SLoToJa

When to go

• Mid-June to early October: weather may permit a longer window, but be sure to watch temperatures in Wyoming. It gets cold up there!

What Bike and Gear

• Ideal Bike and Setup: the ideal tire size would be 2.25 – 2.5 inches. Given the mix of highway, dirt/gravel roads, singletrack and highway, other tire sizes will just exhibit their relative pros and cons. I’d caution against doing this with less than 2-inch tires. Low gearing for the steepest parts would also be recommended.
• The only bike shops on the route are in Logan and Jackson. Plan accordingly. Alpine, Wyoming has a grocery store and hardware store, along with some tourist items. Be prepared to address mechanical issues on your own.

Logistics

• Travel basics: This route is mapped as a one-way ride from Logan to Jackson. The Salt Lake Express has shuttles from the Jackson Hole airport (about 10 miles by bike from downtown) to Logan and other destinations. They do allow bikes as luggage, but passengers must provide at least 24 hours advance notice and it will cost an additional $10.
• If planning on any paid camping sites, reserve in advance.
• If planning to soak in the pools at Maple Grove, make a soak or camping reservation in advance

Dangers & Annoyances

• Bear Safety: much of this route is well-within bear territory. If you see a bear on the route at all, it would almost certainly be a black bear, though there are grizzlies in the alpine areas around Jackson Hole (which you will not enter on this route). Bring bear spray, tie up your food, and be bear aware at all times.
• Much of this route will not have cell service.
• Use caution when on Highway 89 (Star Valley and Snake River Canyon), this road is travelled quickly by car.
• Be friendly with other road users (OHV and standard vehicle).

• Maple grove is a local and personal favorite camp spot. It is more expensive than other options, but includes full access to their hot pools and coffee in the morning.
• There is a significant amount of wild camping until the 150 mile marker. At that point, there are still plenty of options but they may require a reservation, or a slight detour off the route. Prior to that point, there are plenty of options.
• I’d recommend a slight detour for your final night at Grey’s River area (plenty of wild camping), or one of the reservable sites along the Snake River: Little Cottonwood, Wolf Creek, Station Creek, or East Table–all of which will need a reservation to camp there.
• Alpine has a standard mix of hotels, Airbnbs, and other lodging options if needed.
• Egan Basin and Diamond Creek Guard Stations are reservable cabins on the route and would be cool amenities to work into your itinerary.

• Explore the Logan food and drink scenebefore you leave. Le Croissant, Cafe Ibis, Cooks Underground, Le Nonne, Prodigy Brewing, Center Street Pizza, Homerange Brewing, and Jack’s pizza are all favorites.
• Coffee and other light fare is available at Maple Grove Hot Springs if you’re camping there. If you are planning to soak there, be sure and reserve in advance as their walk-in soaking sessions can book up.
• Filterable water is abundant at various marked locations on the map. This still requires plenty of planning, take a look at the map and plan accordingly.
• Fill up a lot of Water in Georgetownas there is roughly 50 miles without map-marked water passing from Diamond Creek into Tincup.
• Once into Star Valley,water and resources become more plentiful.
• Grab a bite to eat and beverage in Alpine at Melvin or one of the other restaurants in the Alpine area. Driftwood Pizza, the Tavern on Grey’s, The Taco Bus, etc.
• Excellent Bagels, Coffee and Bikes at Pearl Street Bagels and Wilson Backcountry Sports if you go the recommended route through Wilson.
• No food options between Maple Grove and Etna (miles 80 to 191) Bring as much as you need to get through that section. I’d recommend getting a snack (if needed) in Etna then finding a full meal in Alpine.
• Food in Jackson: Persephone Bakery, Thai Plate, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Snake River Brewing, and a bunch of others. Jackson is very touristy and there will be options of different tastes and price points.
• Sloshies are a boozy take on the teenage favorite “slushy” or “slurpy” that are a staple in the Jackson community.
• Stagecoach Bar in Wilson is great if looking for a less-touristy option with a good local feel

location Logan to Stump Hollow / Beaver Creek

Day 1 (46 mi +6,800′)

Grab some pastries, coffee, and maybe a burrito in town to calorie-up, you’ll be climbing for the next long while. Enjoy the excellent pedestrian off-road path along the Logan river, then cross a bridge at the Spring Hollow Trailhead. You’ll have about 4 miles of gentle highway climbing the the Willow Creek ascent starts and connects onto the Temple Fork Road. Enjoy the view of Temple peak while you grind up some steep sections. You’ll connect onto the sinks road eventually, which is more gradual, and leads to the Burnt Fork singletrack. Cruise up Burnt fork, get some views of the natural sinkhole, Peter Sinks, and get ready for a rapid, alpine descent down the local fave Stump Hollow trail. You’ll cross Highway 89, and continue onto the Beaver Creek (dirt) road which gently climbs and offers easy camping for roughly 10 miles.

Alternatively, you could camp in the Burnt Fork / Stump Hollow trails, this won’t change the elevation gain much, but would tack on a few miles to the mellow second day.

location Beaver Creek to Maple Grove

Day 2 (35 mi +3,000′)

Recovery day! Cruise along the beautiful valleys within the Beaver Creek area and cross into Idaho. You’ll have a perfectly fast descent to the start of Hillyard Canyon, at which point the grade steepens into a fast and chunky 4X4 road. There is a reliable water source when you reach the Willow Flat Campground and cross the Cub River. Climb pass Hull Valley Boy Scout area on the Birch Creek road. The tough ups are greeted with long, grinning descents. In Mink Creek, you’ll briefly climb Idaho highway 36 and reach the final descent into Maple Grove Hot Springs where you can soak in mineral pools, re-supply food (pre-packaged) and water, and dip in the Bear River.

location Maple Grove to Diamond Creek

Day 3 (65 mi +8,300′)

Fuel up on some coffee if you paid to camp at Maple Grove (provided) and make your way into the amazing Idaho mountains. There are some big climbs through here, including a short but gnarly hike-a-bike (open to a reroute if anyone scouts anything better) to connect into the North Canyon Road. This glides down 7 miles of champagne gravel at a lovely speed. You’ll wend your way to Georgetown ID, (no food resources that I’m aware of) but has a town park with water and shade. After a break, connect Georgetown Canyon with Diamond Creek road. The Diamond Creek road offers plenty of wild camping options with epic ups n’ downs.

location Diamond Creek to Grey’s River

Day 4 (60 mi +1,666′)

After the previous full-day epic, you’re rewarded with a net-descend day on champagne gravel and good dirt, smooth highway miles, and epic mountain vistas. Highway 34 connects in with Highway 89 through Freedom, where early Mormon settlers could evade consequences of polygamy by (state) border jumping to the Wyoming side. Like a proper Wyoming local, you’ll meander along Highway 89 in Star Valley while saying, “Whoah, look at that peak”. Etna has a small general store and Alpine has plenty of food options. Unless staying in alpine, you’ll gently climb the Grey’s River road to find camping, or continue along the route along the Snake River.

Alternative: If you don’t need the Etna resupply, you could easily cut out some highway time by taking the backroads east of 89, eliminating about 5 miles of a well-shouldered, but fast highway. Alpine isn’t far away and has more food options!

location Grey’s River / Alpine to Jackson Hole

Day 5 (50 mi +2,700′)

Grab a glimpse of the Grey’s River and descend to town for a resupply. Admire Palisades reservoir which gracefully confluences the Grey’s, Salt, and Snake rivers into a high-alpine lake. You’ll climb the wide shoulder highway 89 with stunning views of the Snake River might get to see some raft / fishing activity below. Jump on the Fall creek road which gets a few more dirt miles, and connects you to the sleepy town of Wilson, WY, at the base of Teton Pass. If feeling peckish or wanting some retail therapy, stop by Pearl Street Bagels and Wilson Backcountry Sports. Navigate the bike path and take some pictures of the Tetons while approaching the final destination of Jackson Hole. Since Jackson is so touristy, follow the map for the last couple miles to avoid the main thoroughfare congestion. Finish with some excellent food and some chilly beverages in the world famous Jackson Hole, the Last of the Old West

Additional Resources

• Campgrounds in Snake River Canyon (Alpine to Jackson)
• Diamond Creek Guard Station
• Egan Basin Guard Station
• Salt Lake Express bus information.