Passage 6: Jumpup and the Jumpup Overnighter are remote and spectacular; this may be the most distant portion of the entire North Rim Capes. Riders start by passing (or even lodging the night before/after the route) by Big Springs with its famous cabin site and reliable gushing spring of water. Cyclists then ride out to the Jumup Divide past grasslands and down gullys. From here, it’s an out-and-back ride to Jumpup Point as it juts straight into the heart of the Kanab Creek Wilderness. Camp on the rim edge for the night! Then, return the way you came and head downhill for a turnoff to stay at Jumpup Cabin (reservations required). Or continue on and climb back into the pines before a big downhill to the end. There are many reliable water sources on this route. Ride prepared and be self-sufficient as there is a lot of rocky doubletrack out to the cape and you are unlikely to run into other travelers.
This route is best ridden in early Summer (May - June) and Fall (September - October). No permits are necessary. There is fantastic dispersed camping all along the route including at Cape 4 Jumpup Point. Advanced reservations are required for overnight stays at both Big Springs and Jumpup Cabin Sites. Cabins are only open May 15 - October 15 (which are good bookends for suggested start-of and end-of season riding on this route).
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Passage 9: Rainbow Rim and the Rainbow Rim Overnighter take riders out to famous Rainbow Rim, which is the sole opportunity for mountain bikers to ride singletrack along the rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The overnighter combines Passage 9 Rainbow Rim and Passage 10 Dry Park from the Capes of the Canyon. The route has two potential start points: (a) Demotte and (b) FR 22. If starting from Demotte, riders climb up FR 22 to the Kaibab High Point before a big descent down through Dry Park to Cape 9: Parissawampitts Point and the start of the singletrack. Although a little chunky at first, the tread smooths out as it weaves and flows along the Canyon edge and through thickets of aspen and pine. Riders hit up Capes 9 -13 - all of which provide rim-side camping opportunities and stellar views. Water is available mid-route at Parissawampitts and Quaking Aspen Springs. Finish by riding up Quaking Aspen Canyon and then climbing up FR 222 back to Demotte to close the loop.
This route is best ridden in Summer - Fall (Late-May - Mid-October). No permits are necessary. There is fantastic dispersed camping all along the route including along the rim of the Grand Canyon. The Overnighter is ~60 miles while Passage 9 alone is ~37 miles making a day trip or night out along the rim possible. Passage 2: Red Butte and the Red Butte Overnighter take bikepackers out on a loop ride to Red Butte in the heart of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument. Cyclists start outside Tusayan riding through montane woodlands of ponderosa pines before descending to savannah grasslands near Anita Station. Riders then approach the base of Red Butte and pass by a trailhead to its summit before ascending back into conifer forests up along Skinner Ridge. From here, it’s a fun descent back towards Tusayan. The route sticks to mostly fantastic gravel roads and features several reliable wildlife tanks for water. Red Butte is a sacred site for the Havasupai so make sure to ride with respect. In addition, this area helped spur the creation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni NM in August 2023 to prevent further uranium mining on lands near the Grand Canyon.
This route is best ridden in Spring (Late April - Early June) and Fall (September - October), although it is possible to ride it during summer (just be ready for heat and monsoons). An Arizona State Lands permit is required, so make sure to purchase and carry one with you. Passage 2 can be ridden as a day ride or turned into an Overnighter. Passage 8: South Bass and the South Bass Overnighter are rare opportunities for bikepackers to camp on the edge of Grand Canyon’s South Rim in an area excluding cars. The route starts in the town of Tusayan before heading out towards Pasture Wash through vast sage grasslands that transition back to juniper-pinyon woodlands interspersed with ponderosas. Riders take a chunky doubletrack through the woods to enter Grand Canyon National Park where they pass by the abandoned ruins of the Pasture Wash Ranger Station before making their way out to Cape 21 South Bass and Cape 22 Havasupai Point. Make sure to get the required permits from the Backcountry Information Center to sleep on the rim and carry plenty of water because it’s dry camping out there. The “Short Version” bypasses the ride through Apex along the Grand Canyon Railroad and cuts off a start and end in Tusayan.
This route is best ridden in Spring (Late April - Early June) and Fall (September - October), although it is possible to ride it during summer (just be ready for heat and monsoons). A Backcountry Permit from GCNP is required to camp at any of the campsites along the rim. The permit can only be acquired as a walk-up at the Backcountry Information Center. As these campsites are not accessible by vehicle, there is a high chance of achieving a walk-up permit. An Arizona State Lands permit is required, so make sure to purchase and carry one with you. Passage 8 can be ridden as a day ride or turned into an Overnighter. Passage 18: Bedrock and the Bedrock Overnighter are a loop to two capes along Marble Canyon at Cape 29 Bedrock Point and Cape 30 Twentyseven Mile Rapids Overlook. Bikepackers head across the grassy expanses of House Rock Valley, catch some good water at Buffalo Tank, and then can camp rim-side at several locations. There are short spurts of fine-grained sand in places, so larger tires might be appreciated. Beyond that, the roads are in great condition and quickly carry riders below the flanks of the North Rim.
This route is best ridden in Late February - Early May or between October - November. An Arizona State Lands permit is required, so make sure to purchase and carry one with you. Passage 18 can be ridden as a day ride or turned into an Overnighter. Introducing Passages and Overnighters for the Capes of the Canyon! Passages are for bikepackers looking to section-ride the entirety of the Capes of the Canyon over time or explore the region. These routes are designed for riders who: - (a) Don’t have enough time/money for the full routes in one continuous trip but instead want to section-ride the Passages over time. - (b) Are new to bikepacking and feel more comfortable taking on shorter Passages of the routes. - (c) Want to explore the Grand Canyon region on day rides. - (d) Have narrow weather windows outside of the optimal seasons for riding the whole routes. Overnighters are a selection of passages from both the South and North Rims that are perfect for a 2-3 day trip. They feature phenomenal views that highlight the full COTC and typically have water sources stationed at good distances. Dispersed camping abounds along these loops that take riders right back to where they parked. Each route begins and ends at accessible locations where a 2WD vehicle is possible to drive/park at the start. Passage 17: Buck Farm and the Buck Farm Overnighter provide bikepackers a slow ascent up from the grassy platform of House Rock Valley to a pinyon-juniper forest at the base of Saddle Mountain. Riders pass by Nankoweap Trailhead (arguably the hardest trail in Grand Canyon National Park) along a lollipop loop that passes by some solid water sources before hitting rim-side camping at Cape 28 Buck Farm Viewpoint.
The night was expectedly cold and well below freezing. Morning revealed a coating of thick frost over bikes and shelter. We packed up and enjoyed the well-heated bathrooms before pushing off down the road to enter Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Janna and I joined some singletrack paralleling the road as the sun hit the peaks warming everything. We turned right on East Mesa Fire Road to begin an ascent next to Descanso Creek towards the Cleveland National Forest. The hillsides were sage and olive green with dense groves of live oak and manzanita sprawling across them all. I felt alive and refreshed being out in the backcountry on a spring day in southern California. The dirt road wrapped and wound under hanging eaves of branches and into open spreads of open chaparral before finally gaining the ridgeline next to Oakzanita Peak. Here, the terrain softened into beautiful doubletrack that sped across the highland. Jeffrey Pines grew singularly on high along the route...(Continue Reading)
Two years ago I made an initial attempt to ride the Stagecoach 400 in 2021 as a solo bikepacking trip. I made it five days in but abandoned the desert due to temperatures well over 100 degrees; after living and biking for years in triple digit heat, I didn't have the desire to experience Anza-Borrego under those temps. Instead, I twisted the route into a spiral and made my own tract around the San Diego area. But, the beauty and diversity of the route hung heavily in my mind. All I wanted to do was show Janna how incredible of a route it was. Mountains, Deserts, Ocean. Truly, a spectacular tour of SoCal spread. We thought about doing it last year over Spring Break, but the blizzard conditions that hit the route that year made it unpalatable. So Spring Break came this year. The temperatures warmed up enough to beat back the worst of winter on high but abate the onset of summer heat down low. Perfect. I planned out the route deciding to start the ride in San Diego which afforded easier opportunities to park the car as well as a push to get the desert done first before it had any more chance to heat up. That, and we loved Idyllwild as the optimal trail town to take a zero-day in during a mid-route rest day. Janna agreed. After a rough and tough end to quarter 3 of the school year, we were hankering for some backcountry adventure to shake the hold that work had on both of our constant waking thoughts. The Stagecoach 400 ended up delivering on everything...(Continue Reading)
Gold to Grand Loop is a bikepacking route that travels through Gold Butte and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monuments straddling the Nevada/Arizona border. It does a nearly full circumference ride of Gold Butte NM taking in opportunities for side hikes at Little Finland and Seven Keyholes Slot Canyon as well as cultural tours of the old Gold Butte Townsite. Take time to enjoy the dense Joshua Trees and exposed, vibrantly colorful geological formations along the route. From here, it's a big descent into the remote and little visited Grand Canyon-Parashant NM. You'll look at the distant Grand Wash Cliffs that officially mark the end of the Grand Canyon as the stratified layers dive into the Mojave Desert at Lake Mead. Stop at ecologically rich Pakoon Springs before a climb up and along the base of the Virgin Mountains. Then, climb up and over Lime Kiln Pass where an exhilerating descent carries you to the high desert town of Mesquite, NV. Eat some tacos and then finish the ride on the semi-paved Gold Butte Backcountry Byway that traces the banks of the Virgin River before ascending back up to Gold Butte NM and finishing the route at iconic Whitney Pocket.
Gold to Grand Loop sticks to excellent backcountry dirt roads and features evenly-spaced reliable water sources. It travels through environmentally important habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise but mule deer and big horn sheep are out here too. Junipers and Joshua trees intermix along with creosote and yucca along terrain that ranges from 1400 to 4600 feet. This is a great 3-4 day winter bikepacking trip close to Las Vegas and through the heart of where the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert meet. Continue to Full Route Guide When we went to bed last night, both arrival at camp and laying down for sleep occurred well into the dark. I had a hard time visualizing where we were or what the area would look like. Waking up after such nights is always a moment of curiosity for me. I popped outside and looked around. We were camped on a little basin between an adjoining peak and the stunning snow-capped Virgin Mountains. A spill of juniper trees intermixed with Joshua trees. Janna and I sat in the sun eating breakfast while letting the sun crest over the landscape bringing its warmth. We knew the climb ahead was the crux, so we got going quickly...(Continue Reading)
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