Portfolio Archives: CRoP Routes

New Mexico’s Western Highlands Loop

 

Region: New Mexico

Season: Spring to fall

Miles: 285  |  Elevation: 20,000′

Days Out: 4-6  |  Tire Size: ≥ 1.75″”

Difficulty: 5/10 Physical   |  4/10 Technical

 

The New Mexico’s Western Highlands Loop! This 280-mile-long rough “gravel” bikepacking route meanders through the Black, Mogollon, San Francisco, and Gallo Mountains of western NM and the gorgeous Blue River Canyon in easternmost AZ. The loop takes riders on very, very quiet roads (~80% dirt, 20% paved) through almost entirely public lands, linking small communities, passing widely scattered ranches, and traversing a landscape where wolves still roam. Most of the loop is above 7,000 feet in elevation, making it a cool shoulder season ride or a relatively comfortable summer ride passing through beautiful ponderosa pine forests, high grasslands, and aspen glades.

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Bikepacking Tour

 

Region: Arizona

Season: Winter

Miles: 125/190  |  Elevation: 5,000/12,000′

Days Out: 3-5  |  Tire Size: ≥ 2.4″”

Difficulty: 5/10 Physical   |  5/10 Technical

 

This delightful desert tour is on 100% dirt, 100% public lands, through stunning mountains, and with reliable water sources – it’s a fantastic 3- to 5-day winter bikepacking trip! The long version of the route includes 2-3 opportunities to scramble up desert peaks and hike into deep canyons along the way, and the shorter version bypasses those side adventures.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument High Plateaus Loop

 

Region: Utah

Season: Late spring to late fall

Miles: 170  |  Elevation: 13,000′

Days Out: 3-5  |  Tire Size: ≥ 2.4″”

Difficulty: 6/10 Physical   |  5/10 Technical

 

This 170-mile loop follows the most seldom-traveled and arguably most scenic backcountry roads through Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument through beautiful and remote Colorado Plateau country. Best ridden in late spring or autumn, this loop offers 3+ days of 4×4 riding and solitude.

Alpine #7

 

Region: Montana

Season: Mid-Summer – Early Fall

Miles: 76  |  Elevation: 14,000′

Days Out: 2-3  |  Tire Size: ≥ 2.3″”

Difficulty: 8/10 Physical   |  8/10 Technical

 

Offering some of the most stunning ridge crest riding in the northern Rockies, the Alpine #7 experience is a particularly rewarding (and technical) one. This trail is most often ridden as a series of day rides, but it can also be enjoyed as a bikepack over a few days, as a longer loop combined with part of the Great Divide MTB Route, or an absolutely massive one-day effort.

A Chihuahuan Desert Loop

 

Region: Arizona/New Mexico

Season: Fall/Winter/Spring

Miles: 256  |  Elevation: 11,000′

Days Out: 3-5  |  Tire Size: ≥ 1.75″”

Difficulty: 4/10 Physical   |  3/10 Technical

 

A Chihuahuan Desert bikepacking experience among the Sky Islands, desert grasslands, and diverse valleys of the Arizona/New Mexico borderlands. The route follows gravel roads, quiet pavement, and a few mellow sections of 4×4 tracks. It’s a fast-riding route that can be done on a gravel or mountain bike (just know that Arizona gravel tends to be a bit rougher and bigger than gravel in many other parts of the U.S.).