Touring Tuesday - Biking Point Roberts, An Isolated Part of America

Low tide at Point Roberts

In 1846 Great Britain and the United States signed the Oregon Treaty, which specified the western borders of Canada and the U.S. It was decided the border should be at the 49th parallel. Unfortunately there is a peninsula that juts southward from the mainland just below the 49th parallel. This small area, just under 5 square miles, is known as Point Roberts. While it is part of Washington state, to get anywhere by land, you first have to go into Canada.

It's probably not worth making a special trip to Point Roberts, but if you should ever be in downtown Vancouver British Columbia, you're only twenty miles from this little outpost of America. According to the blog Life in Magic Land, there is a 12 mile loop that you can do in Point Roberts. The route is scenic, with views of beaches, eagles, Mt. Baker, and Gulf Islands. Traffic is light, since there is obviously no through traffic. If you want to rent a bike in Port Roberts, stop in at Pedal Pushers.