Ozarks. I barely got my KLR250 down that washed-out, rocky gully. Looking forward to riding from Green River to the finish, later this summer.
Here's pics from 2009 and 2010.
Here's a pic that pretty much shows the bad section of War Loop.
-K

 

[revvinkevin]

Warloop rd. isn't that bad in a jeep. I've been through it twice. I did hear that it has been shut down, might want to check on that. I have also done the whole Mississippi Hill Country loop in a jeep, a nice trip and only a little true 4wd roads.

 

[Red Zebra]

TAT 4x4

I have run the MS and AR portions in a stock 4x4 frontier without incident--including war loop. (OK my son did stick the nose in a ditch on a sloppy road .)
Have run OK NM and CO and first part of UT on KLR650. You could definetly run a stock 4x4 through these portions. Navigating with maps and GPS was part of the challenge. Think abot purchasing the maps a few at a time to minimize wallet shock. It's a great trail. Wife and
I are planning on retracing the TAT and then trying the CDT in a 4x4 in a couple more years.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Just an FYI, the TAT start has officially been changed to Tellico Plains TN. The entire TN section has been rerouted since the old route was 99% paved over. The new route shares nothing with the old.
Like others have said, about 98% of the TAT can be done in a 4x4. There is also a secion in CO that is for motorcycles and ATV's only that will have to be bypassed in a 4x4.
Here are a ton of pics that I took for anyone wanting an idea of what this adventure holds. http://cdalejef.smugmug.com/Travel/Trans-America-Trail/3228351_5Vdpfv#!i=178371751&k=wf94g

This thread should be moved to adventure planning.

 

[Pushbutton]

I'm actually planning to make a run a the whole thing beginning in mid July in my FJ80. My maps should arrive soon. Anyone who wants to run all or part of it is more than welcome to join. :wings:

 

[mudbutt]

How long do think it will take you? Hottest part of the year I would think.

 

[Pushbutton]

Aye, it is the hottest part of the year, but the window for completion is rather short. I'm shooting for mid-July at the earliest as stated, but that is flexible back to the beginning of August. Estimates for completion vary widely from everyone I talk to so... I'm talking sub-200 mile a day estimates all the way up to 500+ miles a day. So my current plan is to wait until the maps come in and base it off of where I want to stop every night to camp. Based off of just mileage numbers and conditions I am planning 14-20 days, but I will know more once the maps are in. I am planning to take my time on it.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

The fastest that I've heard of it being done was 14 days. That was a solo bike rider that rode from sun up till sun down and hauling the mail! You'll be looking more like 3 weeks in a truck, longer if your planning on stopping to smell the roses.

 

[goodtimes]

Based off of just mileage numbers and conditions I am planning 14-20 days, but I will know more once the maps are in. I am planning to take my time on it.

That's moving . . .

We spent 14 trail days from I-25 and the Pacific coast, on motorcycles. Average speeds on motorcycles are typically quite a bit higher than in a 4x4.