Overland Routes USA

This page contains links to routes that other people have created for overlanding. The routes are organized by state, although some routes may cross several states. Each link takes you to a third party website. I am not responsible for the creation, maintaining, or checking of these routes! If you want to see the routes I have taken and the waypoints I have marked, consider supporting us on Patreon.

For the most part, the routes on this page must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a multi-day route and/or cover the majority of a state or cross several states

  • Have up to date GPX files available

  • Only go through public roads and/or land

 

ALASKA

  • Dalton Highway - I’m making an exception to the rules with the very first state on the list - but since this is just one road, a GPX file isn’t needed! The Dalton Highway stretches 414 miles from Livengood up to Prudhoe Bay, which is the unofficial terminus of the Pan-American Highway. Campgrounds are available along the route, but go prepared - there’s no cell phone service, and the roads can be dangerous when wet!

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

GEORGIA

  • Georgia Traverse - A 390 mile east to west (or west to east!) route across Georgia. 226 miles of the route are unpaved. The route download includes waypoints showing possible campsites, hiking opportunities, and water crossings.

  • Georgia Adventure Trail - The Georgia Adventure Trail takes you from Florida to North Carolina along 580 miles of unpaved roads and backcountry roads.

IDAHO

  • Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route - a long 1,250 mile route that heads through the remote mountains of Idaho. Best done in the summer months to avoid the snow.

  • Great Continental Divide Ride - A total of 2,767 miles from Canada to Mexico. This ride can be split into multiple parts, or you can ride one state at a time.

  • Magruder Corridor - A historic route through some of the most remote areas of the lower 48. Named after Magruder, who was brutally murdered along the trail. Available with an OnX subscription.

  • Lolo Motorway - Motorway might be a little misleading. It's a single lane dirt road winding through the beautiful Idaho mountains often on the edge of steep dropoffs. It's arguably more difficult than the better known Magruder. A chainsaw is a must, especially if you're running it early in the summer. 

  • TransAmerica Trail - Idaho section (537 miles)

KENTUCKY

  • Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway - The DBBB is an ever-expanding trail system in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The organization is a non-profit that's fighting to keep access rights to the old county roads, so any hat, T-shirt, and sticker purchases help keep the trails open!

  • Kentucky Adventure Tour - a thousand mile loop of Kentucky and neighboring states with choices of hard or easy routes. 40% narrow country roads, the rest gravel, dirt, or trails. Estimated to take at least five days to complete.

MAINE & MASSACHUSETTS

  • North East Backcountry Discovery Route - This route covers 1,300 miles across New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. It was created for motorcycles, but 4x4s can do most of the route.

MISSISSIPPI

MONTANA

  • Great Continental Divide Ride - A total of 2,767 miles from Canada to Mexico. This ride can be split into multiple parts, or you can ride one state at a time.

NEVADA

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK & NEW HAMPSHIRE

  • North East Backcountry Discovery Route - This route covers 1,300 miles across New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. It was created for motorcycles, but 4x4s can do most of the route.

NORTH CAROLINA

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

  • Oregon Back Country Discovery Routes - A system of trails that cross up to 1,500 miles of roads and trails in Oregon. Physical copies of the routes must be purchased to get the digital version.

  • Pacific Crest Overland Route - The Pacific Crest trail takes you border to border, following the westernmost states of the United States, hitting all of the highlights!

  • TransAmerica Trail - Oregon section (781 miles)

PENNSYLVANIA

SOUTH CAROLINA

  • South Carolina Adventure Route - The SCAR loops through a little over 1,000 miles of rural South Carolina, taking in mountains, forests, state parks, historical sites, quaint towns, and even the ocean.

TENNESSEE

UTAH

VERMONT

  • North East Backcountry Discovery Route - This route covers 1,300 miles across New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. It was created for motorcycles, but 4x4s can do most of the route.

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

  • Great Continental Divide Ride - A total of 2,767 miles from Canada to Mexico. This ride can be split into multiple parts, or you can ride one state at a time.

  • Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route - This route is created by motorcycle riders, but is suitable for 4x4 driving too. It covers 950 miles, and crosses mountains as tall as 11,000 feet.