Bikepacking in the USA

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.

El Camino del Diablo, “The Devil’s Highway,” is an historic 130-mile route from Ajo to Yuma, Arizona. Passing through Organ Pipe National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and a starkly beautiful wilderness, the Camino is an incredible way to experience a landscape that’s unlike anything else in the United States.

The Anza-Hapaha Loop is a 2-3 day bikepacking route that connects several of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s magnificent dirt and sand roads, explores its wildflower, ocotillo, and cactus-rich desert, and snakes its way through the badlands of two geologically mesmerizing washes.

For those seeking desert solitude tinged with a touch of the bizarre, we present the SoCal Desert Ramble. 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 Fool’s Loop is a four or five day, 234-mile circuit that leaves from downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and takes riders on an incredibly diverse tour of Tonto National Forest, Agua Fria National Monument, and the Black Canyon Trail.

A four-day bikepacking route through Big Bend National Park’s most rugged and scenic 4x4 roads, beginning and ending along the infamous River Road.

A three-day bikepacking loop in Big Bend Ranch State Park, based on the epic route that's aptly titled "The Other Side of Nowhere."

Pedal into the quintessential old western setting of savannah rangelands along the East Loop of the Sky Islands Odyssey. Meander mellow dirt roads, double tracks, and a historic expedition trail around an island in the sky, the Santa Rita Mountains, through ever-changing landscapes of grasslands, forests, and desert in one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

The Vapor Trail is a weekend bikepacking loop based on the longstanding 125-mile race that starts and finishes in Salida, Colorado. This incredibly scenic, high-altitude route utilizes two historic rail grades and ties in some of Colorado’s finest singletrack via the Colorado Trail, Monarch Crest, and Starvation Creek as it passes over high passes and through historic mining settlements.

Less than two hours from the mountain biking epicenters of Fruita, CO, and Moab, UT, lies a veritable paradise for the intrepid bikepacker – the San Rafael Swell. Rich in both geological and human history, this overnight route traverses stunning landscapes forged by dramatic tectonic uplift and erosion, and numerous remnants of the region’s bygone mining era, certain to entice even the most adventurous riders.

The Hey Joe Safari offers a broad strokes tour of the ever popular desert landscape around western Moab. This weekend bikepacking route follows rugged jeep tracks, bounces along slickrock expanses, explores prehistoric dinosaur tracks, winds through Utah cattle country, dumps you into the Green River’s Hey Joe Canyon via a 3rd class hike-a-bike, and culminates with 20 miles of the area’s most popular singletrack, the Magnificent 7 Trails.