The TransAmerica Trail (TAT) is a cross-country overlanding adventure you don’t want to pass up. Like with any road trip, planning for the TAT is absolutely necessary.
What is the TransAmerica Trail?
The TAT is a combination of off-road trails and paved roads that leads across the continental US.
It was created in 1984 by Sam Correro, who was searching for his own adventure. He is the owner of the official TransAmerica Trail website https://www.transamtrail.com/. You can see more about his bio there.
The trail leads from the East Coast to the West Coast and crosses 17 states. It is best traversed via 4×4 off-road vehicle or dual-sport motorcycle, due to the various terrains that you will encounter: snow, mud, dirt, and rocks/gravel.
What is the best way to navigate the TransAmerica Trail?
You will want to purchase your maps through the official TAT website: https://www.transamtrail.com/. Even though, you have to buy the maps from the website, they are necessary and come straight from the man who created the trail.
There are several websites that have maps of the TAT, but some of those maps navigate you through restricted private properties. Sam Correro’s maps do not take you through any private property that has not given permission to TAT travelers; that’s why I highly suggest spending the money for his maps.
The TAT website has maps, roll-charts, GPS tracks via email, and GPS tracks via USPS for sale. Since we need them quickly, we are opting for the GPS tracks via email. Sam suggests the roll-charts for those traveling via motorcycle.
According to the TAT website, you can expect to travel an average of 200 miles per day. It doesn’t seem like a lot, I know. When traveling off-road trials, you can’t go more than about 20 to 30 mph, so it does take a little while.
What are GPS tracks?
GPS-routes and GPS tracks are different. GPS-routes calculate and recalculate your route depending on your current location. GPS-tracks get you back onto your original route if you happen to make a wrong turn or take the wrong path. With the GPS-tracks, you can ensure that you do not get recalculated to only highways and paved roads.
GPS-tracks can be downloaded onto your GPS Navigation device, so some people opt to purchase the SD card from the TAT website.
Where will you stay?
According to a lot of TAT travelers, there are several hotels, bed & breakfasts, and campgrounds along the way. I’ve seen on some YouTube videos were some have boondocked or done some dispersed camping. It all depends on the section of the TAT you are traveling.
As usual, weather permitting, we are planning to do some primitive camping, wherever we can, even if it is in a campground.
Once you have the maps, check for camping and hotel options along the way. Most of the time, these will be near some food options. I recommend using the Dyrt app for camping options. Other Dyrt users leave great tips and reviews that are usually spot on.
What will you need to pack?
You will want to pack light…but not too light. Obviously, you will need the basics, but you will also need your emergency gear…just in case.
First aid kits, tire repair kits, gas cans, and tools for fixing your vehicle are all possible things you may want to bring with you.
Pack according to how much space you have in or on your vehicle. You don’t want to overpack though.
For what to bring on an overlanding trip, check out https://roadtrippingthree.com/do-you-wanna-go-overlanding/.
For ideas on how to make your camping trip more compact to save space for your overlanding gear, check out https://roadtrippingthree.com/compact-primitive-camping-wish-list/.
If you need ideas for a comfortable camping trip, check out our must haves https://roadtrippingthree.com/must-haves-for-comfortable-primitive-camping/.
As always, do your own research before any trip. We hope that these tips will give you an idea on what to expect and how to prepare.
