Northwest Bikepacking Routes

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.

The Idaho Smoke ‘n’ Fire 400 bikepacking route is designed to explore an epic portion of Idaho’s backcountry set with big expansive views, geothermal pools, prolific river systems, mountain ranges, and abundant wildlife.

Alaska’s hardiest riders tackle this 250-mile combination of pavement and singletrack in a day and a half, but the route also offers an accessible and jam packed bikepacking loop for those visiting the Last Frontier. Stretching the race route out over a week gives riders plenty of time to soak in some of Alaska’s best singletrack and epic scenery.

The Central Oregon Backcountry Explorer serves as an introductory route to the Ochoco Mountains and the geologic wonderland of the John Day Basin. Ride twisty dirt, gravel and paved roads through old-growth ponderosa pine forests, past stunning volcanic landscapes, old pioneer mines and ghost towns, the Painted Hills, all the way to the friendliest hostel around. The availability of water, great camping, and fairly non-technical terrain makes this a great ride for all levels of experience, just watch out for goat head thorns!

The Butte Batholith Route is a 95-mile trail connecting a vast system of singletrack on and around the Continental Divide Trail—passing by the beautiful Highland Mountains and weaving throughout a unique batholith of granite boulders. This easily accessible route takes riders through some of the best singletrack found in Southwestern Montana.

The Elkhorn Crest Trail runs along the Elkhorn Mountain ridgeline in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. This technical trail traverses sub-alpine forests and grasslands and offers panoramic views of Baker Valley and the Wallowa Mountains to the East, and the Blue Mountains to the West. Camp at one of the high mountain lakes, enjoy views of the rocky nearby peaks, and maybe even catch a glimpse of a herd of elk or resident mountain goats.

Linking up the best of Oregon's Big Country with forgotten wagon roads and rugged overland travel. Cross three mountain ranges, a desert playa, visit five hot springs, and enjoy the solitude of vast empty landscapes.

The Mount St. Helens Epic Weekender features around 80 miles of diverse and rugged terrain, connecting some of the Pacific Northwest’s most well-known and unique singletrack — including the Ape Canyon Trail, The Abraham Trail (Plains of Abraham), and the Lewis River Trail — and making an excellent weekend escape into the heart of Washington state mountain bike country.

The Olympic Adventure Route offers a great weekend bikepacking getaway on the Olympic Peninsula. The route is mostly singletrack through dense mossy forests with spectacular views of mountains and sea.

A lovely weekend dirt wander that takes in Montana's Whitefish Range, set just west of Glacier's staggering peaks and chock-full of dirt roads, singletrack, and stunning views. Named after a classic point along the GDMBR, the route climbs to the 5600' Red Meadow Pass and continues along a vehicle-free dirt road meandering in the laps of giants in Glacier National Park.

The Three Sisters Three Rivers route criss-crosses Oregon's Cascade Range from the dry desert forest trails of Bend and Sisters to the hot springs and alpine ridges of the Upper Willamette to the lush, western flanks of the Calapooya Range, blue pools, and hot springs of the North Umpqua Trail.

An inspiring, unfiltered look at a route along Alaska’s rugged, wilderness coastline that was 'ridden' in the summer of 2011 by Mike Curiak, Eric Parsons, Dylan Kentch, Steve "Doom" Fassbinder, and Roman Dial.

From big mountain wilderness, to historic fly fishing waters, if you’re looking for a Montana bikepacking adventure, look no further than the Blackfoot Hackle. This weeklong combination of dirt road bikepacking and class II/III packrafting will reward you with some of the best that the Northern Rockies has to offer. Add a bit of fly fishing into the mix, and, well, you may never want to leave.

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is the most recognized and important off-pavement cycling route in the United States, if not the world. The route crisscrosses the Continental Divide from north to south starting in Banff, Alberta, Canada and finishing at the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico.

Starting in Frenchglen, this route loops through remote southeastern Oregon linking up the Sheldon and Hart National Antelope Refuges, several hot springs, and a dried ancient lake bed. This route is considered by some as a top prize in Oregon bikepacking.

What's considered by some as the best bikepacking route in Oregon, the Outback starts in Klamath Falls near the California border, and traverses the entire state on lightly traveled, mostly unsurfaced roads. This includes a slice of the route’s namesake area – the Oregon Outback – a dusty, remote portion of the state populated by not much more than coyotes and rattlesnakes.

While this route lacks the panache of a full circumnavigation of Mount Hood, it more than makes up for it by linking together all the best dirt near the mountain.