gravel bikepacking routes california

The Stagecoach is serious. Its relatively straightforward (and memorable, if you havent done it) to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, for anyone who wants to add a visit to San Francisco into their trip! We called our trip the TransGabriel Challenge: three days, 78 miles and 18,000 feet of climbing by bike on dirt and gravel . Click here to login, or start an account if youre not yet a member of the Bikepacking Collective. Read More Aug 21, 2021 For Issue 08, we invited several contributors to return and pick up where earlier trips and ideas left off and also feature a handful of first-timers whose perspectives weve long been eager to share Issue 07 Issue seven is a celebration of courage and discovery of what were capable of when we dont let others expectations define us Issue 06 examined a diverse range of topics, including embracing aloneness, rekindling a sense of adventure, grappling with failure, and many more Theres loads of gold in the hills and mountains of California. Historical signage en route explains how the railroad was established to support the logging and mining industries. With its gentle and easy-riding gravel, the 92-mile Denali Park Road is a favorite among cyclists. The utter bliss of bikepacking in the backcountry. Cheers! Resources and inspiration to support your wildest dreams. Create a GPS track: Once you've identified the roads and/or trails you want to ride, use an online application to draw your route on a map. A great time for this ride would be in the springtime when the temperatures are cooler and the wildflowers are in bloom. My legs were feeling good, but I didnt want to return to the highway at night, still rattled from the previous close call with the truck. The extreme heat in the summer and unpredictable winter weather in the higher elevations make those seasons somewhat less desirable. Three years ago, Johan Cronje, a local bike packer, created the 300-mile JBC that takes in the mountains of Cuyamaca (and beyond), the trails to and from the Pacific Coast, and the sands of the Anza-Borrego Desert. Length: 335 miles Climbing: 7,000ft Time to complete: 3-9 nights Three words: Gentle, exploratory, beautiful What bike: Gravel or hardtail. The switchback road ascends for three miles through eucalyptus forests with gradients reaching 14%. Is bike packing irresponsible in the time of coronavirus, even if it is totally self-supported? The SoCal Desert Ramble is a staple of the bikepacking routes in southern California. 2,575km 19 days (18 on, 1 off) 18 nights in a tent 15.5 days of headwind 47C - hottest temp 45kmh strongest wind 1 broken shifter cycleuktonz.com. If you like variety and dont mind mixing some civilization in with your nature and trails, this is about as good as it gets in the bay area. See below for details on those other two routes. Its the foundation of the modern culture of bikepacking. These bikepacking routes in southern California and loads of others can be found at bikepacking.com. With 67 miles of unpaved road, this route takes you through a desert landscape of rock formations, Joshua Trees, and some great viewpoints. Shop Grizl 21 items Availability Show Filters New Compare Grail CF SL 7 Shimano GRX RX810 GS, DT Swiss Gravel LN $2,699.00 Financing available for this product -13% Compare Grizl 6 Shimano GRX RX400 GS, DT Swiss Gravel LN Trail Sale: Limited time only $1,299.00 The next day we rode the smooth gravel on Isthmus Road to our campsite at Little Harbor. Gravel Guides; . You experience a diverse set of geographical features along this route from alpine elevations of 11,913', wide-open grasslands, and remote desert in New . This 2-day bikepacking route climbs into the wondrous heart of Joshua Tree National Park via Berdoo Canyon Road to support us + get The Bikepacking Journal. New to the 2023 Australian bikepacking event calendar is a bucket list route from Hunt Bikes.. Entdecke die schnsten Orte, lade GPS-Tracks herunter und folge den Top-Routen auf einer Karte. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Nous avons cr pour vous des aventures et micro-aventures en gravel, en triathlon, en vlo de route, en VTT sur une journe, deux journes, une semaine, deux semaines. The Stagecoach route begins in the mountain town of Idyllwild, heads over a few alpine sections and down to the desert and dogs of Anza, passes Lake Henshaw and the glorious gravel and singletrack descents along San Dieguito River Park towards the salty air of the Pacific Ocean. Riders embark from the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and then cross the San Francisco Bay three times on a multi-day journey through coastal prairie, chaparral, redwoods, rolling hills, and marshland. The debate was short-lived. . The Bikepacking Trip Planner Workbook can help you take the next step. Highlights include Big Bear Lake, The Salton Sea, and the Pacific Ocean as well as other unique points of interest. The 2020 Stagecoach 400 almost did not happen, not because of the coronavirus (we were a week before the stay at home order) but because of the biblical levels of rain, flooding, and landslides on the course. Canada. The Baja is the finger of Mexico that extends 800 miles south of the border with the USA, with the Pacific on its west, and the Gulf of California to the east. With classic lake views, sunny summer mountain weather, and more bike-legal trails than most other areas of the Sierra, Lake Tahoe is a great option for bikepackers. I love unstructured rambles, but lets face it, when vacation time is short sometimes an established and pre-mapped route is exactly what you need. Camping spots abound, so you can ride till you drop, and if you're lucky, youll see elk and moose, and maybe even the sockeye salmon that used to swarm to Redfish Lake. It includes a long stretch of Bolinas Ridge road, which jumps off the map to anyone looking for long ride possibilities in the area. I absolutely love the Lost Sierra region for outdoor adventures of all kinds. I started this route in Santa Rosa and I took the singletrack to cross Robert Stevenson State Park to find the downhill Hill Mine to Calistoga but the singletrack was horrible and the first part of the downhill was horri Ruta mixta a pie y en bicicleta recorriendo los principales lugares tursticos, puente golden gate y sausalito. We inspire and inform through original bikepacking routes, stories, and coverage of the gear, news, and events that make our community thrive. Wild plains, jaw-dropping mountain views, classic desert, pine forests and snowy passes its all here. It also could be linked up with the Tahoe Twirl route mentioned above. This is meant to be a growing list, and I add reader suggestions from time to time. Im Alissa, your virtual guide, here to help you make your biggest, boldest adventure dreams a reality. This is partly because much of the regions most spectacular terrain is protected in national parks and wilderness areas where bikes arent allowed. The North Bay / Mount Tamalpais area is a prime candidate for Bay Area bikepacking routes, such as this overnight loop out of Fairfax. You will need to carry all your water with you for this trip since there are no reliable water sources along this route. . A gravel bike for extensive trips. Thanks! Riding through the ashes of the catastrophic wildfires that plagued California in Summer 2020, this overnight bikepacking route takes in a contrasting variety of charred and unburned ridgelines through Henry Coe State Park that will inspire your spirit and test your legs Set within the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the Tahoe Twirl circumnavigates the vast and mesmerising Lake Tahoe. I had prepared my legs, and perhaps more importantly, I felt like my head was in the right space. We have so much gorgeous land to explore! From our sponsor; more content below. We believe travel by bicycle has the power to encourage conservation, inclusivity, and respect for all people and cultures. 1 / 10. The Baldy Bruiser is a burly 150 miles of dirt road and 44 track through the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. This 376-mile route has it all. You can get water and resupply at lake Arrowhead and in the Mt Baldy area. After heavy rain there can often be pitted sections of trail, so take care. This ride is usually done as a point to point but there are variations, including the 277-mile Fools Loop straight out of central Phoenix, for more experienced desert riders. Here are some routes and areas to start with. The Hunt Sydney to Summit is exactly what it sounds like, an off-road bikepacking route from sea-level at Sydney Harbour, that over 680km takes you to the highest summit in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. Original AR700 Coleman to Hinton, Alberta Route Details: 6 Days | 5 Nights | 720 km (447 mi) | +9,148 m (30,013 ft) | Start: Coleman | End: Hinton Les diffrences entre le vlo Gravel, vlo de route, vlo de voyage traditionnel : Les caractristiques techniques qui distinguent ces types de vlos, notamment au niveau des pneus, des portes bagages, du poids total, et de la philosophie du choix de matos. Having been re-directed around Sandy Bandy and Rapture Ridge dirt, I road on Highland Valley road. There are a few hotels in Borrego Springs, otherwise, its dispersed camping the entire time. While I really enjoy making up my own routes, I would also love to see more established routes that would make bikepacking in California a bit more accessible. The moderate elevation makes it rideable throughout most of the year, but its best in spring or fall when temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold. The Bay Area Triple Crossover weekend bikepacking route highlights the diversity of bay ecosystems, where each day feels distinct from the next. The routes include scenic lakes, the Pacific Ocean, Joshua Tree National Park, and even an inland sea. If you can coordinate the necessary campground reservations, this East Bay bikepacking route looks awesome. It not only takes in the best of Cuyamaca terrain but the single track and gravel roads in the adjacent Pine Creek and Hauser Wilderness areas. There may be long steep stretches without water so be prepared and plan ahead. I've read about SF Traverse but am hoping for something a little farther away from home. We share our tips and tricks for a successful bikepacking adventure. And now, in this liminal space, where we inhabit at socially acceptable distances from each other, I wanted to offer my thoughts on the three bike packing gems of Southern California - Santa Catalina Island, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and the formidable Stagecoach 400. The route has many resupply options along the way as well as camping and a few hotel options to look into. Its doable in three days and neither of the two on-route camping options require a reservation, though making it between them might require a push. Resources and inspiration to support your wildest dreams: Affiliate Disclosure: This site participates in affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates. It is split up into 4 tiers and 10 segments. The mellow 16-mile ride left us time for cold plunges in the Pacific Ocean and hiking along the cliffs above Shark Harbor. And whats more, there is no water in the park so youll need to carry it all with you for the entire trip. Our dense population and tightly regulated public land make it nearly impossible to set off on a multi-day ride without careful planning and hard-to-get campground reservations. South of the highway, still in Tahoe National Forest, a vast web of dirt roads branch off from Henness Pass Road near the tiny town of Forest (which has some nice singletrack nearby). Gravel Routes - BikepackingPA Gravel Routes Map Gravel Routes List The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon The deepest gorge of the Keystone State. And, those more astute noted that should there be an injury on the bike, the time of vital health care professionals and a hospital bed might be taken at a time needed for those critically ill from COVID-19. Dont expect to have any of the trails or roads to yourself in this busy area, especially on weekends. "Fans of 650b gravel wheels may ask why the wheel size was removed from the scope of the MOG. It seems like we currently have a wide-open slate on which to scout and explore our own routes. It is very well waymarked but that's no excuse not to take some backup navigation. For those of you with more time on your hands, I cant resist noting that these routes around Tahoe, especially the Tahoe Twirl, are easy to link up with the Pony Express to the south and the Trans Northern California to the north for three sides of a massive California bikepacking loop. There is some overlap between the two routes, and plenty of places where they run parallel to each other. Sandy routes reward wider tires (in the range of 2.6 and up), and spikey desert foliage makes tubeless tires a necessity in many cases. Stretching from Banff, Canada, to the US / Mexican border in New Mexico, the Great Divide route travels 2,700 miles along gravel roads and single track trail along the Continental Divide. Gravel Bike California The State of Dirt Main Menu. on the fork blades or below the downtube for gear and bottle cages, or at the dropouts and seat stays for racks. A gravel bikepacking bike gets bonus points for extra mounting points (braze ons, eyelets, barnacles, etc.) The preferred route of accomplished endurance cyclist and Alaska native Lael Wilcox, the 92-mile Denali Park Road consists mostly of gently rolling, easy-riding gravel and is the habitat of a. This could easily be called 10 of the 100 best bikepacking routes in the USA this country is made for wild, wonderful self-supported adventures, and there are trips of a lifetime in pretty much every state. For those wanting something longer, inspiration may be found from the HardCOEre 100. I recently had the chance to do a quick overnighter in the southern portion and it did not disappoint. Or toss some spare change inthe PayPal tip jar. Though Ive spent plenty of time backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains, I havent done as much bikepacking there. The official notes describe the trail as strenuous, technical, challenging, complicated and barely existent in some sections. It will certainly be a ride of a lifetime. Les destinations sympa pour le bikepacking en France : Les spots les plus populaires. After a long stretch alongside the winding Youghiogheny River youll eventually climb to the top of the Eastern Continental Divide at 2,392 feet, but its super-gradual - the gradient is rarely over 1 percent, as youd expect from a disused railway line. Sign up to receive the free downloadable bikepacking town day checklist to help with your resupply stops: Youll also receive occasional emails with other bikepacking and touring resources. Gravel bike; Bikepacking kit; Garmin with pre loaded route; 2 nights B&B accommodation; Lunches & dinners; In the Both routes go through Truckee. 157 views, 5 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 4 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from La Baroudeuse Bikepacking: En route, . Im looking back to those trips with more fondness than usual. Check back regularly. In this post Ive collected a wide range of California bikepacking routes and trails organized by region. Bikepacking Alliance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Are you looking for a high-performing fat bike that can provide you with a great riding experience? Sometimes my posts contain affiliate links, and if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Baldy Bruiser The Baldy Bruiser is a burly 150 miles of dirt road and 44 track through the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. The combination of these two historic routes takes bikepackers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, all the way to Washington DC. Rides: Specialized Chisel Comp; Canyon Inflite CF SLX; Canyon Aeroad; Roberts custom road bike. Bring a lot of water since the only reliable water is at Red Box Station. Im Alissa, your virtual guide, here to help you make your biggest, boldest adventure dreams a reality. Also check out my review of the Apidura bikepacking gear I road on Santa Catalina, Cuyamaca, and the Stagecoach 400 HERE. Tour Divide racer winners may smash the whole route in a fortnight, but most riders would allow at least 6-8 weeks, with time to loll in pools, enjoy company and rest when you need to, and be sanguine about setbacks. And because its full of deep forests and ridges, you can expect fallen trees and washed-out segments of the trail to add some hike a bike to proceedings. Hi, Im Phil. Day 1: Snowdonia emerges / 31 miles / 5 - 6 hrs / 845m . We all gave double thumbs up for trail etiquette. For example, Bikepacking.com has routes covering about 50 countries and totaling 85,000 miles complete with . Be sure to make reservations for campgrounds or accommodation in advance if needed, and be prepared to share the trails with plenty of hikers. Cycling the Alps 2 Ocean Trail in New Zealand: Overview + 4 Day Itinerary. Soon after Californias stay-at-home order was first announced, the bikepacking community began debating its consequences on planned adventures. Camp high if you can and be sure you never set up camp in a wash due to potential flash floods. Hello! Planning a bikepacking route involves a lot of maps, trail knowledge and more. Wider handlebars: Gravel bikes intended for rougher terrain usually feature wide flared drop bars for better control. Most people start on the California border, where youll start with miles of high, open singletrack and endless views of some of the biggest mountains in the state, and then youll work north through a fabulous range of ecosystems towards the Cascade Range and the Washington State border. If youre bikepacking in California and have a route to recommend, please leave a comment at the bottom. Backcountry bivvying options are endless; in some places youll need a permit. Bikepacking Scotland by Markus Stitz features 20 great multi-day off-the-beaten-track cycling adventures across the Scottish mainland and islands. If 670 miles is a smidge too much for you, there are lots of ways to enjoy bits of the trail - this 120-mile loop is easily accessible from Portland, for instance: Anaxshat Passage (opens in new tab). All rights reserved. Bikepacking, is the synthesis of mountain biking and minimalist camping, simply put, bikepacking. The area offers lakes, a few campgrounds, and lots of forest, along with plenty of climbing. Highlights: Fun singletrack, river crossings, beautiful roads, remote canyons, steep climbs. Astonishingly almost all rideable, it takes you on dirt roads and jeep trails from Banff, in Alberta, Canada, to the Mexican border in New Mexico, via British Columbia, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. After waffles and coffee at The Pancake Cottage, we pedaled out of town on Stage Road. All the maintained campsites in Cuyamaca and Mount Laguna require reservations, but you can also find camping along the streams and meadowsbring your water filtration devices. You can find routes created by adventurers across the globe on bikepacking websites. on relatively low-traffic road and trail, this newly developed route might be just the thing. Its seriously hilly - in fact, it averages more climbing per mile than the Colorado Trail (160ft vs 133ft) so its not for you if youre not on top form. Its only 25 miles from Avalon to the north tip but the scenery is great and adding a visit to Avalon, maybe with an overnight stay is always fun. 6. The Caldera 500 is a rugged and endlessly beautiful route that immerses riders in the Eastern Sierra. The route heads out east from the relaxed city of Boise, towards the Sawtooth Mountains and takes you through sagebrush, ancient forest, valley edges and wild open spaces, on quintessential smooth gravel, singletrack and forgotten access roads. The five-part account by Tom and Sarah Swallow (opens in new tab) of riding the route before it became a race gives you an evocative picture of stunning landscapes, wild weather and human kindness. Think of bikepacking as a camping trip you take with your bike. Black bears can be a problem; youll want to hang your food at the very least, and ideally use a bar-resistant bag like the Ursack Major. Wending east it's a combination of smooth or bumpy gravel roads, disorderly non-serviced roads and forest trail as you ride through the little visited Georgian Bluffs and then onto the Bayview Escarpment. The Baldy Bruiser packs in some of the finest dirt roading in and around Los Angeles. If youve learned a few things or have been entertained, consider becoming a Patreon member. A great hint to help you choose your outdoor gear and clothing! For those seeking desert solitude tinged with a touch of the bizarre, we present the SoCal Desert Ramble. As one of the closest national forests to the Bay Area, Mendocino National Forest is an intriguing possibility. Its only occasionally technical but its an endless series of climbs and descents, reaching 9000ft, and includes a couple of long stretches of hike-a-bike, so youll need to be fit. Bikepacking Central Oregon: High Desert and Volcanic Geology from K Falls to Bend. Its roughly based on a classic extreme motorbike route, around 70% off-road. Mad riders do it as a non-stop ITT; most across multiple nights. My wife and I have gravel bikes with 42s and 47s. Both challenge riders from low-elevation areas with a peak elevation of over 9500 feet. American bikepacking adventures from desert to mountain top and suitable for all abilities. Day 3: 76 miles | 6,900 feet. The riding in Cuyamaca and the nearby wilderness areas weaves through oak and pine forests, across alpine meadows, sage-brush covered canyons, and frequent stream crossings. Note that all those routes have a lot of elevation gain for their mileage, which is pretty much unavoidable in Coe. 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. By contrast, the Trans-America is little more than the annually-updated GPS file of a no-prizes race which has a seven-page website and a small Facebook page. Soledad Paso Robles Coalinga Loop: This 260 mile loop is primarily pavement, but includes a few excellent sections of gravel and the closed dirt Arroyo Seco Indians Road mentioned above. Theres no such thing as certainty in bikepacking, but the number of online resources around the GDMBR including regular maps addenda on trail conditions and closures from the Adventure Cycling Association means that you can totally nerd out on your preparation. Now with oral contraception, the buff herd is around 150 and is one of the main tourist attractions. With mounting points everywhere and big chunky tyres. After a brief highway section, I joined a Laguna Beach duo in Anza to pedal and push our rigs the next 3-hours through a mud-slog. We may not have endless dirt roads and camp-wherever-you-want land regulations, but bikepacking in the bay area has its own charms. The Three Bikepacking Gems of Southern California Gravelstoke Cuyamaca Bikepacking Route View Full Version Send to Device 158.7 mi + 21,293 ft / - 21,294 ft RWGPS BESbswy Stagecoach 400 Bikepacking Route View Full Version Send to Device 375 mi + 27,422 ft / - 27,419 ft RWGPS BESbswy Cackling Carnivore 2 years ago One of these days Ill get back to the area and try out some bikepacking routes! Its also about adapting safely on the fly when you are forced to reroute by massive rockslides, quagmires, deep sand or impassable rivers. From the bottom, and from the top! If you beat me to it, please let me know what you find out. Either way, planning your water stops is vital as there is very little drinkable water on the route. bikepacking roots and our logo are registered trademarks. The route mostly follows the Old Boboyan Road, which is a management trail through the area. info@bikepack.ca. It offers an all-around, Powered by red Starbursts and Fat Tire Amber Ale, 11 of the Most Popular Bikepacking Trails in the US, Colorado Bikepacking Trails A Bikepackers Dreamland, How to Prepare For the C&O Canal and GAP Trail. All overnighting cyclists and backpackers, most of whom are traversing the Trans-Catalina Trail, require campsite reservations, which comes with the option of firewood bundles and water delivery. Add mellow bike paths, remote forest roads, fantastic camping real estate, and an abundance of swimming spots and it makes a wonderful introduction to this beautiful area. Here are several standout bikepacking routes in Southern California, ordered roughly from north to south. It also overlaps with a good chunk of the Stagecoach 400 route (see below). More flag On KUMEYAAY, COCOPAH, CUPENO, Agua Caliente & Serrano Land Distance 497 Mi. The northernmost section (Arroyo Seco to Gorda) and southernmost section (from New Cuyama to Santa Barbara) are the highlights in my opinion. Wikiloc. If you are riding in the desert, check the weather beforehand; you wouldnt want to be cycling in a wash due to the potential for flash floods. / 235 km 4 days Heres a random RideWithGPS track I found for it (havent tested it personally ride at your own risk). 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. The SoCal Desert ramble can easily link up with the southern end of Baldy Bruiser, and for those who want to keep heading south, the northern end of the epic Baja Divide. Sierra Madre Road: As depicted in The Long Traverse film, this is an 80 mile day ride instead of a bikepacking route, but Sierra Madre Road jumps off the map to anyone interested in bikepacking in Central California. Whats not to love? A beautiful and challenging bikepacking loop through a mosaic of contrasting landscapes leads riders from remote mountains through a seemingly endless desert, into the city and along the sea. Terrain is a challenging mix of dirt, pavement, and singletrack. Weather is often sunny year-round, and wide-open desert landscapes are good for the soul. Hi there, Im Alissa. I came across this Catalina Bikepacking route while looking for a solo overnighter route during my winter trip out west. Or wed load our bike onto Amtrak train for a few hours and then spend the weekend riding back home down the Pacific Coast. Widely recognized as the birthplace of mountain biking, the Mt Tamalpais and Marin region is a special place where the ocean, coastal hills, and redwood forests converge. Truely a route to savor. With these considerations in mind, I mapped out the following route favoring gravel roads, paths, and small roads: San Bruno - Pacifica/Linda Mar - Half Moon Bay - Pescadero - Big Basin - Skyline - Los Gatos Day 1: San Bruno to Half Moon Bay My adventure began with a ride to the Santa Clara Caltrain station.