Walking Route from San Diego, CA to NC

[californiawanderer]

Hello! I am looking for an enjoyable, scenic, safe and accurate (according to current road construction and other obstacles, etc.) walking route (as in on foot for at least a good chunk of the time...willing and able to use other modes of transportation, when needed) from San Diego, CA to anywhere in North Carolina. Does anyone have any recommended routes or resources for planning such a trip? I've been thinking about this trip for several years and now ready to plan it for the near future. Date TBD.

Any support you could provide would be greatly appreciated--thank you!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

There is only one trans-continental bicycle/walking path that I know of. That is the American Discovery Trail. Unfortunately, it does not get as far south as San Diego, but the Pacific Crest Trail provides a connection in the west and the Appalachian Trail and Mountains to Sea Trail provide access to much of North Carolina.

AZBuck

[Southwest Dave]

Sorry I can't help with walking routes, but I am interested to know how much time you feel you would need for such an epic challenge. Good luck with it.

[DonnaR57]

Wow, that would be some challenge. The first thing I thought of were the Peter Jenkins books, one of them being A Walk Across America. There might be some ideas for you. Mostly, he walked along old highways.

In Southern California, one such highway would be historic US-80, AKA "Olde Hwy 80" in many places in San Diego County. Sometimes it's just used as a frontage road (parallel road) to the 8, but in other places what's left of it just veers off on its own.

The Pacific Crest Trail actually starts about 50 miles east of San Diego, in a very small town called Campo. I haven't been down to the trailhead in years, but at one time, you could stand at the trailhead and stick your foot or an arm under the brief fence and touch Mexican soil before embarking on your Mexico-to-Canada adventure. (I'm not sure that's true any more, though, as the border fences have been beefed up in recent years.) The PCT crosses "Olde Hwy 80", between the Buckman Springs Rest Area and the Kitchen Creek Road exit.

Here is an interesting, non-Wikipedia link regarding Olde Hwy 80 in California.

And one of our Attractions articles in Campo...


Donna

[erickclifford]

Omg, I want to know how this ends! Awesome!! :D