- The 5,900-mile TransAmerica Trail is now viewable on Google Street View.
- A Ford Bronco carried a 360° camera across America’s toughest terrain.
- The project lets anyone explore a trail once reserved for off-roaders.
The TransAmerica Trail, or TAT, has long stood as a rite of passage for off-roaders and overland travelers. Stretching more than 5,900 miles (9,500 km) through 14 states, it’s a vast network of gravel roads, forest tracks, and mountain passes that test both machine and driver.
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Now, for the first time, the entire route can be explored without leaving your chair. Ford, in collaboration with Google, has brought the trail to life on Street View, turning one of America’s most remote adventures into a virtual journey anyone can take.
To document the trail, Ford sent out a three-vehicle convoy designed for endurance and rugged terrain. A Bronco Badlands with the Sasquatch Package took the lead, carrying Google’s 360-degree camera rig on its roof to capture every ridge and river crossing in full panoramic detail.
The off-roader was supported by a Ranger Lariat pickup fitted with the FX4 Off-Road Package and an Expedition Tremor SUV with the optional Cargo Tailgate Manager. These vehicles carried extra crew, gear, and supplies, acting as mobile command centers for the 32-day trek
Starting on the Oregon coast and finishing on the beaches of North Carolina, the team crossed everything from the barren expanse of Utah’s Great Salt Lake Desert to the high-altitude switchbacks of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, topping out at 11,789 feet (3,593 m).
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Since the TAT has no official signs or single path, the team had to improvise when coming across roadblocks.
According to Ford, their goal was to stay off the tarmac as much as possible. The expedition took place in August 2025 and resulted in hundreds of thousands of images being uploaded to Google’s servers.
Ford insists this wasn’t just a publicity exercise. The Street View imagery gives overlanders and off-road planners a new tool for scouting terrain, checking seasonal conditions, and visualizing routes before setting out.
Beyond its practical use, the archive offers a rare visual record of America’s hidden landscapes, the kinds of places that seldom appear on tourist maps.
While this is not a replacement for the real thing, it might be the next best option for anyone who dreams of an unpaved cross-country drive. Below, you can watch a short video montage of this adventure.
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