What are the Intermountain Connectors?
They’re literal and figurative links between the Western Wildlands Route (WWR) and the iconic Great Divide MTB Route (GDMBR) that has inspired thousands of bikepackers worldwide and the creation of the WWR itself. Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) released the GDMBR in 1998, and it has been the most influential of all bikepacking routes out there. As soon as Bikepacking Roots (BPR) released the WWR in 2017, riders inquired about links between these two epic routes to allow for loops of a variety of scales. We’re excited to now share these Intermountain Connectors, a collaborative project of BPR and ACA, with the bikepacking world. These Connectors generally share similar riding themes – non-technical riding that is mostly off pavement – and all are created with legitimate mountain bikes rather than skinnier-tired gravel bikes in mind. The northern Connectors are relatively short links, and the southern Connectors are notably longer and can offer grand adventures in and of themselves. Several of these also allow for easy access to major public transit hubs in Salt Lake City, Denver, and Tucson. So let your mind run wild with the possibilities created by this growing route network.
The Intermountain Connectors routes are comprised of six routes between the GDMBR and WWR.
These east-west links will allow riders to create logistically simpler and more seasonally appropriate loops between the point-to-point loops or can be ridden as adventures in of themselves.
The connectors cross exceptionally diverse desert, mountain, and plateau landscapes. They highlight public lands from the forests of Idaho and Montana, to the peaks of the Teton and Wasatch ranges, to the red rock canyons of Utah, and the high desert of Arizona.
Most of the riding is on non-technical dirt roads and 4×4 tracks. Water sources and resupply stops are regularly available and detailed in the route waypoints, guidebook, and mobile app.
Region: Arizona and New Mexico
Season: Spring or Fall
Miles: 283 | Elevation: 11,800′ / 13,800′
Days Out: 4-6 | Tire Size: ≥ 2″”
Difficulty: 4.5/10 Physical | 4/10 Technical
The Chihuahuan Connector links the WWR near Tombstone, AZ to the GDMBR near Hachita, AZ across broad valleys, tall mountains, and rolling grasslands, past Chiricahua National Monument and the desert oasis of Cave Creek.
Region: Arizona and New Mexico
Season: Late Spring to Fall
Miles: 356 | Elevation: 25,800′ / 22,500′
Days Out: 5-7 | Tire Size: ≥ 2″”
Difficulty: 6/10 Physical | 5.5/10 Technical
The Mogollon Connector links the WWR near Forest Lakes, AZ to the GDMBR near Truth or Consequences, NM. It traverses the ponderosa pines of Arizona’s high country, across volcanic fields, past the White Mountains, and through the Blue River Canyon.
Region: Utah and Colorado
Season: Summer to Early Fall
Miles: 947 | Elevation: 76,100′ / 77,000′
Days Out: 14-22 | Tire Size: ≥ 2.3″”
Difficulty: 6/10 Physical | 5/10 Technical
The TransRockies Connector links the WWR near Salt Lake City to the GDMBR at Salida, CO across the Wasatch Plateau, the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau, the MTB meccas of Moab and Crested Butte, and the majestic Rocky Mountains.
Region: Utah and Colorado
Season: Summer to Early Fall
Miles: 156 | Elevation: 13,000′ / 12,000′
Days Out: 14-22 | Tire Size: ≥ 2″”
Difficulty: 5/10 Physical | 4/10 Technical
The Teton Connector links the WWR near Blackfoot, ID to the GDMBR at Flagg Ranch, WYvia the Snake River Plain, the idyllic Teton Valley, and the rough Big Hole Mountains.
Region: Western Montana
Season: Summer to Early Fall
Miles: 128 | Elevation: 7,000′ / 8,800′
Days Out: 2-3 | Tire Size: ≥ 1.5″”
Difficulty: 5/10 Physical | 4/10 Technical
The Bitterroot Connector links the WWR near Darby, MT to the GDMBR near Wise River, MT by way of stunning Sapphire Mountains, Georgetown Lake, and the small mining town of Anaconda.
Region: Western Montana
Season: Summer to Early Fall
Miles: 143 | Elevation: 11,000′ / 13,000′
Days Out: 2-3 | Tire Size: ≥ 2″
Difficulty: 4/10 Physical | 3.5/10 Technical
The Lolo Connector links the WWR near Superior, MT to the GDMBR near Seeley Lake, MT on quiet forest roads, climbing above the Clark Fork River to the rugged, scenic Rattlesnake Mountains.
