Top Trails in USA for Bikepacking
Spring is here and with the arrival of spring many people are already beginning to look forward to summer and all of the vacations, adventures, and travels that will take place. If you’re an outdoors person, chances are you’ve already begun planning outdoor trips. My favorite activity is bikepacking: the act of backpacking with a bike. There are many trails throughout the US that are perfect for this activity. Some of these trails are only a few hundred miles, while others go on for thousands of miles throughout multiple states. Regardless of which trail you choose, they all offer the chance to connect with nature and see the world through a new perspective. If you’re thinking about taking a bikepacking vacation this summer, you may want to try one of these top trails in the USA for bikepacking.
1. Oregon 3 Rivers If this is your first time bikepacking, you may want to try the Oregon 3 Rivers Trail. The Oregon 3 Rivers trail is known for being fairly easy to bike through especially for less experienced bikers. What makes this trail so unique is that there are three different routes that you can take and you can even link them all together in one trip. These routes include the Middle Fork Willamette Trail, the North Umpqua Trail, and the Mackenzie River Trail.
2. Colorado Trail With its ample supply of mountains, Colorado has always been known for being a
Colorado Trail
great place to travel to for an outdoor adventure. This is a 500-mile trail through mountains, streams, and other gorgeous outdoor sceneries. While mountain bikes are common for outdoor trails, you might want to opt into using a fat bike instead. This trail is commonly covered in snow until around July. As seen in this infographic, fat bikes are great for handling snowy conditions at the Colorado Trail.
3. Arizona Trail The Arizona Trail begins at the Mexico border and runs approximately 800 miles to the Utah border. From the very beginning, this trail was created with mountain bikers in mind. This trail was created based on feedback and consultation with mountain bikers to ensure that they created the best possible trail. This trail is very aesthetically pleasing and features a wide range of conditions and settings including mountains, canyons, deserts, forests, and other wilderness areas. It is open for other outdoor activities including hiking and camping as well.
4. Continental Divide Trail Located in the heart of Montana, the Continental Divide Trail is one of the longest trails in America. If you’re planning to bike the entire trail you’ll want to prepare months in advance to make sure you are in good shape as this trail is over 3,000 miles long. While the length of this trail may seem intimidating, it is anything but stressful. This trail runs from Canada to Mexico, through Montana into Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. With all of these different territories covered throughout the trail, you can look forward to connecting with nature and viewing miles of breath-taking mountains, hills, and lakes. Those who successfully complete all 3,000 miles will have their name featured on the CDTC Official List of 3,000 milers.
Have any of you been on any of these trails? If so, which one was your favorite? If not, which one would you be the most willing to try? Is there anyone you prefer that’s not on the list? What trails would you nominate as the best bikepacking trails in America or the world? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Byline:
Ann Shirley is a freelance writer that enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics. She enjoys using her writing skills to educate others on the joys of bikepacking, one of her favorite pastimes.
