Red Desert Wyoming BDR-X

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Whether you’re riding the full WYBDR and want a little more, or you’re in southern Wyoming looking for a shorter ride, the Red Desert BDR-X will not disappoint.

The 149-mile loop starts and ends in Baggs, the same starting point as the WYBDR. Fuel up and grab supplies there before you head out. The route can be ridden in one long day or split into two, with dispersed camping available about midway.

The Red Desert remains lesser-known as a travel destination but offers “National Park” quality scenery. It is one of the last high-desert ecosystems in North America and is home to the Killpecker Sand Dunes, the world’s largest herd of desert elk, and the largest migratory pronghorn herd in the lower 48. Expect buttes, dunes, sagebrush steppe, mountains, and rocky pinnacles – the same landscape pioneers crossed on the Oregon Trail.

Terrain ranges from modest to difficult depending on your skill level and conditions. We recommend riding clockwise so the most challenging sand and technical sections come early, giving you a shorter backtrack and lower risk of running out of fuel if you need to turn around.

From Baggs, the route follows Hwy 789 north for 22 miles, then turns west onto dirt roads with intermittent deep sand, ruts, and rock ledges. About 30 miles later you reach Adobe Town, a region of sandstone towers, valleys, and hoodoos that makes a great spot for photos and a lunch break. Leaving Adobe Town, a short side trip leads to the ruins of Fort LaClede, an 1863 stagecoach stop and defensive fort. Double-track roads then climb onto Delaney Rim, where Delaney Point tops 7,400 feet with outstanding views. Hard-pack and county roads lead back to Hwy 789 and Baggs. If you run low on fuel or need food and lodging, Wamsutter on I-80 is accessible to the north after you descend from the rim.

We are currently working on a revamped version of the Red Desert BDR-X. Stay tuned for updates.

Best time of year: The best time to ride the Red Desert is July 1st to mid-September. Note that roads in this region become impassable when wet, so avoid them during and right after rains. The Red Desert uses BLM and county roads to traverse the backcountry, and these typically open sometime in June or July depending on the size of the lingering snowpack.

Difficulty: Difficult

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The latest version of this map is dated: June 2022

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BAGGS, WY
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BAGGS, WY TO BAGGS, WY – 149 miles

Boyer Ranch
Ranch lodging near the start of the WYBDR offering unique accommodations including cabins, a historic barn loft, and a converted bus. Meals available upon request.

  • Address: 34 County Road 754, Savery, WY 82332
  • Phone: (307) 383-7778
  • Visit Website

The Cowboy Inn

  • Address: 210 Penland St #490, Baggs, WY 82321
  • Phone: (307) 383-2200
  • Visit Website

Sunset Inn

  • Address: 175 McCormick St, Wamsutter, WY 82336
  • Phone: (307) 324-4075
  • Visit Website

The Cowboy Inn

  • Address: 210 Penland St #490, Baggs, WY 82321
  • Phone: (307) 383-2200
  • Visit Website

Baggs

Wamsutter

Adobe Town Geological Area
Unique high-desert landscape featuring striking badlands, hoodoos, and wild horse habitat in a remote section of southwestern Wyoming.

Fort LaClede Ruins
Historic remains of a 19th-century trading post along the Overland Trail, offering a glimpse into early frontier life and westward expansion.

Delaney Rim Overlook
Scenic overlook providing expansive views of the surrounding high desert and rugged terrain, ideal for photography and quiet stops.

PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE

RED DESERT PACKING LIST

This packing list serves as an example and is not intended to be a complete list for your backcountry riding needs. Feel free to customize this list to work for you.

  • Helmet
  • Boots
  • Goggles
  • Gloves (2 sets)
  • Protective gear (pressure suit, Leatt brace, knee braces)
  • Jacket
  • Pants
  • Balaclava or neck gaitor
  • Water bladder or bottle
  • Hydration pack
  • Ear plugs

RED DESERT MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIPS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below are answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions about the Red Desert Wyoming BDR-X.

The Red Desert BDR-X is a backcountry loop route in Wyoming for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel. Riders will test their endurance and skills on this epic 150-mile backcountry tour. The tracks wind through Wyoming’s vast Red Desert region and lead to Adobe Town (a geologic area with sandstone features), the ruins of Fort LaClede, and Delaney Rim. This route will throw many challenges at you like loose sand and rock ledges so don’t try this route if you are new to adventure motorcycling.

This X route can be done in two short days or one long one.

The best time to ride the Red Desert is July 1st to mid-September. Note that roads in this region become unridable when wet so avoid them during and right after rains. 

The Red Desert uses BLM and county roads to traverse the backcountry and these typically open sometime in June or July depending on the size of the lingering snowpack.

BDRs are generally designed for the average adventure rider on a fully-loaded adventure or dual-sport motorcycle. The BDR-X Red Desert is suitable for riders with intermediate plus and above skill level. You can expect to cover sections with ruts, loose sand, rock ledges and other challenges. Road conditions change from day to day in the Rocky Mountains, and Wyoming is no exception. If there has been an afternoon rainstorm, the roads in high desert regions will be impassible. The clay roads become slippery and the clay clings to tires creating dangerous conditions. Don’t “press on” if it starts raining. Turn back to better roads or stay put until the roads dry out. Always carry gear to wait out inclement weather should you be riding when the storms hit.  There also may be some deep puddles and especially early in the season.

The Rocky Mountains are notorious for severe thunderstorms that seem to appear out of nowhere. Watch weather forecasts and even monitor weather radar maps, when possible, to see where rain might occur. If the high desert roads get wet, the clay surfaces will become unrideable. They become very slippery and will gum up your tires so bad that they will not roll. Do not attempt wet roads as your chances of getting stranded are high. Always carry a satellite tracking & communication device as cell phone reception is poor throughout the Wyoming backcountry. Be sure to check the interactive map at the top of this page for current conditions and use a reliable weather app on your phone during your ride. 

Yes. The Red Desert BDR-X was designed for riding clockwise and we recommend doing it that way, but it can be done counter-clockwise. Signage on this route is. confusing when going counter-clockwise but if you are following the tracks on a GPS unit you should not miss any turns.

Please be prepared for two-way traffic everywhere on this route and always remember to Ride Right to avoid head-on collisions around blind corners.

The average distance for a backcountry adventure motorcycle trip is about 150 miles a day. Since this route is that length it can be done in a day but riders might want to camp along the way to make it a two day trip. 

Services including lodging are available in Wamsutter should you need to rest or get gas or provisions.

There are no special permits or passes needed for normal groups of riders. On BLM lands like the Red Desert, permits are required for commercial activities like paid guided tours and for organized groups larger than 25 people. Contact BLM if your group fits either of those descriptions.

Dispersed camping is available along the route but be aware that private lands are adjacent to the route so only camp near the track and don’t venture off onto private lands.

If you are dispersed camping, we don’t suggest building fires. Instead, bring a camp stove for cooking and boiling water to avoid the risk of fires in Wyoming’s arid landscapes. Be sure to fully extinguish fires so they are DEAD-OUT. Use water to ensure a fire is fully extinguished and the ground is left cool and wet.

On Wyoming state trust lands (see the brown areas on our map above) there is no camping, no open fires, and no vehicular travel off-established routes and roads. Note that the state can issue fines of up to $750 for travelers who break these rules. A good example of state trust lands would be some of the areas surrounding and in the vicinity of Renner WMA. In general, it’s safest for dispersed camping inside National Forests (consult their websites for limitations). Wyoming has so many state land properties along the WYBDR and it’s difficult to know when you are on them, on BLM land, or on private land. So outside of national forests we suggest only camping in designated campgrounds to avoid accidentally camping on state land. This page on the Wyoming state website has the rules & regulations, recreational use restrictions, and even a map viewer to find the state properties you’ll be passing through.

There is no fuel along the BDR-X Red Desert.  We recommend filling up in Baggs, WY before starting your ride.

This route cannot be ridden without the use of GPS tracks.  Be prepared and bring the downloadable BDR-X Red Desert Map AND your navigation device with the latest GPS tracks loaded. Free GPS tracks are available for download on this site. The route can also be navigated using a smartphone GPS navigational app like Gaia, Rever and others. The BDR-X Red Desert documentary film is a great source of information about the route. 

Any GPS unit capable of handling 15 track logs with a minimum of 1500 points each is suitable for use on the WYBDR. Garmin models that work best for this application are: Zumo 590/595/395/396, Montana, and 276Cx. Many other GPS units are compatible with the GPX file format, check the owner’s manual of your device for more information.  You can also import the tracks into a GPS navigational app, like Gaia GPS, but make sure you have the premium version of the app, so you can navigate via offline maps.

Cell phone service is very limited on this route so a satellite communication or tracking device is recommended for emergency situations. 

Any bike that has a license plate, can run knobby tires, has adequate suspension, can carry the gear you will need, and has enough fuel range. Most adventure or dual-sport motorcycles will be suitable for the trip.  However, if you are planning on doing the Expert sections, we recommend a mid-sized bike for this route unless you are very comfortable on a big bore bike in rough technical terrain.  Even very experienced riders on our team reported being challenged on larger bikes by some of the technical sections of the route during the filming expedition. Choose the bike that you are the most comfortable riding in challenging terrain and that you are not afraid to drop a few times.

DOT approved knobby tires are strongly recommended.  Riding this route without a least a 60/40 tire (60% dirt, 40% road) could be dangerous.

Segments of this route can be ridden two-up for those experienced in riding off-highway with a passenger and luggage. However, we strongly advise against riding the technical sections of this route two-up.

We don’t recommend leaving the route as there are private parcels adjacent to BLM lands.

Yes, there are a few gates on the BDR-X Red Desert. When you encounter gates, leave them as you found them. If they are open, leave them open and if they are closed, close them again after you pass through. If you pass by ranches, be courteous and ride respectfully. In spring and early summer there may be temporary closures when crews are repairing washout and other road hazards. If roads are closed due to wildfires, do not ride around the signs as that can put you or fire crews in danger and can get you a hefty fine. Check the BDR website for route updates before you go.

Please abide by posted road closure signs. Ignoring these signs is a sure-fire way of getting a road closed for good. That said, sometimes locals will post unofficial “road closed” signs on public roads for their own personal reasons. Additionally, land managers may not have removed a “closed” sign from a seasonal road – even though the sign right next to it clearly displays the open/closed dates. In these cases, use your best judgment – if in doubt navigate around the closed road and report it to BDR. And please remember never to engage in arguments with local land owners.

We do our best to post the most up-to-date information about the route on ridebdr.com/WYBDR.  We depend on the BDR community to inform us about route and road conditions, so if you encounter any road closures or sever conditions that are worth reporting, please contact us with the information.

There is also a dedicated WYBDR Facebook group page.  We recommend that you join the group prior to your trip to read trip reports and comments from other riders about their experience on the route. Search for: Wyoming Backcountry Discover Route (WYBDR).

Wyoming is a habitat for many animals like deer, antelope, moose and bear as well as smaller animals like coyote, porcupines, and snakes — all of which make their way to the road at some point. Be alert everywhere you go as animals can and will cross your path along the route – especially at dusk.

Antelope are known for wanting to race motorcycles, but don’t encourage them. Slow down as soon as you see animals as, for some reason, they like to cross in front of bikes instead of running away from them. Look out for wild horses when you are in open range land.  Appropriate food practices while camping is an absolute must for your safety and the animal’s safety. 

Yield to all animals whether wild, domestic, or livestock by slowing down or stopping. Many locals in rural areas keep their dogs off-leash on their property and dogs love to chase motorcycles – be cautious and considerate.

All of the roads used on the WYBDR are open to vehicles. If you do decide to drive this route you will want a 4×4 with high clearance as the route has deep puddles, large rocks, huge ruts and steep loose grades. Always stay to the right and go slow around blind corners to avoid head-on accidents with others using the roads. We recommend traveling south to north to minimize head-on traffic.

When we filmed the WYBDR documentary our support vehicle remained on major roads as much as possible. 

It is absolutely essential that you Ride Respectfully and follow the tips outlined in our Ride Respectfully campaign.  Remember, it’s up to all of you to preserve our access – we can easily lose access to many of these roads if we don’t practice proper etiquette. Always represent BDR and the ADV community in the best light.

Rating the Routes by Difficulty

We are often asked if we rate BDRs by difficulty. We don’t officially rate the difficulty level of our routes as it varies daily due to current weather, road conditions, and other unpredictable factors. Difficulty also depends on individual skill and fitness level, bike and tire selection and load carried.

Some riders find sand to be most challenging, some find mountain passes difficult. Each rider’s perception is unique.

While we can’t provide a standardized rating like ski resorts, we can provide some basic guidance on difficulty level. These groupings do not include optional harder sections and imply favorable road and weather conditions:

BDR ROUTES:

Moderate: Idaho, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast

Challenging: California North, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northeast, Oregon, Wyoming

Difficult: Arizona, California South, Utah, Washington

BDR-X ROUTES:

Moderate: PA Wilds, Texas Hill Country, Adirondacks

Challenging: Black Hills, Chattahoochee, Hells Canyon, Lost Coast

Difficult: Big Bend, Ozarks, Red Desert, Steens-Alvord

Review the FAQs for each route before your trip.

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