New Mexico

The San Juan Space Jam is a 95-mile bikepacking loop that starts in Farmington, New Mexico, just south of the Colorado border. This hidden gem follows a staggering amount of flowy singletrack linked together by gravel roads, cowboy graves, UFO landing sites, and impressive rock formations that combine to create a challenging but incredibly rewarding route...

Running parallel to the Rio Grande, the New Mexico Off-Road Runner connects Santa Fe and Las Cruces via 500 miles of dirt, gravel, desert, and paved roads. En route, it strikes a satisfying blend of historical intrigue and raw beauty, both of which abound in the Land of Enchantment. Expect ponderosa forests, high desert flora, sun-bleached trucks, and forlorn ghost towns, all set beneath the region's dramatic, starry skies...

Lying within the subtle yet beautiful folds of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico's very own supervolcano was opened to year-round bicycle access in 2016. Created shortly after, and rebooted in 2021, the Valles Caldera Supervolcano Explorer serves as a meandering introduction to the area, by way of primitive dirt roads, a hot spring, trout fishing, and trails...

The Organ Mountains are a geological highlight of Southern New Mexico. Visible throughout the route, they form the backbone of the newly created Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument. Weaving together a network of rarely ridden singletrack, backcountry dirt roads, and sandy washes into an expansive Figure 8, the Monumental Loop maximises time spent exploring the monument and the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert... whilst still providing ample opportunities for those all important burrito resupplies!

This overnighter offers an easy escape from El Paso, Texas, keeping almost completely to ditch roads, bike paths, and gravel roads. It heads west from El Paso to Kilbourne Hole, a massive maar volcanic crater, connecting it with its smaller neighbours, Hunts and Phillips, flanking the railway line on its return into town. An ideal route for those new to bikepacking, it offers a true taste of Chihuahuan Desert solitude...

Looping around New Mexico's Cabezon Peak not only showcases some of the finest examples of volcanic plugs in the world, it also makes a classic overnight bikepack suited to all levels of riders. The peak looms dramatically above the surrounding high desert and is well worth studying from every angle. For those with more time to spare, the route can easily be extended. Or, bikepackers can drop their gear and hike to the top of Cabezon itself, or enjoy a singletrack blast around the otherworldly White Ridge Trails...

Set to a skyscape of Simpson-esque clouds, Northern New Mexico abounds with high pastures, primitive two track, and backcountry trails. Beginning on the Colorado border, this long weekend, high elevation route showcases some of the most enjoyable bikepacking in the state, making use of the Continental Divide Trail to lace in mile upon mile of remote singletrack. If hot springs are your style, round off the ride by pampering yourself in the luxurious desert resort of Ojo Caliente, where public transport will whisk you back to Española, Santa Fe, or Albuquerque.

Situated 15 miles to the west of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Caja del Rio is a high desert volcanic plateau, ringed by cliffs and escarpments, bordered by the Rio Grande, and flanked by the distant protrusions of the Jemez and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Given that the area is predominantly National Forest and laced with a tangle of dirt roads and cow trails, it makes a compact playground for mini-adventures; one that's just a short ride out of Santa Fe, or a convenient train ride from Albuquerque.

Nestled in the crook of a deep and chiseled valley, Ruidoso, New Mexico, isn't a place you'd likely find yourself by chance – unless you were seeking out the most southerly ski resort in the US. Set in the mellow yet undeniably beautiful Lincoln National Forest, its Sierra Blanca peak erupts from the brittle plains of the Chihuahua Desert, towering almost 12,000 ft above sea level.

Is it that time of the year when the weather takes a turn for the worse? When the endless dirt roads, winter sun and big blue skies of the South West make an enticing escape from the snowbound north? If so, this dirt, gravel and paved road bikepacking trip in New Mexico could be for you. A four-day ride, it offers a fascinating historical tour of Central New Mexico, using public transport from Albuquerque to propel you into the heart of the desert action.