Domestic travel is up, way up, and for good reason: people want to be outdoors. What better way to practice social distancing than the bike. Adventure cycling tours and mountain bike excursions are here to stay.
The past year taught us that we can’t wait to take the trips on our cycling bucket list because the time is now. For two-wheeled adventure seekers across the country, there’s never been a better time to pick and location and plan a trip. Bring your mom, dad, friend, or spouse; there’s room for everyone.
Escape Adventures leads industry-leading mountain bike tours year around. But one, in particular, is suited for adventurous cyclists that don’t care for hyper-technical terrain — Death Valley National park. Similarly, the Adventure Cycling Association curated nine four-day offerings around the U.S. perfect for newcomers and urbanites looking for a multi-day cycling experience close to home. Let’s get down to the details.
Family-Friendly Camping and Mountain Biking Tour of Death Valley and Red Rock Canyon
On this 5-day camping and mountain biking tour offered by Escape Adventures, you will explore one of America’s largest national parks, the 3,373,063-acre Death Valley National Park. Despite its rather foreboding name, Death Valley represents a stellar mountain biking destination with more than 350-miles of roads and trails, astounding wildflower blooms, and mild temperatures in fall and winter.
Guests will cycle the heart of the Mojave Desert, from Death Valley National Park to Red Rock Canyon, stopping to visit historic sites accessed by 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) roads. Highlights include Spicer Ranch Trails, Titus Canyon, Monarch Canyon, Chloride Cliffs, Stovepipe Wells and Cottonwood Valley.
Prices start at $1,495 per person double and include all internal land expenses and services. Electric-mountain bikes are available upon request.
For more information, visit https://escapeadventures.com/tour/death-valley-and-red-rock-mountain-bike-tour/.
“When you experience Death Valley and Red Rock by mountain bike, you’ll quickly learn that this is not a place to be endured, but rather a world-class outdoor recreation destination,” said Escape Adventures Director, Jared Fisher.
“While big swathes of North America deal with snow and icy roads, we consider it our great fortune to enjoy an exemplary outdoor wintertime adventure in the heart of the Mojave Desert.”
You will move seamlessly from one day to the next, camping, and enjoying delicious homemade meals. The majority of campgrounds feature indoor facilities and showers. In more remote backcountry camping scenarios, Escape Adventures will provide portable toilets and private solar showers. A range of cycling and hiking options are offered each day, and support vehicles are available.
“There is nothing better than rolling into camp to fresh-made chips and salsa, homemade guacamole, and Dutch oven enchiladas,” said Fisher. “Then making your way to the campfire, sharing your favorite story from the day, and enjoying a cold craft beer before retiring to your tent.”
Death Valley mountain bike tour full itinerary
Day 1-2: Ride the new Spicer Ranch Trails, and finish with a cowboy dinner. The next day, descend epic Titus Canyon into Death Valley. Layover in beautiful Monarch Canyon.
Day 3-4: Climb to the top of Chloride Cliffs, explore ancient mining ruins, hike down Monarch Canyon to the portal view of Death Valley, visit massive sand dunes and Stovepipe Wells, and stop at the National Park Visitor Center. Next day, shuttle to Red Rock Canyon and ride to Bonnie Springs Old Nevada.
Day 5: Ride Cottonwood Valley’s fabulous trail network, nestled below the cliffs of Red Rock Canyon. Shuttle back to Las Vegas.
9 Long-Weekend Adventure Cycling Tours in the United States
Adventure Cycling Association has announced a suite of four-day long-weekend tours in 2021 for newcomers to bike travel or those who simply want to get out for a multi-day experience but have limited time for adventures.
The nine long-weekend tours are largely located near urban areas to minimize travel time and provide drivable start points for convenience and additional safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether pedaling the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, riding the Olympic Discovery Trail near Seattle, Washington, or enjoying bucolic landscapes along the Hudson River just outside New York City, these trips give city dwellers easy options for from-the-front-door multi-day adventures.
“Shorter trips still capture all the magic of bike travel, but in a much more manageable package for a lot of people,” said Mike Lessard, Adventure Cycling’s Tours Director.
“Epic journeys are bucket-list items, and we love empowering people to make those happen, but a long weekend on a bike is something we can all find time to check off our list of goals for the year. For some people, it might be the first step toward a big trip – for others, it’s plenty to scratch the itch for adventure.”
Though all the long-weekend tours are four days in duration, the tour style ranges from self-contained and van-supported camping to an inn-to-inn itinerary for indoor lodging, and each is led by an experienced Adventure Cycling tour leader. Prices start at $599 per person, depending on destination, which includes Lake Tahoe, Maine, Upstate New York, Virginia, to name a few.
In addition to the new long-weekend options, Adventure Cycling continues to offer the trips it’s known for, including education courses, 10- to 14-day adventures around the country, and cross-continent epics lasting up to three months.
Ride & Seek’s Epic 28-Day, 1,377 Mile Appalachian Cycling Tour Across 12 U.S. States
Ride & Seek is thrilled to announce a 28-day epic cycling tour from Maine to North Carolina. Split over two distinct stages, the route takes riders through 12 U.S. States from Bethel, Maine to Cherokee, North Carolina, with the Appalachian Trail providing the thematic backdrop.
Starting with the rural and rustic splendor of Maine, guests will search out the road less travelled, exploring the states of New England and skirting around New York City before completing the first stage in the historic town of Gettysburg, PA. The scenery of the ride is enhanced by numerous National Parks and the second stage includes two of the best bike routes in the USA – Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Slated for May 30 – June 26, 2021, prices range from $5,590 to $11,200 USD per person double. The tour is a collaboration with Cycle of Life Adventures. For more info, visit https://www.rideandseek.com/tour/appalachian-usa/.
“This Appalachian tour is the combination of some of the finest cycling in the USA with a historical and gastronomical focus that provides for a wonderfully immersive travel experience,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds
Tour Highlights
- Ride through 12 States alongside the Appalachian Trail
- Cycle the longest linear park in the US on the extraordinary Blue Ridge Parkway
- Explore the wilderness of northern Maine
- Visit the illustrious Norman Rockwell and Robert Frost museums
- Roll through the orchards of western Pennsylvania & Maryland
- Cross the mighty Hudson River
- Explore the historic Civil War towns of Gettysburg and Harpers Ferry
- Discover the great Skyline Drive ridge ride in the Shenandoah National Park
- Delight in the quiet roads and rustic scenery of New Hampshire and Vermont
“Reading through Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the pertinence of his words is particularly apt at this time,” said Reynolds “As with all our tours, we embrace the history of the places we travel to give us a better sense of today. Our interactive cycling tour through the battlefields of Gettysburg is just one way in which we give you a chance to embrace the history along the route we ride.”
Would you agree the time is now? Whether you want to ride on paved roads or dirt trails, there’s a trip for everyone these days, families welcome. So forget the expensive plane tickets and stressful airports; it’s time to adventure by bike.