The 200-mile route would be one of the country's longest mountain bike trails and pass through three national parks in Cumbria and North Yorkshire. Up to 22,800 riders are expected to use it every year.

An initial four-month feasibility study has been carried out and identified that an annual income of up to £1.4m could be generated from bikers using the long distance trail, while 31 new jobs could also be created.

It is hoped that the burgeoning popularity of mountain biking, which is one of Britain's fastest growing sports, would help the trail to mirror the success of the 190-mile Coast to Coast Walk.

Making the plans into reality moved a step closer yesterday when the North York Moors National Park Authority gave its backing to seeking out funding for the ambitious project.

The authority is leading the scheme and its officers will now hold more in-depth talks with other organisations involved, including the national park authorities for the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District as well as Cumbria County Council.

The North York Moors National Park Authority's recreation and access officer, Karl Gerhardsen, said: "Mountain biking is a hugely popular past-time, and we believe there is a demand for a dedicated long-distance route across the North.

"The landscape which the route would pass through is absolutely stunning, it is iconic and we want people to be able to take their time and enjoy it."

The route would use existing bridleways and country tracks although additional trails would have to be created to link up the existing network, according to Mr Gerhardsen.

An exact cost for creating the trail has yet to be finalised, but initial predictions say between £245,000 and £406,000 would need to be found.

However, once the trail has been established for five years it is expected that for every £1 spent maintaining it, between £10 and £17 will be spent in the local economy by riders.

The route would run from the Cumbrian coast across the southern Lake District, before heading across the Pennines and through the Yorkshire Dales. The trail would then head into the North York Moors National Park, passing the highest point on Urra Moor before coming to an end at Whitby.

North Yorkshire is cultivating an international reputation for outdoor pursuits, with more investment planned for mountain biking and climbing.

Nearly 50,000 mountain bikers are expected to have visited a new 34-mile trail network since it opened in Dalby Forest in May last year.

Initial plans for the long-distance route would include a stop-off at the facilities in the 8,600-acre forest near Pickering as riders pass across the North York Moors.

The overall route is aimed at intermediate level mountain bikers, although it is due to be split into easily manageable sections to broaden its appeal to novices and families.

While the vast majority of the trail would fall into the easiest category of green, less than five miles would be classified under the most demanding level – the black grade.

Two thirds of the proposed route would weave through North Yorkshire with the remainder over in Cumbria.