Bikepacking routes have gotten complicated with all the hype and “best of” lists flying around. As someone who has spent the better part of a decade loading up a bike and disappearing into the backcountry, I learned everything there is to know about picking the right route for the right rider. Today, I will share it all with you.
I still remember my first real bikepacking trip — three days on the C&O Canal Towpath with a setup that weighed roughly twice what it needed to. My saddle bag kept drooping, I packed way too much food, and I slept terribly. But I woke up on day two next to the Potomac River with coffee boiling on my little stove, and something just clicked. I’ve been chasing that feeling on longer and wilder routes ever since.
The Big Routes That Define Bikepacking
1. Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (USA/Canada) – 2,745 miles
If bikepacking had a Mount Everest, the GDMBR would be it. This monster stretches from Banff, Canada all the way down to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, tracing the Continental Divide through some of the most remote and jaw-dropping terrain in North America. You’re looking at over 200,000 feet of total climbing. Let that number sink in for a second.
Difficulty: Advanced
Best Time: June – September
Typical Duration: 4-8 weeks
Surface: 90% dirt/gravel, 10% paved
What makes it special: Wilderness camping under skies so dark you’ll see the Milky Way every night, wildlife encounters (including grizzlies — yes, real ones), and mountain scenery that’ll ruin every other ride for you. The route takes you through Montana’s high country, the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, and the high desert of New Mexico. I rode about 400 miles of the Montana section a few years back and still think about it weekly.
2. Tour Divide Race Route – 2,745 miles
Same route as the GDMBR, but ridden as a self-supported race. The Tour Divide has become the stuff of legend in endurance cycling circles. The fastest riders finish in under 14 days, which is absolutely bananas when you think about it — but most bikepackers take 4-6 weeks and enjoy every minute of it.
The record holders are covering 200+ miles per day on minimal sleep — but honestly, for the rest of us adventure cyclists, the real magic is in slowing down. Meeting fellow travelers in those tiny mountain towns, grabbing a burger at some roadside diner you’d never find otherwise, watching the ecosystem change from alpine tundra to desert over the course of weeks. That’s what makes the Great Divide endearing to us long-distance riders — it compresses an entire continent’s worth of landscapes into one continuous ribbon of dirt.
3. Arizona Trail – 800 miles
The AZT runs from Mexico to Utah, cutting straight through Arizona’s wildly diverse landscapes. You’ll ride through desert canyons one day and ponderosa pine forests the next, then pop up into high alpine meadows that feel like a completely different planet. The fact that it’s rideable year-round (with proper planning) makes it incredibly versatile.
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Best Time: October – April (desert sections), May – September (high country)
Typical Duration: 3-5 weeks
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. The AZT is where I’d point most people who want something genuinely challenging but don’t have 6 weeks to spare. You can section it, too — ride the southern desert portions in winter and come back for the high country in summer.
Weekend and Week-Long Adventures
4. Oregon Timber Trail – 670 miles
This one was purpose-built for bikepacking, and it shows. The OTT threads through Oregon’s Cascade Range and eastern forests with excellent trail infrastructure, clear route markings, and a level of difficulty that won’t crush intermediate riders. It’s basically what happens when trail designers actually think about bikepackers from the start.
Highlights: Crater Lake (bring a camera), endless singletrack, old-growth forests that make you feel tiny, and hot springs scattered along the way for soaking those sore legs.
5. Colorado Trail – 486 miles
Denver to Durango, crossing eight mountain ranges and six wilderness areas. The scenery is absolutely stunning, but I won’t sugarcoat it — there are extensive hike-a-bike sections above treeline that’ll test your patience. My buddy attempted this one last summer and said the hiking portions above 12,000 feet nearly broke him mentally more than physically.
Average Elevation: 10,000+ feet
Bike-Legal: 70% (some Wilderness sections require hiking detours)
Pro Tip: Late July through early September gives you the best weather window and insane wildflower displays along the alpine sections
6. Baja Divide – 1,700 miles
When winter hits and you’re sitting on the trainer watching rain streak down the windows, the Baja Divide starts calling. Mexico’s Baja Peninsula delivers warm winter bikepacking with incredible coastline along both the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. Less technical than the mountain routes, but water planning becomes your main challenge.
Best For: Winter escape, beach camping, taco fuel stops (seriously, the street tacos along this route are legendary)
Challenge: Water sources can be 50-100 miles apart in the desert sections — plan accordingly and carry extra capacity
International Bucket List Routes
7. Iceland Ring Road – 828 miles
Circumnavigating Iceland on mostly paved roads sounds tame until you factor in the scenery: glaciers, waterfalls that seem to fall from the sky, steaming geothermal areas, and black sand beaches straight out of a sci-fi movie. Oh, and the weather — extreme conditions can hit any day of the year, even in summer. One minute you’re riding in sunshine, the next you’re leaning into a 40mph headwind.
Best Time: June – August (the midnight sun is surreal — you’ll ride until 11pm without realizing it)
Difficulty: Moderate (the roads are paved, but the wind and weather are the real adversary here)
8. Carretera Austral (Chile) – 770 miles
Patagonia’s legendary gravel highway is on my personal bucket list and I think about it constantly. It runs through temperate rainforests, past glaciers, and alongside lakes so turquoise they look photoshopped. Largely unpaved with sparse services — this is genuine wilderness adventure territory. You’d better be comfortable with self-sufficiency before tackling this one.
Planning Your First Bikepacking Route
Start Small: Please, for the love of all things cycling, do not make your first bikepacking trip a 500-mile mountain epic. Keep it to 2-3 days maximum. Here are some classic starter routes that won’t break you:
- C&O Canal Towpath (Washington DC to Pittsburgh) – 335 miles of flat, easy riding with bail-out options everywhere
- Great Allegheny Passage – Connects to the C&O for a combined 458-mile adventure if you’re feeling ambitious
- Katy Trail (Missouri) – 240 miles of crushed limestone, mostly flat, with charming small towns dotting the route
Route Research Resources
BikePacking.com: The go-to route database with GPS tracks and incredibly detailed guides written by people who’ve actually ridden them
Ride with GPS: User-submitted routes with elevation profiles — great for finding local gems
Adventure Cycling Association: Mapped routes spanning all of North America with extensive support materials
MTB Project: Trail conditions and local beta from riders on the ground
Essential Planning Considerations
Water Sources
This is the thing that catches most new bikepackers off guard, especially on western US routes. You can face 50-100 mile stretches between reliable water sources. Carry 3-6 liters of capacity and bring a filter — the Sawyer Squeeze and Katadyn BeFree are both bikepacker favorites because they’re light, reliable, and pack small. I’ve used the Sawyer Squeeze for years and it’s never let me down.
Resupply Points
Most routes pass through small towns every 2-5 days, which is your window for restocking food and sundries. For the more remote stretches, you can ship packages ahead to post offices along the route — or just plan to carry 3-4 days of food minimum. Your frame bag will hate you, but your stomach will thank you.
Weather Windows
Timing is everything. High mountain routes like the GDMBR and Colorado Trail have painfully short seasons — basically July through September. Desert routes like the AZT and Baja Divide flip that and become winter destinations. Do your homework on snow levels and monsoon seasons before you commit to dates. I once showed up to a Colorado trailhead in late June only to find three feet of snow still blocking the pass. Lesson learned.
Choosing Your Route
First Bikepacking Trip: C&O Canal or Katy Trail — flat terrain, easy bailouts, civilization never too far away
First Mountain Route: Oregon Timber Trail — well-marked, solid infrastructure, forgiving difficulty curve
Ultimate Challenge: Great Divide MTB Route — remote, high altitude, long, and life-changing
Winter Escape: Baja Divide — warm temperatures, beaches, and the best tacos you’ll ever eat
International Adventure: Iceland Ring Road — spectacular scenery with moderate riding difficulty
At the end of the day, the best bikepacking route is the one that matches your current skills, the time you have available, and how much type-two fun you’re willing to embrace. Start with overnight trips close to home. Build your systems. Figure out what gear works and what doesn’t. Develop your confidence handling mechanicals and route-finding in the wild. Then go tackle the classics.
Every route, whether it’s a two-night loop on local gravel or a month-long traverse of the Continental Divide, offers the same core rewards: the deep satisfaction of self-sufficiency, scenery that stops you in your tracks, and the simple, profound joy of traveling by bike with everything you need strapped to your frame.
So — where’s your first (or next) bikepacking adventure taking you? Drop a comment or shoot me a message. I genuinely want to know.
