One wheel, 1,200 miles and counting

After first learning about the East Coast Greenway as a preschooler in the Jacksonville, Florida, area, 19-year-old Avery Seuter is two months into what is believed to be the first-ever Maine-to-Florida trip on the Greenway via unicycle. 

“I remember our teacher took us out to a part of the trail that was just being built, and she told us that at one point in the future it’s going to connect all the way from Maine to Florida - and I didn’t believe it,” Seuter said. 

Fast forward more than a decade. Seuter, now living in Maine, was reintroduced to the trail via the East Coast Greenway sign on the Eastern Trail Bridge across Interstate 95 in Kennebunk, Maine. He soon unicycled the Eastern Trail from near his home in Wells to Portland. “That’s what made me want to do the whole segment,” Seuter said. 

On a semester’s break from college, Seuter departed Wells in September and has since covered more than 1,200 miles on the East Coast Greenway - on one wheel. He averages 20-30 miles daily. 

There have been other long-distance unicycle rides on the Greenway route before, but Seuter’s ride is believed to be the first Maine-to-Florida attempt. 

Around the midway point of his journey, Seuter visited the East Coast Greenway Alliance office in Durham, North Carolina, and rode the popular American Tobacco Trail with Alliance staff members on a chilly November morning. 

Throughout his journey, Seuter has connected with Alliance team members in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and impressed the staff with his passion for active transportation. 

“Unless you own a car, at least where I am, it’s very difficult to get to places, even just two miles to work,” he said. “I got interested in what kinds of infrastructure is out there and ways we can make it easier for people to get to these places without a car.”

With this in mind, Seuter is riding to make a difference. He has raised more than $1,200 in support of the Alliance’s work to complete the Greenway via his Instagram account. 

Thus far, Seuter’s favorite East Coast Greenway segments include his hometown Eastern Trail, the Border to Boston Trail, waterfront pathways in New Bedford, Massachusetts and the scenic rail-trails in rural Connecticut. 

“There are just so many great segments,” Seuter said. 

With more than 1,300 miles between Durham and Key West, Florida, Seuter has plenty of the East Coast Greenway left to explore. He has heard a lot about the Spanish Moss Trail and is looking forward to exploring that Beaufort, South Carolina, gem. 

Seuter is also excited to see what trail progress has been made in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, where the seed for the journey of a lifetime was planted by his preschool teacher.

NOTE: As a reminder, long-distance travel via on-road sections of the East Coast Greenway is recommended for experienced cyclists only. Prior to planning any long-distance East Coast Greenway ride, please utilize our online trip planning resources.