It has been about 3 or so years since I set off on my first real bike touring adventure, with my good mate Eric. But since then I have not been back the America. And lets be honest I miss it! I am planning to make it back very soon. And as I have become more interested in bikepacking. It was only fitting that I chose the most epic bikepacking route in the US to do while I make my way over there.
So here in this blog article is the best 14 most epic, fun, stunning and all around amazing bikepacking routes you can set off on today for one amazing adventure. These are some great trips that would make a couple months off work the time of your life! Take this list of bikepacking routes if you will as my own personal bucket list of the most dreamy routes I think of every time I go to bed at night. Especially lately, as I have been stuck in front of this computer screen typing away for the last 2 months now. Chasing my dreams to building this blog so it can sustain my bikepacking adventures!
1. Wild Wild West Bikepacking Route
The Wild West Route is designed to offer bikepackers a non-technical, expeditionary-scale riding experience that immerses one in the vast expanses of wild and public lands in the Intermountain West. A true route to get one all excited about exploring the land as a Australian that is so popularised by movies. My dad loves his Westerns.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 2,700 Miles – 4,345 KM | 50 | 195,500 Feet (59,588 M) | 10,900 Feet (3,322 M) |
Traditionally starting in north to south. You start at Eureka and end up in Sierra Vista. All 2,700 miles can expected to be explored in 50 full days packed of adventure. Nearly 70% of the route is on public lands – 18 National Forests, 6 National Parks and Monuments, and 4 areas with Bureau of Land Management National Conservation Lands designation.
Riders will experience the incredibly remote mountains of western Montana and central Idaho, the desolate beauty of southern Idaho’s Snake River Plain, endless vistas from Utah’s high plateaus at 10,000 feet elevation, the canyon country of Navajo Nation and Grand Canyon region, and the towering Sky Islands and low Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona.
2. The Baja Divide
One epic and challenging bikepacking route. Which is best traveled during the months from November to March. And some places on the Baja Divide may be impassible when wet! During this time of year, exposure to both sun and heat is lessened during these months, water needs are manageable, and most snakes and scorpions remain out of sight.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 1,673 Miles (2,692 KM) | 42 | 92,000 Feet (28,042 M) | 4,675 Feet (1,425 M) |
The Baja Divide is a rugged 1,700 mile off-pavement bikepacking route down the length of the Baja California peninsula, from San Diego, CA, USA to San José del Cabo, BCS, MX. It was researched and developed by Nicholas Carman and Lael Wilcox in the winter and spring of 2015-16
This route connects the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, historic Spanish mission sites rich with shade and water, remote ranchos and fishing villages, bustling highway towns, and every major mountain range in Baja California on miles and miles of beautiful backcountry desert tracks.
Life on the Baja Divide is defined by a rhythm of riding, camping, and resupply. Baja California is a mountainous desert and resources are limited, although the route is designed to encounter resupply frequently enough to make a self-supported tour possible.
3. Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
Following a similar direction to the Wild Wild West Route. The Great Divide is a whole other beast of its own! “Ride the longest off-pavement route in the world.” This route is remote, with spectacular terrain and scenery. The entire route is basically dirt-road and mountain-pass riding every day.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 2,696 Miles (4,339 KM) | 37 | 149,664 Feet (45,618 M) | 11,913 Feet (3,631 M) |
Nearly 2,100 miles of the route is composed of county, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Canadian provincial unpaved roads. The remainder is 60 miles of singletrack trails and 950 miles of paved roads including close to 50 miles of paved bike paths.
It is a route of diversity! The route is geographically divided into five regions. The diverse nature of the regions makes for an incredible visual, sometimes spiritual experience. The route offers something different every day — whether it be riding conditions, scenery, points of interest, or folks along the way.
4. TransAmerica Trail
How could I almost forget this route? The TransAm is a popular route for trail bikers and traveling by car. But it is not a dedicated bikepacking route. but can still count as one. It has been on my dream list for some time and should really be at the top of the list but it deserves a spot up here. It is a roughly 5,000-mile cross continent vehicular route.
The TransAmerica Trail would be a epic cross-country adventure ride of a lifetime with mostly off-pavement travel. From scenic vistas and unique attractions to rough terrain and challenging conditions, the TAT presents every rider with the opportunity for an unforgettable journey and memories that will last a lifetime. Depending on the time of year this thing would be the most epic of challengers for a bikepacker. With mud, sand, snow, and rocks among others.
On the official website they say. The trail is made up of dirt, gravel, forest, farm, and brief sections of paved roads. And it may be traversed using either a dual-sport motorcycle or a 4×4 vehicle. But I am all for a bikepacking adventure with some planning it would so rad!
5. Bikepacking The Arizona Trail
Route Credit * Scott Morris
Something a little less demanding is the Arizona Trail. These first three are epic routes that would be amazing to get to do all them. The next are less demanding in terms of length and time required to accomplish.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 739 Miles (1,189 KM) | 21 | 64,961 Feet (19,800 M) | 9,007 Feet (2,745 M) |
A fun and adventurous route spanning from border to border of Arizona. The Arizona Trail (AZT) stretches some 800 miles from Mexico to Utah. Covering a wide variety of terrain, it truly showcases the beauty and ruggedness of the Grand Canyon State. At present, 100% of the trail is complete — it was completed in 2011.
In the beginning the trail was designed for multiple use and though some sections are technical and rugged, others are designed with bikes and bikepackers in mind. But it is completely possible to finish this route by bikepacking. And a little challenge is always encouraged.
6. The SoCal Desert Ramble
Route Credit * Cass Gilbert
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.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 497 Miles (800 KM) | 10 | 30,100 Feet (9,174 M) | 7,600 Feet (2,316 M) |
Starting at the city of San Diego, it is a indirect route the heads on the Mexican border, to San Bernadino, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Instead of having you follow the conventional coastal road, it stitches together a number of remote dirt tracks and washes, by way of the vast deserts of the Anza-Borrego State Park, the bizarre, inland Salton Sea, counter-culturist Slab City, otherworldly Joshua Tree National Park, hip and musical Pioneer Town, and the higher reaches of Big Bear Lake. From there, it can be connected to Los Angeles via a forest road descent to San Bernadino and its public transportation options.
7. Prairie Breaks Bikepacking Route
Route Credit * Logan Watts
The Prairie Breaks is a loop bikepacking route that is a great week long adventure option in the state of Montana. In the rugged badlands of Montana’s Upper Missouri River Breaks and the grasslands of the American Prairie Reserve, an ambitious effort to rewild the northern prairie.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 359 Miles (578 KM) | 7 | 17,990 Feet (5,483 M) | 5,270 Feet (1,606 M) |
You will get the chance to experience experience the rich wildlife, spectacular scenery, and absolute solitude of the American Great Plains
8. Three Ranges in Cowboy Country
Route Credit * Joe Cruz
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 571 Miles (919 KM) | 7-9 | 43,000 Feet (13,106 M) | 10,947 Feet (3,337 M) |
A gravel/all-road route through Montana and Wyoming featuring heroic climbs, long stretches of glassy high speed asphalt, rolling gravel, days on rugged jeep thoroughfares, and a dash of singletrack— an opportunity to test “all-road” bikes against their promise of versatility. Three Ranges in Cowboy Country has all of what one might expect riding in the Rocky Mountains, but in less familiar territory.
9. Cross Washington Mountain Bike Route
Route Credit * TROY HOPWOOD
The Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route (XWA) is a 685 mile, mostly off-road bikepacking route from the Pacific Ocean to the Washington/Idaho border. The route features a mixture of singletrack, dirt roads, and a bit of pavement as it crosses the Evergreen State passing through an incredibly diverse array of landscapes and terrain.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 684 Miles (1,101 KM) | 10 | 48,077 Feet (14,654 M) | 6,000 Feet (1,829 M) |
10. Oregon Timber Trail
Route Credit * GABRIEL AMADEUS
The Oregon Timber Trail is an iconic 670-mile backcountry mountain bike route spanning Oregon’s diverse landscapes from California to the Columbia River Gorge. Divided into four unique tiers that can be through or section ridden, it travels through a variety of landscapes, communities, ecosystems, terrain and, most importantly, mountain bike trails, with over 50 per cent singletrack to its name.
| Distance | Days | Ascent | High Point |
| 668 Miles (1,075 KM) | 25 | 66,015 Feet (20,121 M) | 8,317 Feet (2,535 M) |
11. Plateau Passage Bikepacking Route
Route Credit * KURT REFSNIDER
From Las Vegas to Durango, over arid peaks, lush plateaus, deep canyons, slickrock, and stunning mountains, the Plateau Passage bikepacking route features 1,200+ miles of rugged, isolated, and challenging riding that takes you from the low Mojave Desert, across the peerless Colorado Plateau, and into the high Rocky Mountains.
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3 responses to “11 Best Bikepacking Routes In The US”
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