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“This cross-country cycling trip is a moment of mourning for the gifts of the National Parks we’ve lost or are soon to lose, a celebration of what’s still left for us to cherish, and an acknowledgment of the activists who work to make cycling a safer, more utilized means of transportation for our communities.” Spencer Mccullough
Spencer Mccullough has ridden his bicycle 3,300 miles to visit nine National Parks, and he is just a little past one-sixth of the way to the finish of an 18,000-mile bike ride. When he is done, he will have gone to all 51 of the lower 48 National Parks.
“Depending on the weather, I should finish in 12 to 18 months,” he said on his journey through Grand Marais on June 7.
Spencer is traveling on a Surly Straggler Mountain bike outfitted with Schwalbe Mountain tires. “So far, I haven’t had a flat tire. The only problems I have had with my bike are five broken spokes. It’s a very dependable bike.”
He carries four liters of water and electrolytes with him and makes sure to eat. “I burn 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day,” he noted.
Because the trip is self-funded, Spencer lives on $30 per day. “I eat in a lot of Subways because they have their ‘buy one get one free,’ and I also eat a lot of Check mix and bagged salads.”
So, have you lost weight since you started?
“Well, I weighed myself on a scale recently and weighed the same as when I left. I am 6’2” and 210 pounds. I haven’t lost any weight at all.”
Other than occasionally suffering sore legs, Spencer has been able to stay healthy. “I am pretty used to time in the saddle. In college, I didn’t have a vehicle, and I hiked or biked everywhere. In Boulder, where I have lived the last seven years, I am used to biking pretty much everywhere, so biking 50-60 miles per day isn’t bad.”
While cycling is Spencer’s passion, long-distance running is his sport. “I have run Leadville 100-mile trail race, Run Rabbit Run 100 mile, and several other ultras,” he said.
Finding work wasn’t hard after graduating from college with an Information Science and Computer programming degree. But after three years in the computer industry, Spencer felt it was time to make a change. He quit his job in 2021 and moved into his van. “I was suffering from depression and climate anxiety. I needed to make a change. My main goal was to make peace and recover from burnout.”
After living cheaply and saving money, occasionally freelancing for a friend’s computer company, it was time to make a plan.
After reading an article In the New York Times titled “What to Save? Climate Change Forces Brutal Choices at National Parks” about the slow demise of America’s National Parks, he plotted on a map how to ride his bike to all 51 National Parks in the lower 48. Then he set a timetable for his trip.
Two months ago, Spencer left Florida, riding through Georgia, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Illinois, Wisconsin, and now Minnesota. On June 6, he left Isle Royale National Park, where he had spent four days canoeing with a friend who flew in from Chicago.
“Next time, I’m coming back to hike the island,” he said.
Going through Illinois, he road three “centuries” in a row, bike rides of 100 miles per day. “I was in a hurry to get to Chicago to visit friends,” he said.
When asked about danger, Spencer cited running into “farmer’s dogs in Kentucky. They were the worst.” Six dogs came out with a vengeance at one junction, and he had to use bear spray to keep them away. “Normally, all you have to do is spray water on them when they attack your back wheel, but not this group of dogs.”
Since he began his trip, his goals have expanded. “While I’m still focused on holding space to grieve this immense loss, I have come to believe that mourning a public treasure should not be a private affair. …I want to talk to people about why I am doing this on a bike and not in a car. I hope to get people excited about cycling, open their eyes to the injustice of transportation in America, and welcome them into the transportation advocacy community.
“Riding your bike is climate activism. Taking the bus is climate activism. If I can get one more person to start biking, bussing, or attending their local advocacy group meetups, this ride will be a success for me.”
Spencer said when he is done, he would like to work with the National Parks state-by-state to get them to be more friendly to hikers and bikers. Currently, he said most parks charge $25 per night and favor RVs, adding that California and Florida allow hikers and bikers to stay in grassy areas for $5-$7 per night. Florida has a ‘no turn away’ policy. “This policy change wouldn’t cost the parks any money. All I am advocating for is a grassy space, not a picnic table or fire grill, just a place for hikers and bikers to camp for a night before they are on their way.”
By the time you read this story, Spencer will have ridden to Voyageurs National Park in International Falls. From there, he will ride to Fargo, North Dakota, then across the windy state to South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and the Pacific Northwest.
At some point when his trip is finished, far down the road, Spencer said he will revisit some of the parks and see how they have changed, until then, he will enjoy the beauty he finds in them, and do his best to get people to see and enjoy the country from the seat of a bicycle.
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