Note: these routes are rugged backcountry gravel roads without any services or along the way. By Length (days) Overnighters & S24O; Weekend Routes (2-4) Week-long Routes (5-10) Odyssey Routes (11-30) "Freakouts" (31+) Local Overnighters. For anyone dreaming of a longer trip, or interested in riding from Sacramento to Tahoe (perhaps to link up with Tahoe Twirl or Bones to Blue!) 1. The information found here is simply a resource for planning and inspiration to be used with your own due-diligence. Its crisscrossed by gravel tracks so you could break it down into day-rideable chunks, but the opportunities for sleeping under the stars, and the campsites along the way make this cry out as a classic bikepacking adventure. It was tough deciding between this and the 100-mile White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park just west of Moab. Be sure to make reservations for campgrounds or accommodation in advance if needed, and be prepared to share the trails with plenty of hikers. Cross Washington Bikepacking propose 1 parcours (1127 km) pour vlo de gravel Organisateur: The Cross-Washington mountain bike route is a 700 mile, mostly off-road route from the Pacific Ocean to the Washington/Idaho border. Its accessible by ferry, crisscrossed by dirt roads (heres a map), and has several campgrounds and primitive campsites (reservations likely needed). And now, in this liminal space, where we inhabit at socially acceptable distances from each other, I wanted to offer my thoughts on the three bike packing gems of Southern California - Santa Catalina Island, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and the formidable Stagecoach 400. It's easy to see why the national capital region has emerged as a bikepacking hot spot. This is as much a tour of Vermonts fine smalltown eateries and microbreweries as it is a meander through its countryside. Bivvying spots and campsites are plentiful, and you'll dip into a number of welcoming points of civilization, including the mountain biking hotspot of Oakridge around halfway you really might want to take your time and linger. A string of national forests, state parks, and other public land can be linked together for days of access to backcountry dirt roads and 44 tracks with free dispersed camping. Because the weather forecast included more rain and snow for the entire route, Brendan and Meg rerouted us around all of the dirt riding coming into San Diego North County and the trails going east from San Diego towards Alpine. The Baldy Bruiser packs in some of the finest dirt roading in and around Los Angeles. The Stagecoach 400 is an all-together different undertaking than the chill pace that I road Catalina Island or the bike camping in Cuyamaca. Starting in the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains, this path will take you all the way to the Pacific Ocean before circling back through Cleveland National Forest and the Anza Borrego Desert. Forest roads and jeep tracks north of Highway 49 lead to ghost towns like Poker Flat. On my bike I feel free. The Hunt Sydney to Summit is exactly what it sounds like, an off-road bikepacking route from sea-level at Sydney Harbour, that over 680km takes you to the highest summit in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. Here are some routes and areas to start with. Hours. Oregon Outback. Bring your climbing legs The island may be small but the elevation profile looks mighty. Perhaps, we now realize how much we take for granted. 400 gravel routes? The herd grew to over 4000 in the subsequent decades and decimated the islands vegetation. Im looking back to those trips with more fondness than usual. Rides: Specialized Chisel Comp; Canyon Inflite CF SLX; Canyon Aeroad; Roberts custom road bike. Having been re-directed around Sandy Bandy and Rapture Ridge dirt, I road on Highland Valley road. Now with oral contraception, the buff herd is around 150 and is one of the main tourist attractions. To bypass the bike-illegal sections and extend the route, several folks have mapped out variations that incorporate a mix of jeep roads, pavement, and other local trails. But back to the beer Vermont produces many of the top craft beers in the US, and this route proposes an agreeable daily itinerary to make the most of the many microbreweries, taprooms and restaurants that it deliberately links together by sweet gravel, singletrack and stretches of infamously degraded class 4 roads. Hi there, Im Alissa. For those wanting something longer, inspiration may be found from the HardCOEre 100. The beautiful and ancient Appalachian Mountains are the focus of this epic bikepacking trip, on the route of a famed annual race. The Local Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the worldby locals, in their own backyards. In the All rights reserved. The route heads out east from the relaxed city of Boise, towards the Sawtooth Mountains and takes you through sagebrush, ancient forest, valley edges and wild open spaces, on quintessential smooth gravel, singletrack and forgotten access roads. . Highlights include Big Bear Lake, The Salton Sea, and the Pacific Ocean as well as other unique points of interest. JULY - 2023. With 67 miles of unpaved road, this route takes you through a desert landscape of rock formations, Joshua Trees, and some great viewpoints. The Stagecoach route begins in the mountain town of Idyllwild, heads over a few alpine sections and down to the desert and dogs of Anza, passes Lake Henshaw and the glorious gravel and singletrack descents along San Dieguito River Park towards the salty air of the Pacific Ocean. We share our tips and tricks for a successful bikepacking adventure. If you have a great route to suggest, please comment below! Picking the right season is everything, as is planning your transport, knowing where your water is coming from, and knowing how to fix your bike 100 miles from anywhere. Bikepacking 101 Bikepacking Routes The source for original bikepacking routes, guides, and dirt touring itineraries from off the beaten path. I think youll like them, but you can unsubscribe at any time. Wider handlebars: Gravel bikes intended for rougher terrain usually feature wide flared drop bars for better control. This is partly because much of the regions most spectacular terrain is protected in national parks and wilderness areas where bikes arent allowed. Bones to Blue includes a short loop to the northwest of Truckee that could be skipped to shorten the route, though youd miss some historic (if rather somber) sites related to the infamous Donner Party and the deaths of many Chinese railroad laborers. Sean has old school cycle touring in his blood, with a coast to coast USA ride and a number of month-long European tours in his very relaxed palmares. Go in spring, and you may see the desert bursting into flower. I love your blog and appreciate your willingness to share and write about this Awesome sport/ hobby. Im Alissa, your virtual guide, here to help you make your biggest, boldest adventure dreams a reality. Click here for more info. This is meant to be a growing list, and I add reader suggestions from time to time. Bikepacking Scotland by Markus Stitz features 20 great multi-day off-the-beaten-track cycling adventures across the Scottish mainland and islands. Prepare to immerse yourself amongst desert blooms and starry nights, slither your way along sandy washes, linger in counter-culture hangouts, ponder salty, decayed holiday resorts gone wrong, and marvel at the Dr. Seussian splendour of the gangly, anthropomorphic Joshua Tree. The combination of these two historic routes takes bikepackers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, all the way to Washington DC. Descending Black Canyon in the darkness and waves of orange blossoms scents was glorious. For example, Bikepacking.com has routes covering about 50 countries and totaling 85,000 miles complete with . A match made in heaven. But beyond the famous singletrack, Ive explored a few of the areas dirt roads on shorter rides and I believe this would be a fantastic if challenging and steep area for bikepacking. It heads out of Fruita on stunning singletrack in the high La Sal mountains and heads towards the martian red-rock vistas of Utah. Whether you want to be out for ten days or just an overnighter, these routes will give you some idea of exactly whats out there. bikepacking roots and our logo are registered trademarks. Recommended itinerary: Day 1: 70 miles | 3,500 feet. Vakantie tijd, ruimte om het hoofd leeg te maken! Day 1: Snowdonia emerges / 31 miles / 5 - 6 hrs / 845m . You experience a diverse set of geographical features along this route from alpine elevations of 11,913', wide-open grasslands, and remote desert in New . Great Divide Bikepacking Route: Essential Q&A. By contrast, the Trans-America is little more than the annually-updated GPS file of a no-prizes race which has a seven-page website and a small Facebook page. Discover the most beautiful places, download GPS tracks and follow the top routes on a map. I hear the section through Nevada is tough and very sparse on water and resupply options; research before attempting! About . All the maintained campsites in Cuyamaca and Mount Laguna require reservations, but you can also find camping along the streams and meadowsbring your water filtration devices. Share your location with friends and loved ones during an activity. The COLT bikepacking loop is a 450-km mix of rail, ATV and snowmobile trails with some good climbing on loose gravel roads. The SF Peninsula Traverse is an easy-to-reach and easy-to-bail, weekend-warrior-compatible bikepacking route that will bring you deep in the forest where you will forget civilization, and high up on the ridgelines with expansive ocean and bay views. While I really enjoy making up my own routes, I would also love to see more established routes that would make bikepacking in California a bit more accessible. There is some overlap between the two routes, and plenty of places where they run parallel to each other. Be sure to take the option of the wild endless Porcupine Rim descent down into Moab. on relatively low-traffic road and trail, this newly developed route might be just the thing. So Im a little surprised that while most other states in the western US are collecting established bikepacking routes at a rapid rate, bikepacking in California still seems to be in its infancy. The Baldy Bruiser is a burly 150 miles of dirt road and 44 track through the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. Gravel calendar for rides and races divided be region across California. The Boboyan Divide Route. Find details on the three most recent issues below, join the Bikepacking Collective to get it in the mail (anywhere in the World), or click here to find a collection of selected stories in digital format. Pretty much any long ride is sure to involve some pavement and at least a bit of busy road riding. Thirty riders showed up in the morning for breakfast fuel at Higher Grounds as snow and sleet fell outside. I just bought a tour/gravel bike and am stoked for the bikepacking adventures to come. 157 views, 5 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 4 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from La Baroudeuse Bikepacking: En route, . Its seriously hilly - in fact, it averages more climbing per mile than the Colorado Trail (160ft vs 133ft) so its not for you if youre not on top form. Both routes go through Truckee. Bring a lot of water since the only reliable water is at Red Box Station. From the tough technical riding of the Ozark mountains, to the mentally grueling plains of the midwest, the exposed high passes of the Rockies and the huge stretches of unpopulated Nevada desert, this is utterly character-forming stuff. "Fans of 650b gravel wheels may ask why the wheel size was removed from the scope of the MOG. Note that all those routes have a lot of elevation gain for their mileage, which is pretty much unavoidable in Coe. Baldy Bruiser The Baldy Bruiser is a burly 150 miles of dirt road and 44 track through the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. The route today starts abruptly with a climb up a quiet mountain road, but the reward is a . Southern California, specifically the area to the east of Santa Barbara, LA, and San Diego, is an obvious place to start. As any endurance athlete will attest, the biggest challenge in long distance events is often voices of doubt that have the space and time to ferment in the mind, pedal stroke after pedal stroke. Still, were lucky to have many open space preserves here in the bay, and motivated local bikepackers have managed to link them up in some creative ways. It also could be linked up with the Tahoe Twirl route mentioned above. Cheers! All overnighting cyclists and backpackers, most of whom are traversing the Trans-Catalina Trail, require campsite reservations, which comes with the option of firewood bundles and water delivery. Soledad Paso Robles Coalinga Loop: This 260 mile loop is primarily pavement, but includes a few excellent sections of gravel and the closed dirt Arroyo Seco Indians Road mentioned above. This ride is usually done as a point to point but there are variations, including the 277-mile Fools Loop straight out of central Phoenix, for more experienced desert riders. It's well worth descending from the trail to towns along the way for coffee and snacks, and stocking up for the less populated second half. This scenic 80-mile lollipop loop winds through parts of Joshua Tree National Park and can be completed in 2-3 days. I love unstructured rambles, but lets face it, when vacation time is short sometimes an established and pre-mapped route is exactly what you need. Heres how it works. The new 700c x 50mm gravel bike tires are all exclusively available in Hutchinson's top tubeless-ready 127tpi construction with Hardskin puncture protection & dual-compound rubber, and only with natural tanwalls. Dont expect to have any of the trails or roads to yourself in this busy area, especially on weekends. I havent had a chance to explore these yet, but here are some other areas of northern California that look intriguing: More of those backcountry discovery route ideas here. Some Ive ridden, and many are still on my wishlist. It would make a lot of sense to extend that loop to the south and include the famous trails of the Marin Headlands, perhaps linking up with this North Bay Overnighter. Bikepacking Central Oregon: High Desert and Volcanic Geology from K Falls to Bend. 35mm tires are fine The riding in Cuyamaca and the nearby wilderness areas weaves through oak and pine forests, across alpine meadows, sage-brush covered canyons, and frequent stream crossings. The North Dakota Badlands are an extraordinary maze of striped-rock canyons and grasslands classic Western movie territory. With these considerations in mind, I mapped out the following route favoring gravel roads, paths, and small roads: San Bruno - Pacifica/Linda Mar - Half Moon Bay - Pescadero - Big Basin - Skyline - Los Gatos Day 1: San Bruno to Half Moon Bay My adventure began with a ride to the Santa Clara Caltrain station. We passed bison, deer and fox along the way. I came across this Catalina Bikepacking route while looking for a solo overnighter route during my winter trip out west. Well-maintained community trail takes you between Meaford and the sections terminus Thornbury. Its roughly based on a classic extreme motorbike route, around 70% off-road. . Original AR700 Coleman to Hinton, Alberta Route Details: 6 Days | 5 Nights | 720 km (447 mi) | +9,148 m (30,013 ft) | Start: Coleman | End: Hinton The routes include scenic lakes, the Pacific Ocean, Joshua Tree National Park, and even an inland sea. Its resolutely low-key, with an emphasis on overcoming your own challenges as they arise. Gravel & Bikepacking. Both challenge riders from low-elevation areas with a peak elevation of over 9500 feet. I was over the moon to see my personal project of 2021/22, the 185km East Devon Trail bikepacking loop, was named in Bikepacking.com's 2022 Awards. The full 500-mile version traverses five mountain ranges and three distinct biomes, always choosing the more challenging option at each junction. I've read about SF Traverse but am hoping for something a little farther away from home. Summer is the best time to bikepack in the Tahoe area, since high-elevation areas will be blocked by snow through winter and spring (theres a reason the area is famous for its ski resorts!). Tahoe Twirl stretches all the way northeast to Reno before heading back to the west and south. The 2020 Stagecoach 400 almost did not happen, not because of the coronavirus (we were a week before the stay at home order) but because of the biblical levels of rain, flooding, and landslides on the course. The Baja is the finger of Mexico that extends 800 miles south of the border with the USA, with the Pacific on its west, and the Gulf of California to the east. It also features in the above-mentioned Tour de los Padres route as well. I only recommend and link to products I know and love. This rugged island off the coast of LA was suggested by a reader, and looks like it would make an amazing 2-3 day bikepacking trip! From the bottom, and from the top! The Baja Divide connects the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, historic Spanish mission sites rich with shade and water, remote ranchos and fishing villages, bustling highway towns, and every major mountain range in Baja California on miles and miles of beautiful backcountry desert tracks. Thanks for reading! You will need to carry all your water with you for this trip since there are no reliable water sources along this route. Stretching from Banff, Canada, to the US / Mexican border in New Mexico, the Great Divide route travels 2,700 miles along gravel roads and single track trail along the Continental Divide. The ambitious Trans North California is technically an underground race, though it would make an interesting touring route too. The Log Driver's Waltz and our other routes were created to encourage people to explore this region by bicycle. Its doable in three days and neither of the two on-route camping options require a reservation, though making it between them might require a push. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. While 90% of the route is inaccessible to cars, there is a . Ten routes as featured in "Bikepacking in the Canadian Rockies" Should you choose to ride any routes listed on our site, do so at your own risk. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a 3,083.8 mi (4,962.9 km), off-road bicycle touring route between Jasper, Alberta, Canada and Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA. California Gravel Ride Recaps, Gravel Race Recaps, Gear Reviews | Ohio Gravel Grinders. Thebikepacking routes in southern California take you through the mountains and peaks, forests, high and low deserts, and badlands. We watched dolphins surfacing in the harbor before cooking dinner over a campfire as the sunset. Ranging from 25 to 150 miles wide, it's a stunning landscape of rugged coastlines, beaches, and inland mountains, and this route showcases it spectacularly. Length: 335 miles Climbing: 7,000ft Time to complete: 3-9 nights Three words: Gentle, exploratory, beautiful What bike: Gravel or hardtail. American bikepacking adventures from desert to mountain top and suitable for all abilities. Sacoche de cadre bikepacking; Sacoche de guidon bikepacking; Sacoche de selle bikepacking . Until then, this list of the 5 Best Bikepacking Routes in Alberta aims to help new bikepackers get started and inspire riders to get outside and explore new areas. The SoCal Desert ramble can easily link up with the southern end of Baldy Bruiser, and for those who want to keep heading south, the northern end of the epic Baja Divide. Terrain is a challenging mix of dirt, pavement, and singletrack. Thanks again! Triathlon and adventure racing fit into his meandering cycling past, as does clattering around the Peak District on a rigid Stumpjumper back in the day. / 135 km 2 days Astonishingly almost all rideable, it takes you on dirt roads and jeep trails from Banff, in Alberta, Canada, to the Mexican border in New Mexico, via British Columbia, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Hello! Lets help get more bikepackers out there on our roads and trails. The Owens Valley Ramble is an overnight loop that highlights the complex environmental, geological, and political history of California's Owens River Valley. There are a few hotels in Borrego Springs, otherwise, its dispersed camping the entire time. 1 / 10. Design a route: Use maps, guidebooks, websites and word of mouth to find roads and trails you can ride on. I dont recommend coming to the bay just for the bikepacking, but if youre in the area or passing through and want to explore what the area has to offer, here are a few routes to check out. The edition The Wolf Bikepacking 2023 will take place on Friday 21 July 2023 with departure in Two Harbors, County Lake, Minnesota. We all gave double thumbs up for trail etiquette. Here are several standout bikepacking routes in Southern California, ordered roughly from north to south. Intrepid riders might be tempted to link the Triple Crossover with the Peninsula Traverse mentioned above, leaving just a couple sections on the peninsula that would need to be navigated carefully on busy streets. Find the best Gravel Bike trails in California (United States). And because its full of deep forests and ridges, you can expect fallen trees and washed-out segments of the trail to add some hike a bike to proceedings. Carrizo Plain National Monument: Flat-ish gravel roads and wildflowers in the spring, with opportunities for wild camping in a vast landscape. One of these days Ill get back to the area and try out some bikepacking routes! A few of the climbs are almost definitely too steep to ride, but this is a generally doable ride, even having marker posts in many places. Theres some semi-technical singletrack, plenty of rooty dirt, river crossings, waterfalls you wont get bored. Its a perfect late autumn and early spring route; its rideable all through winter, but it can get super-cold at night. It is more than 50% single track which helps to make this one of the most exciting bikepacking trails in the world. This 2-day bikepacking route climbs into the wondrous heart of Joshua Tree National Park via Berdoo Canyon Road to support us + get The Bikepacking Journal. Four hundred miles of lung-busting alpine climbs, desolate desert terrain where you need to carry many liters of water, wind-swept highways and peanut butter mud, and frequent hike-a-bikes in unrideable canyons and soul-sucking sand. I finished the pct this September 2021 for my 60th birthday havent used my bikes for at least ten years due to an autoimmune disease but with fortitude and planing I did hike from Mexico to Canada been training on an e bike and hope to put a few thousand miles on dirt this next year love your site and will stay tuned. Winter can work well for lower-elevation routes (check snow conditions for any sections over 6000 feet or so). After a long stretch alongside the winding Youghiogheny River youll eventually climb to the top of the Eastern Continental Divide at 2,392 feet, but its super-gradual - the gradient is rarely over 1 percent, as youd expect from a disused railway line. Here are the two well-established options: Tahoe Twirl: 187 miles, 19,300 feet of gain, Bones to Blue: 250 miles, 31,000 feet of gain. Riding through the ashes of the catastrophic wildfires that plagued California in Summer 2020, this overnight bikepacking route takes in a contrasting variety of charred and unburned ridgelines through Henry Coe State Park that will inspire your spirit and test your legs Set within the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the Tahoe Twirl circumnavigates the vast and mesmerising Lake Tahoe. The North Bay Overnighter takes it all in over a 2-3 day bikepacking loop.