Alto Ruins
5 Star Route
Tucson, Arizona
A ride leading out of the quaint town of Patagonia to the ghost town of Alto on hard-packed gravel roads (mostly) with big views. Includes the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve and a hummingbird sanctuary.
Route: Lollipop | 29 mi
Gain: 2,600 ft
Surface: 100% gravel
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 45 mm +
eBike Friendly: Yes
BEAST
5 Star Route
Oakland, California (North)
An urban, mixed gravel bike ride in the Oakland hills with some of the best views in the Bay Area. (Shorter ride options available.)
Route: Loop | 63 mi
Gain: 6,600 ft
Surface: 50% gravel/dirt, 50% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Rural
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm
eBike Friendly: No
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
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Extremely Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Cannibal 5
Development Route
Oregon Coast (North), Oregon
Cannibal: a person (or in this case a route) that eats the flesh of other human beings. (Or maybe … a mountain top along the way.)
This route showcases the raw beauty of the ancient Siuslaw National Forest and some of its seriously stout hills. It is a take-off of the Oregon Coast Gravel Epic (Abomination route), but instead of the start / finish in Waldport the start / finish is in Yachats.
Route: Lollipop | 68 mi
Gain: 5,500 ft
Surface: 65% gravel, 35% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Rural
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Cape Meares
5 Star Route
~ Tillamook, Oregon
This 16-mile ride with 800 feet of elevation gain blends natural beauty and historical intrigue. Beginning at Cape Meares Lighthouse, riders pass through lush forests and onto the Bayocean Peninsula, following a scenic gravel road along Tillamook Bay. Along the way, echoes of the "Atlantic City of the West" and Tillamook heritage offer a profound sense of place and history, making this ride an immersive journey through Oregon’s coastal past.
Route: Out & Back | 17 mi
Gain: 747 ft
Surface: ~70% gravel, 30% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Urban Backcountry
Tire Suggestion: 40 to 55 mm.
eBike Friendly: No
Cowboy Preacher
5 Star Route
Sisters, Oregon
A circumnavigation of Whychus Canyon including a stop at historic Camp Polk and a classic wilderness crossing of Whychus Creek. Hope you don’t mind wet feet …
Route: Loop | 38 mi
Gain: 2,100 ft
Surface: 40% gravel, 60% paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 45 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Deadman Willis
5 Star Route
~ Columbia Gorge, Washington
A mixed route with three distinct sectors: timberlands, rugged back-country, and the scenic Klickitat River Canyon. The riding is really fun, no super long and arduous climbs but plenty of elevation gain.
Route: Loop | 57 mi
Gain: 5,900 ft
Surface: 50% gravel/dirt road, 10% Roubaix (broken-pavement), 40% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Navigation: Challenging
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Devil’s Gullet
5 Star Route
Mole Creek, Tasmania
A rolling warmup of 9 miles (15 Km). A demanding, but pleasant climb. A truly scenic lookout! And a fun spin on the Central Plateau of Tasmania, a World Heritage site.
Route: Out & Back | 46 mi
Gain: 4,600 ft
Surface: 60% gravel, 40% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Devils Cash Box
5 Star Route
Tucson, Arizona
Starts with the flats of the historic Anza Trail, ride up into the Santa Rita mountains on paved and then climb higher on a rugged, steep and sometimes loose gravel road. And ... view one of the most interesting peaks in the area, Devils Cash Box.
Route: Out & Back | 32 mi
Gain: 2,900 ft
Surface: 50% gravel / dirt roads, 50% paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 50 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Diablito (aka: Little Devil)
5 Star Route
Tucson, Arizona
A drop-dead gorgeous ride in the Tumacacori Mountains through rugged canyons, rolling hills, and washes. Demanding!
Route: Lollipop | 23 mi
Gain: 2,500 ft
Surface: 100% gravel
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Extremely Remote
Tire Suggestion: 50 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Dufur & Friend
5 Star Route
Dufur, Oregon
This ride is big on texture! Orchards, wheat and hay fields, a ghost town, a 6 mile paved descent, a sustained climb through the forest forest, and a remote single lane paved road in the middle of nowhere!
Route: Lollipop | 64 mi
Gain: 4,800 ft
Surface: 50% gravel, 50% tarmac
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40mm +
eBike Friendly: Yes
Ft Bidwell
5 Star Route
~ Lakeview, Oregon
A long ride with a big climb along a route that spans two states. This journey passes by historic Fort Bidwell and offers views of two of the tallest peaks in the Warner Mountains, along with the unique geology that shaped them.
Route: Lollipop | 73 mi
Gain: 5,500 ft
Surface: ~ 70% Gravel / 30% Paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 45 mm+
eBike Friendly: No
Ghost Hill
5 Star Route
Portland, Oregon
A mixed gravel bike ride through rolling hills, farmlands, and woodlands in the Willamette Valley. Hard-packed gravel roads. Great early season riding! A ride that gives you an appreciation for the Oregon outside of the major metro areas.
Route: Loop | 40 mi
Gain: 2,600 ft
Surface: 45% gravel, 55% paved
Technical Difficulty: Easier
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Rural
eBike Friendly: Yes
Ghost of Ashwood
5 Star Route
Madras, Oregon
On this route, visit the ghost town of Ashwood, founded in 1850. This is a ride with glorious rolling farmland and cool rock formations, where the solid climbs are rewarded with big, scenic views.
Route: Loop | 44 mi
Gain: 4,300 ft
Surface: ~ 60% gravel, 40% paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40 - 45 mm
eBike Friendly: Yes
Haystacks & Skulls
5 Star Route
Bend, Oregon
A mixed gravel bike ride with big mountain views, some history, a touch of gnar and pitched climb (not too long). This is the concatenation of two 5 Star Routes: Haystack and Skull Hollow.
Route: Loop | 35 mi
Gain: 2,300 ft
Surface: 35% gravel, 65% paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Urban Backcountry
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm
eBike Friendly: Yes
Kentucky Camp
5 Star Route
~Tucson, Arizona
Visit the ghost town of Kentucky Camp, ride a short section of the Arizona Trail that is scenic and well suited to a gravel bike, see big views of the Sky Islands, and ride in the oak woodlands of the Santa Rita Mountains --which feel more like Prescott, AZ than the Sonoran Desert just south of Tucson.
Route: Tootsie Roll | 22 mi
Gain: 2,100 ft
Surface: 95% dirt rd, 5% single-track
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 45 mm+
eBike Friendly: No
Murderers Creek
5 Star Route
John Day, Oregon
A very scenic and remote ride exploring the John Day River (South Fork), Murderers Creek, the Black Canyon and a historic ranch. Most of the riding is along rivers and creeks. (With shorter option).
Route: Out & Back | 39 mi
Gain: 1,700 ft
Surface: 95% gravel , 5% paved
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
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
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm+
eBike Friendly: No
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
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 50 mm +
eBike Friendly: Yes
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
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Extremely Remote
Tire Suggestion: 45 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
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
Navigation: Straightforward
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 45 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Silver City
All Access Route
~ Jordan Valley, Oregon
Your visit to Silver City will offer a glimpse into the gold and silver mining history of the area. Silver City remains remarkably preserved among old mining towns, having avoided both fires and modern commercialization.
Route: Out & Back | 20 mi
Gain: 1,200 ft
Surface: 99% gravel / 1% paved
Technical Difficulty: Easier
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 50 mm+
eBike Friendly: Yes
Skinner Toll Road
5 Star Route
Jordan Valley, Oregon
Skinner Toll Road is a 58 mile lollipop route taking you into the heart of silver mining country in southwestern Idaho. Be prepared to climb into the mountains and ride back in time on this route.
Route: Lollipop | 58 mi
Gain: 4,600 ft
Surface: ~ 88% Gravel/ 12% Paved
Technical Difficulty: Very Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Remote
Tire Suggestion: 50 mm+
eBike Friendly: No
Skull Hollow
5 Star Route
Bend, Oregon
A ride with history and views. Skull Hollow, a massacre site where 200 died, the historic Crooked River (High) bridge, views of Smith Rock, the Cascade mountains the Crooked River gorge.
Route: Loop | 28 mi
Gain: 1,900 ft
Surface: 30% gravel, 70% paved
Technical Difficulty: Demanding
Navigation: Attention Required
Locale: Urban Backcountry
Tire Suggestion: 40 mm
eBike Friendly: Yes
