Bikepacking Routes

Nearly a century ago in Southern Colorado, recreation areas as we know them were born from the ashes of a tragedy. Following the Ludlow Massacre, a steel company, the US Forest Service, and the City of Pueblo, Colorado partnered to create the first designated recreation area on National Forest lands. The Adventure Origins Overnighter celebrates that story.

The Sam Houston Restaurant Tour is a laid back overnighter that explores dirt roads in the Sam Houston National Forest, Texas. The route is based around two local—and comically different—restaurants that provide all the necessary sustenance for the ride: Bullet Grill House and Taqueria Carmelita. Leave your stoves and logistical worries at home, as this 56-mile ride is as relaxed and straightforward as they come.

Tilton Traverse is a high alpine riding experience showcasing the topography east of Crested Butte, Colorado. This mixed terrain route climbs into fields of wildflowers, up and down stunning mountain passes, through rich mining history, into dark timber forests, and well above treeline.

A geologists and stargazers delight, this two-day route follows a scenic loop through the aptly named Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Attractive to both beginners and experienced bikepackers alike, this remote route traverses mostly dirt and sandy doubletrack roads through a unique and dramatic desert landscape.