Adventure Cycling Association announced in September 2020 that the first U.S. Bicycle Route in California will start in South Lake Tahoe.
U.S. Bicycle Routes now exist in 29 states, and this new route (USBR 50) will connect Lake Tahoe and the existing portion of USBR 50 in Nevada with the San Francisco Bay Area.
This expansion is part of the U.S. Bicycle Route System’s mission to develop a national network of bicycle routes that are officially recognized by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials. At least 40 states have U.S. Bicycle Routes currently in development, and the United States currently boasts over 14,000 miles of routes.
USBR 50 starts in South Lake Tahoe near the Nevada border and travels 233 miles across the Sierra Nevada, through the Sacramento Delta, and into the Bay Area. This route includes popular trails like the Mormon Emigrant Trail Road, El Dorado Trail, and the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail.
With this new expansion into California, the U.S. Bicycle Route System is just one state away from maintaining a full coast-to-coast connection. It is believed that the USBRS plans to add a future connection in Colorado to achieve this cross-country goal.
You can see all USBRS maps here.