Bikepacking Routes

and Dirt-road Travelogues

Our full list of bikepacking routes and off-road bike touring routes from off the beaten path, logged and chronicled by contributors from across the globe. Check back regularly...

130 mi. / 209 km5 days

Trans Verdon, France

comment 15 time Jun 13 compose Tales On Tyres  Europe

The Trans Verdon is the big brother of the Grande Traversée L’Alpes-Provence. Wending its way across a series of rugged, high alpine mountains, this five-day journey offers similarly enticing pâtisserie resupply points, albeit with longer sections of stunning and remote singletrack. Whilst both routes cross the same region of South East France and have a similar start point on the Italian border, each has its own unique character...
187 mi. / 301 km4.5 days

The Tahoe Twirl: Nevada to California and Round Again

comment 67 time Jun 7 compose Cass Gilbert  USA

Set within the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the Tahoe Twirl circumnavigates the vast and mesmerising Lake Tahoe. Beginning in Reno, it blends burly desert jeep roads with classic Tahoe singletrack. Add mellow bike paths, remote forest roads, fantastic camping real estate, and an abundance of swimming spots... and you have yourself a wonderful introduction to this beautiful area.
547 mi. / 880 km10 days

Newfoundland T’Railway

comment 22 time May 23 compose Guest Routes  Canada

The Newfoundland T'Railway Provincial Park is an 880 kilometer (547 mile) bikepacking route that crosses Newfoundland from east to west via an unpaved scenic rail-grade. The route travels through vibrant urban and rural areas, and scenic wilderness as it links St. John's to Grand Bay West...
2700 mi. / 4,345 km50 days

Wild West Bikepacking Route

comment 11 time May 13 compose Kurt Refsnider  USA

The Wild West Bikepacking Route is a long-distance epic from Canada to Mexico that links together dirt roads and rough 4x4 tracks through Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona, showcasing the vast expanses of wild and public lands in the Intermountain West.
161 mi. / 259 km4-6 days

Ouachita Triple Crown

comment 14 time May 8 compose Guest Routes  USA

The Ouachita Triple Crown bikepacking route is a heartland gem in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas. The loop links up three IMBA Epic trail systems. Remote yet well-blazed, this backcountry route is dense with singletrack, steep grades, and long, uncrowded stretches in Ouachita National Forest...
286 mi. / 460 km12 days

Mama Coca, Bolivian High Andes Traverse

comment 24 time May 3 compose Guest Routes  Latin America

Mama Coca crosses the length of two of Bolivia's most significant Andean mountain ranges, starting with the less known Cordillera Quimsa Cruz and following on with the Cordillera Real, the highest in the country. The majority of this rugged and remote 460km route uses small dirt roads built by mining cooperatives that are connected by trails worn across the open puna by shepherds and their flocks of alpaca.
242 mi. / 389 km3-4 days

Arkansas High Country Route (Northwest Loop)

comment 19 time May 1 compose Logan Watts  USA

Adventure Cycling Association’s new Arkansas High Country Route takes in the sparkling streams, rolling hills, big rivers, waterfalls, swimming holes, and historic towns of west Arkansas in three interlocking loops. The Northwest Loop is the shortest of the three and makes an encapsulated long weekend gravel bikepacking route for beginner to intermediate riders.
422 mi. / 679 km8 days

Montanas Vacias (Empty Mountains)

comment 12 time Apr 25 compose Guest Routes  Europe

Picture high elevation plateaux, remote refugios, abundant wildlife, and kilometre upon kilometre of quiet forest roads… Welcome to Spanish Lapland, as it’s been dubbed, an area in SE Spain with a population density similar to its Finnish namesake. The 700km Montañas Vacías route offers a wonderful introduction to this little travelled area, linking the Montes Universales, Sierra de Javalambre, and Sierra de Gúdar via a dense network of doubletracks and quiet paved roads.
114 mi. / 183 km4 days

Bikepacking Exmoor & Quantock Hills

comment 24 time Apr 14 compose Lars Henning  Europe

This laid back loop in Southwest England is a perfect late summer getaway in the Quantock Hills and Exmoor National Park, home to singletrack, dirt roads galore, as well as cream tea and scones. It can be done in three to four days, making it ideal for a long weekend away from the big city.
119 mi. / 192 km3 days

The Chama Charmer, New Mexico

comment 75 time Apr 8 compose Cass Gilbert  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.
130 mi. / 209 km3 days

El Camino del Diablo

comment 6 time Mar 25 compose Scott Morris  USA

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.
83 mi. / 134 km2-3 days

Anza-Hapaha Loop

comment 27 time Mar 14 compose Logan Watts  USA

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.
497 mi. / 800 km10 days

The SoCal Desert Ramble, Southern California

comment 88 time Mar 10 compose Cass Gilbert  USA

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…
632 mi. / 1,017 km12 days

Navad 1000

comment 15 time Feb 28 compose Guest Routes  Europe

Spanning 1,000 kilometers across Switzerland and nearly 100,000 feet of climbing, the Navad 1000 bikepacking route is steep, yet still very forgiving. Vertical miles lead to singletrack through meadows, crystal clear lakes, abbeys with courtyards, and, of course, stunning views. Here, physical challenge is paired with logistical ease. A bakery or a hot meal is never far, but along the way, you are basically alone among the pristine, natural beauty.
234 mi. / 377 km4-5 days

The Fool’s Loop, Arizona

comment 59 time Feb 15 compose Miles Arbour  USA

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.
168 mi. / 270 km4 days

River Road Ramble (Big Bend National Park)

comment 33 time Feb 14 compose Guest Routes  USA

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.
780 mi. / 1,255 km22 days

Camino Del Puma: Peru and Bolivia

comment 30 time Jan 17 compose Mark and Hana  Latin America

Sparsely populated, diverse in landscapes, and rich in culture and history, the southwestern corner of Peru is a remarkable region to tour by bike. Camino Del Puma follows a high elevation route from Arequipa to Lago Titicaca and back. Forming a 1,255 kilometer loop, the route weaves through the colorful landscapes of Peru’s dramatic Central Volcanic Zone, rolls easily along the sunny plains surrounding sparkling Lago Titicaca, skirts the arid northern margin of the Atacama Desert, and dives into one of the country’s deepest canyons, all the while connecting an interesting string of remote towns and pueblitos.
90 mi. / 145 km3 days

Bikepacking Big Bend: The Other Side of Nowhere

comment 42 time Dec 8 compose Logan Watts  USA

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."

Bikepacking Routes

and Dirt-road Travelogues

Trans Verdon, France

The Tahoe Twirl: Nevada to California and Round Again

Newfoundland T’Railway

Wild West Bikepacking Route

Ouachita Triple Crown

Mama Coca, Bolivian High Andes Traverse

Arkansas High Country Route (Northwest Loop)

Montanas Vacias (Empty Mountains)

Bikepacking Exmoor & Quantock Hills

The Chama Charmer, New Mexico

El Camino del Diablo

Anza-Hapaha Loop

The SoCal Desert Ramble, Southern California

Navad 1000

The Fool’s Loop, Arizona

River Road Ramble (Big Bend National Park)

Camino Del Puma: Peru and Bolivia

Bikepacking Big Bend: The Other Side of Nowhere

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