Northern Tier Cross-Country Bike Tour: Eastern Half
53 Day Cross-Country Bike Tour
Tour Information
Are you interested in bicycling across the country on the Northern Tier bike route? We will run the Western half of the Northern Tier Bike Tour from Washington to North Dakota in 2026 and this Eastern half of the Northern Tier Bike Tour from North Dakota to Maine in 2027. We ran these trips many years ago and it will be just as long until we're able to do them again. Come bike what many cyclists believe to be the prettiest cross-country bike route of them all!
Bike tour dates, price and daily itinerary are tentative and may experience small changes. They will be finalized in mid-2026.
2651 miles with an average of 52 miles per day with 8 rest days. You’ll experience all types of terrain in nearly all types of weather. This tour can be made easier with an e-bike and shuttling.
All lodging, breakfasts, dinners and snacks on riding days, SAG stops every 15-20 miles, van support, daily luggage transfer, cue sheets and electronic directions, mechanical instruction and support, state line crossing parties, send-off banquet, celebration dinner, and trained guides.
Rental bikes are not available for cross-country tours so please bring your own. Road, gravel, hybrid and e-bikes are welcome.
Lodging will be posted at a later date.
Fly into Fargo, ND by the first day of the bike tour and out of Bangor, ME on the last day of the tour.
"WomanTours proved to be a good company for me to fulfill a long time dream of going cross-country when I retired. There’s nothing like such an experience as hearing the birds, seeing the fields, the hills and dales, farms and cities, and yes, sometimes struggling up long climbs, to know that it’s possible to stretch one’s self and physically accomplish more than you ever dreamed you could."
It was even better than last year's Southern Tier!
Northern Tier Cross-Country Bike Tour Details
We’ll start this Eastern Segment of the Northern Tier in Fargo, ND and continue through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. We’ll celebrate the finish of our tour by dipping our tires into the Atlantic Ocean.
Along the way, we’ll bike along the shores of two of the Great Lakes – Erie and Ontario, and right by the fantastic Niagara Falls. After stopping at WomanTours headquarters, we'll continue through New York and Adirondack State Park, by the shores of Lake Champlain and over the Green Mountains of Vermont. We’ll end the tour in beautiful Acadia National Park in Maine.
You’ll experience scenic, rural America and small town hospitality. Our van carries your luggage. Dry, warm beds and a hot shower await you every night at our hotels. No camping for us!
Everyone rides at her own pace. Our supportive atmosphere for and by women helps each of us accomplish more than we ever thought possible.
Cross-Country Bike Tour Highlights
- Mississippi River
- Niagara Falls
- Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario
- WomanTours headquarters
- Adirondack State Park
- Lake Champlain
- Acadia National Park
- States of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine
We offer a reasonable price. You’ll find we have the cheapest per day rate for any hotel cross-country bike touring company.
There will be 8 rest days over the course of the trip. We schedule these at scenic stops where there is an opportunity to explore the area. We strongly believe in giving everyone time to see the natural wonders of our country and to relax and keep our bodies healthy and strong.
We offer healthy, home-cooked meals prepared by our traveling chef who understands the “performance food” needed to undertake such a challenge. She'll accommodate food allergies and provide a non-meat protein source for vegetarians, but if you require a vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free or other special diet, there will be a $900 surcharge.
We limit the group size to 25 plus staff. You’re neither alone nor anonymous. We guarantee you’ll make some lifelong friends along the way.
TO JOIN: Sign up by making a $300 deposit, which is nonrefundable and nontransferable. (Starting January 1, 2026, the deposit is $500.) The first payment of $3,000 is due October 1, 2026 and a second payment of $3000 is due December 15, 2026. The balance is due March 1, 2027, 75 days prior to the start of the tour. If you cancel prior to March 1, 2027, then 50% of your payments is refundable. The remainder is nonrefundable and nontransferable. If you cancel after March 1, 2027, the full tour cost is nonrefundable and nontransferable. We recommend getting travel insurance.
DISCOUNTS: Sign up by December 31, 2025 and save $600. Sign up for any shorter, domestic WomanTours trip in 2026 or 2027 and receive a 10% discount on the shorter tour. Save 2% if you make your payments by check or Zelle.
TRIP INSURANCE: We will provide you with a source for trip cancellation/interruption insurance. We strongly recommend insurance, especially for a trip of this magnitude.
TOUR DETAILS: Help on training, transportation, packing, and an itinerary will be available upon receipt of your registration fee. We will also provide you with periodic Prep Talk newsletters to help you prepare for the trip. For more information, including references and links to blogs kept by past participants, contact us, and we’d be happy to send you more details. Sign up today!
Northern Tier Cross-Country Bike Tour: Eastern Half Itinerary
| Date | Location | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 2027-05-16 | Fargo, ND | 0 |
| 2027-05-17 | Detroit Lakes, MN | 68 +1453'/-1014' |
| 2027-05-18 | Lake Itasca, MN | 73 +2327'/-2521' |
| 2027-05-19 | Bemidji, MN | 38 +1186'/-1368' |
| 2027-05-20 | Bemidji, MN | 0 |
| 2027-05-21 | Pine River, MN | 64 +1436'/-1496' |
| 2027-05-22 | Little Falls, MN | 68 +890'/-1009' |
| 2027-05-23 | Milaca, MN | 60 +962'/-105' |
| 2027-05-24 | North Branch, MN | 48 +754'/-929' |
| 2027-05-25 | Stillwater, MN | 52 +1962'/-2146' |
| 2027-05-26 | Stillwater, MN | 0 |
| 2027-05-27 | Wabasha, MN | 82 +4062'/-4058' |
| 2027-05-28 | La Crosse, WI +1248'/-1285' | 65 |
| 2027-05-29 | Marquette, IA | 72 +2704'/-2732' |
| 2027-05-30 | Dyersville, IA | 71 +2838'/-2521' |
| 2027-05-31 | Maquoketa, IA | 65 +2244'/-2508' |
| 2027-06-01 | Muscatine, IA | 63 +2508'/-2610' |
| 2026-06-02 | Muscatine, IA | 0 |
| 2027-06-03 | Kewanee, IL | 77 +1350'/-1170' |
| 2027-06-04 | Pontiac, IL | 93 +1220'/-1403' |
| 2027-06-05 | Rensselaer, IN | 93 +1023'/-986' |
| 2027-06-06 | Logansport, IN | 60 +883'/-911' |
| 2027-06-07 | Logansport, IN | 0 |
| 2027-06-08 | Huntington, IN | 71 +1548'/-1387' |
| 2027-06-09 | Defiance,OH | 84 +872'/-978' |
| 2027-06-10 | Bowling Green, OH | 49 +597'/-628' |
| 2027-06-11 | Huron, OH | 67 +491'/-584' |
| 2027-06-12 | Cleveland, OH | 55 +1004'/-949' |
| 2027-06-13 | Cleveland, OH | 0 |
| 2027-06-14 | Austinburg, OH | 65 +1412'/-1192' |
| 2026-06-15 | North East, PA | 71 +1865'/-1693' |
| 2027-06-16 | Hamburg, NY | 74 +2020'/-2290' |
| 2027-06-17 | Niagara Falls, NY | 46 +1482'/-1658' |
| 2027-06-18 | Niagara Falls, NY | 0 |
| 2027-06-19 | Brockport, NY | 69 +885'/-851' |
| 2027-06-20 | Webster, NY | 47 +1047'/-1264' |
| 2027-06-21 | Oswego, NY | 69 +3009'/-3069' |
| 2027-06-22 | Altmar, NY | 32 +1513'/-1316' |
| 2027-06-23 | Boonville, NY | 49 +3078'/-2508' |
| 2027-06-24 | Long Lake, NY | 72 +4134'/-3611' |
| 2027-06-25 | Ticonderoga, NY (or Schroon Lake) | 63 +3202'/-4529' |
| 2027-06-26 | Ticonderoga, NY (or Schroon Lake) | 0 |
| 2027-06-27 | Middlebury, VT | 26 +1790'/-1733' |
| 2027-06-28 | White River Junction, VT | 66 +4001'/-3791' |
| 2027-06-29 | Lincoln, NH | 64 +4096'/-3896' |
| 2027-06-30 | Conway, NH | 40 +2419'/-2702' |
| 2027-07-01 | Oxford, ME | 61 +3546'/-3518' |
| 2027-07-02 | Bath, ME | 48 +1935'/-2448' |
| 2027-07-03 | Bath, ME | 0 |
| 2027-07-04 | Thomaston ME | 54 +3805'/-3754' |
| 2027-07-05 | Bucksport, ME | 58 +3582'/-3585' |
| 2027-07-06 | Bar Harbor, ME | 41 +2454'/-2487' |
| 2027-07-07 | Shuttle to Airport | 0 |
Tour Information
Bike tour dates, price and daily itinerary are tentative and may experience small changes. They will be finalized in mid-2026.
2651 miles with an average of 52 miles per day with 8 rest days. You’ll experience all types of terrain in nearly all types of weather. This tour can be made easier with an e-bike and shuttling.
All lodging, breakfasts, dinners and snacks on riding days, SAG stops every 15-20 miles, van support, daily luggage transfer, cue sheets and electronic directions, mechanical instruction and support, state line crossing parties, send-off banquet, celebration dinner, and trained guides.
Rental bikes are not available for cross-country tours so please bring your own. Road, gravel, hybrid and e-bikes are welcome.
Lodging will be posted at a later date.
Fly into Fargo, ND by the first day of the bike tour and out of Bangor, ME on the last day of the tour.
"WomanTours proved to be a good company for me to fulfill a long time dream of going cross-country when I retired. There’s nothing like such an experience as hearing the birds, seeing the fields, the hills and dales, farms and cities, and yes, sometimes struggling up long climbs, to know that it’s possible to stretch one’s self and physically accomplish more than you ever dreamed you could."
It was even better than last year's Southern Tier!