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The Northern Tier Route Information
Roadpath Description:
The Northern Tier route is the northernmost cross country roadpath which is a series of contiguous highways that traverses the extreme northernmost highways of the United States. This contiguous roadpath traverses a distance of 4,381 miles.
The two terminus ends are:
1. (West) at the
Cape Flattery Trailhead in Neah Bay, Washington
2. (East) at the Town Clock in the Village Green of Bar Harbor, Maine.
National Roadpath Information:
Roadpath Type:
West-East transcontinental route
Roadpath Total Length:
4,381 miles, 7051 km
Roadpath Use:
automobiles, bicycles
Roadpath Year Built:
1926 or later
Roadpath Waymark:
current highway signs associated with each roadpath
Roadpath Terminus Point West:
Location:
Cape Flattery Trailhead Parking Lot, Washington
Coordinates:
48.3849460, -124.7158605
Elevation:
349 feet
Roadpath Terminus Point East:
Location:
Bar Harbor, Maine Town Clock
Coordinates:
44.3879754, -68.2044240
Elevation:
63 feet
National Roadpath Map:
(m0-maps-ntr-map) Northern Tier Route Map
The Route
From the Whidbey Island in northern Puget Sound in the state of Washington to fishing villages on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine, the Northern Tier crosses four mountain ranges on it′s route across the continent. From the west coast: first the
North Cascades in Washington; second the
Northern Rockies in Washington, Idaho and Montana; next the
Northeast Highlands (Adirondacks) in New York state and finally the
Appalachian in the state of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading down to the east coast of Maine.
Along the way the route passes through
Glacier National Park, some time later, not far from
Itasca Lake and the headwaters of the Mississippi, and the Amish country in Pennsylvania and is what I believe to be one of the most beautiful east-west routes.
The United States: The Thirteen
The Northern Tier traverses the states, from west to east of: Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
All together, the Northern Tier route navigates through these thirteen states, but not just any highway on these thirteen state, but the Northern Tier crosses them along a contiguous highway on the northern most paved highway of each of the thirteen states. Too, in nearly all locations, the route selected avoids all interstate highways in order to provide a leisurely travel experience.
Most of the Northern Tier route is on US highway 2 but often uses other highway which are further north.
National Roadpath Map:
Contrived within his mind, then mapped, next driven, then written down within the roadpath section of the website and finally published online for any and all to use, this transcontinental journey has been a longtime work of Tommy Michel, one of the Wayƒarers associated with The Wayƒarers Journal.
Currently, with more than half of the route driven and photographed, with plans of even more to be done during the 2026 Wayƒarering Journey On, this northernmost route is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. Only time will tell!
The Continental Northern Tier Route
(listed below: from west coast to east coast)
Commentary by
Tommy Michel
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