Ford Bronco Captures 5,900-Mile TransAmerica Trail for Google Street View

Ford Bronco Captures America’s Longest Off-Road Trail on Google Street View

Ford and Google have successfully collaborated to map the entire 5,900-mile TransAmerica Trail (TAT) for Google Street View, using a convoy of Ford vehicles led by a Ford Bronco Badlands. The daunting, coast-to-coast journey—spanning 13 states of remote, unpaved terrain from Port Orford, Oregon, to Nags Head, North Carolina—took a dedicated team 32 days to complete. This groundbreaking project allows anyone to virtually explore America’s longest off-road trail from their computer, while simultaneously reinforcing the Ford Bronco’s off-road credentials.

Mapping America’s Longest Off-Road Trail

The TransAmerica Trail (TAT) is an extensive network of mostly unpaved backcountry roads, previously inaccessible to standard mapping vehicles.

• The Challenge: The TAT is over 5,900 miles long, with no official signs or a single fixed path, running through remote, wild, and diverse terrains.
• The Route: The team began the journey on the coast of Port Orford, Oregon, and finished in Nags Head, North Carolina, covering 13 states.
• Duration: The expedition took 32 days to complete, during which the team encountered all types of terrain, from the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah to the Ophir Pass in Colorado.
• Historical Significance: The TAT, originally scouted in 1984, is the country’s longest off-road trail, typically traveled by dual-sport motorcycles and overlanding vehicles.

The Ford Convoy and Google’s New Camera Tech

To tackle the rugged and remote trail, Ford supplied a specialized convoy of vehicles, with the Bronco taking the lead.

• Lead Camera Vehicle: A Ford Bronco Badlands model led the convoy, fitted with Google’s new, ultra-portable Street View camera to capture all the imagery.
• Support Vehicles: A Ford Ranger and a Ford Expedition Tremor carried additional gear and the rest of the crew.
• Portable Camera System: Google’s newest Street View camera weighs less than 15 pounds and can be easily attached to any vehicle with a roof rack, allowing for mapping in remote and under-mapped areas.

Impact and Final Thoughts

The successful mapping of the TAT is a win for both technology and the adventure community.

• Virtual Scouting: The newly available Street View imagery will serve as a valuable tool, allowing drivers of all experience levels to “preview trails and feel more confident planning off-road trips of their own”.
• Ford’s Marketing Win: The project reinforces the Ford Bronco’s ruggedness and capability, proving it can tackle the entire TransAmerica Trail.
• Connecting People: The author reflects that using technology for such a purpose defies the idea that gadgets will keep people isolated, instead helping to “connect people to places they either might not see or light the spark to get them on that journey”.

The collaboration between Ford and Google has not only expanded Street View’s reach into truly unpaved wilderness but also provided a lasting, publicly accessible resource for the entire off-road community.

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