Apex Mine
5 Star Route
St. George, Utah
A 100% gravel route through a stunning and fragile landscape filled with caves, mines, free ranging cattle, and the endangered Dwarf Bearclaw Poppy plant in Southwest Utah.
Route: Lollipop | 23 mi
Gain: 2,500 ft
Surface: 100% Gravel
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Locale: Remote
Big Ruby
5 Star Route
Tucson, Arizona
This route is the combination of two 5 Star routes: Ruby (South) and Ruby (North). It is whiskey drinking, kick in the butt good!! (Actually excellent!). It showcases the Atascosa and Pajarito mountains, roams in and out of Warsaw Canyon and Colorado Gulch, and takes you to one of most historic ghost towns in Arizona, Ruby.
Route: Lollipop | 50 mi
Gain: 6,400 ft
Surface: 88% gravel, 12% single track
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Extremely Remote
Black Hills
5 Star Route
Tucson, Arizona
A fun out and back with kiosks and picnic tables scattered across the route, little if any traffic, beautiful views, loads of cactus and a whole lot of history.
Route: Out & Back | 34 mi
Gain: 4,600 ft
Surface: 100% gravel
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Rural
Blue Wolf
Development Route
~ Eugene, Oregon
A point to point ride, with more elevation loss than gain. This route offers up beautiful views of the mountains, quiet forest roads, two beautiful lakes, a roaring river, and a hidden waterfall. We saw loads of blooming bear grass and wild rhododendrons.
Route: Point to Point | 50 mi
Gain: 3,700 ft
Surface: 60% gravel, 5% single-track, 35% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Remote
Broadway Lava
5 Star Route
Prineville, Oregon
A ride through ancient lava fields, high alpine meadows and Ponderosa forests in the Ochoco Mountains.Overall this route has a potpourri of surfaces: easy pavement, smooth gravel, rough gravel, washboard, and muddy dirt roads.
Route: Lollipop | 43 mi
Gain: 4,600 ft
Surface: 70% gravel, 30% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Remote
C2C (Corvallis to Coast) Trail
Development Route
Corvallis, Oregon
A winding route that connects the city of Corvallis in the Willamette Valley to Newport’s striking Pacific coastline. Along the way, it passes through urban neighborhoods, bucolic farmland, rolling hillsides, deep forests, and wide-open vistas of the Oregon Coast Range.
Route: Point to Point | 65 mi
Gain: 5,700 ft
Surface: 70% Gravel, 30% Paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Remote
Options: Credit Card Tour, Bikepacking
Catherine Creek
Development Route
~ La Grande, Oregon
Ride up a scenic micro-canyon, into a working forest with remote, small dirt roads, and then onto adventure. The back-half of this ride needs exploration!
Route: Loop | 46 mi
Gain: 4,400 ft
Surface: 65 % gravel, 35 % paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Remote
CheddarHead
5 Star Route
Tillamook, Oregon
Tillamook. Synonymous with dairy. This ride explores what makes Tillamook what it is. Mountains, valleys, rivers, bays, and farms, oh my! But be warned, this is one of the most difficult and demanding rides that we have ever posted! Read this guide in detail.
Route: Loop | 90 mi
Gain: 10,900 ft
Surface: 60% gravel / 20% single-track / 20% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Extremely Remote
Options: Shorter, Credit Card Tour, Bikepacking
Flathead
5 Star Route
Whitefish, Montana
A rugged and remote ride in Glacier National park. It bumps and bends through historic burn areas, wetlands and aspen groves. Then parallels the Flathead river for miles. By Guest Contributor and unridden by Team DF.
Route: Loop | 54 mi
Gain: 3,200 ft
Surface: 75% gravel, 25% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Remote
Gummy Lick
5 Star Route
~ Joseph, Oregon
This journey promises solitude and connection with nature that is truly unparalleled, making it a must-visit for those seeking an unforgettable riding experience in the heart of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Highlights: Imnaha river and the Seven Devils Mountains.
Route: Loop | 41 mi
Gain: 4,100 ft
Surface: ~55% gravel, 45% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Remote
Horn of the Metolius
5 Star Route
~ Sisters, Oregon
Explores the “Horn” of the Metolius river — the area defined by a sweeping 25 mile bend in the river — an area designated as “Wild and Scenic.” It’s a hard rugged ride with river hugging views.
Route: Loop | 53 mi
Gain: 4,600 ft
Surface: ~ 80% gravel, 10% single track, 10% paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Locale: Extremely Remote
Options: Shorter
Kintla Lake
Development Route
~ Whitefish, Montana
A gravel ride through grassy meadows marking the floodplain of the North Fork of the Flathead River and a short section of thick forest of Douglas fir and hemlock. The payoff: Kintla Lake.
Route: Out & Back | 32 mi
Gain: 1,200 ft
Surface: 100% gravel
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Locale: Remote
Owyhees Tour
Bikepacking Route
Southeast, Oregon
A four-day, bikepacking route across the Owyhee Mountains, over the Owyhee Desert, and along the Owyhee River. Highlights include the ghost town of Silver City, the Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway, Three Forks Hot Springs, and herds of wild antelope.
Duration: 4 Days
Route: Loop | 225 mi
Gain: 14,000 ft
Surface: 75% gravel, 25% paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Locale: Remote
Pozo Nuevo
Development Route
~ Ajo, Arizona
An exploratory gravel bike ride through the southwest Arizona Sonoran desert: Puerto Blanco Drive, Pozo Nuevo, and Bates Wells. With a bit of early 1900's ranching history thrown in.
Route: Point to Point | 64 mi
Gain: 2,200 ft
Surface: 45% paved 55% gravel
Technical Difficulty: Unknown
Locale: Remote
Presumido Stage Stop
5 Star Route
Buenos Aires, Arizona
Your destination is an original stage coach stop that is nestled into a beautiful, almost presumptuous, canyon lined with tall saguaros. This ride offers up all types of cactus and vista views of Baboquivari Peak.
Route: Out & Back | 24 mi
Gain: 1,600 ft
Surface: ~ 90% gravel rd, 10% paved.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Extremely Remote
Pure Sonoran
Development Route
~ Phoenix, Arizona
This route is pure Sonoran desert with ten miles of the Arizona Trail single track and "Joshua Tree" type geological rock figures.
Route: Loop | 43 mi
Gain: 2,250 ft
Surface: 65% gravel, 30% single track, 5% pavement
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Extremely Remote
Rajneeshee
5 Star Route
Antelope, Oregon
Wild! Rugged! Remote! In our opinion, this is one of the best Oregon outback rides in the state.
Route: Lollipop | 65 mi
Gain: 7,000 ft
Surface: ~ 60% gravel / 40% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Extremely Remote
Options: Shorter
Rhyolite Rumble
5 Star Route
Las Vegas, Nevada
An adventurous ride just outside of Death Valley that includes the famous and historic ghost town of Rhyolite. But ... there is so much more history on this ride: old mining railbeds, an outdoor museum, hidden streams and the chance to see wild burros. Do it!
Route: Loop | 46 mi
Gain: 3,000 ft
Surface: 100% gravel / dirt road
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Remote
Ruby North
5 Star Route
Tucson, Arizona
This route is an absolute fantasy, it’s rugged and remote. You earn wonderful views through punchy, winding climbs as you traverse through and around canyons and gorges and skirt the old ghost town of Ruby. Note, this routes has a completely different character than Ruby (South).
Route: Lollipop | 37 mi
Gain: 3,400 ft
Surface: 67% gravel, 33% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Locale: Extremely Remote
Ruby South
5 Star Route
~ Tucson, Arizona
An out & back to the ghost town of Ruby, a mining camp from the early 1900s, with the first strike of gold in the late 1870s, and real wild west drama. The ride has wide, sweeping views of the Atascosa and Pajarito Mountains.
Route: Out & Back | 29 mi
Gain: 3,700 ft
Surface: 100% gravel
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Remote
The Bombsite
5 Star Route
Brookings, Oregon
An exploration of the Brookings area's history, including the harbor, the Chetco River, the logging industry, fire events, and a World War II bombing site. Expect good gravel roads with minimal traffic. The journey is enriched with lush forests and scenic overlooks, providing vista views of the Coast Mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean shoreline.
Route: Lollipop | 47 mi
Gain: 5,300 ft
Surface: ~70% gravel, 30% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Locale: Extremely Remote
Behind every route is scouting, mapping, storytelling, and a whole lot of pedal power.