BDR-X ROUTES

In 2022, BDR introduced a new route format. The BDR-X is a shorter, loop-style route designed for riders who are looking for a true BDR experience, but ridable in a more condensed timeframe.

BDR-Xs are stand-alone routes that highlight the best riding in areas that may not lend themselves to a full BDR route, or are worthy extensions off of an existing route. These loops are ideal for long weekend adventures as they can be typically be completed in 3-5 days.

While not formally rated, BDR provides basic guidance on route difficulty of our main sections during favorable road and weather conditions:

BDR-X Routes Difficulty (from Harder to Easier):

Big Bend, TX  -> Red Desert, WY -> Steens/Alvord, OR ->  Chattahoochee, GA -> Black Hills, SD -> PA Wilds, PA

Link to: Big Bend Texas BDR-X

Big Bend, TX BDR-X

Set against the rugged landscape of west Texas in the largest protected portion of the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States, and within the unique backdrop of the Rio Grande river, this route stands out as a premier destination for adventurous riders seeking a remote and unforgettable journey.

Spanning 618 miles, this route weaves through the iconic terrain of Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and other remote wilderness.  Explore the untamed beauty of the Chisos Mountains, encounter hidden historical gems, experience vibrant artistic communities, and even venture into Mexico with an optional foot crossing.

Best time of year: The ideal times to ride the Big Bend area are in fall (October to November) and spring (March to April). Be mindful, the desert can still get rain storms and very cold temperatures, and the daylight hours are much shorter in winter.

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

Link to: Black Hills South Dakota BDR-X

Black Hills, SD BDR-X

The Black Hills BDR-X offers a perfect introduction to a Midwest BDR. This 355-mile loop features striking landscapes, from wide-open prairie to dense pine forests and tall aspens, divided into three distinct sections ideal for adventure.

Experience gravel and dirt roads, challenging two-track, and some of the best pavement around as you pass through historic towns in a region that shaped the West. Highlights include Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Spearfish Canyon, Cement Ridge Lookout Tower, and the Custer Wildlife Loop.

Best time of year: This route is best done late May through early October. Be aware of events in the area, including the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which fills the area with up to a million riders and can be extremely congested.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Link to: Chattahoochee Georgia BDR-X

Chattahoochee, GA BDR-X

The Chattahoochee BDR-X is a 350-mile loop featuring the best dual-sport and adventure riding in the north Georgia mountains. This route combines a collection of graded forest roads, primitive two-track, and scenic backcountry pavement under the dense canopy of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Quaint mountain towns dot the track including Ellijay, Dahlonega, Suches, and Helen, with abundant lodging and camping opportunities throughout. Riders will criss-cross the Appalachian Trail, tackle rugged climbs, carve twisty pavement, and splash through numerous creek crossings.

Best time of year: Unique to the south, the Chattahoochee BDR-X can be ridden most of the year and is best between March and December, weather permitting.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Link to: PA Wilds Pennsylvania BDR-X

PA Wilds, PA BDR-X

The PA Wilds BDR-X is a spur off the Mid-Atlantic BDR in Pennsylvania designed by one of the original architects of the MABDR. The east side of this loop includes parts of sections 7, 8 and 9 of the MABDR but then turns west into the PA Wilds before looping back to the start near Lock Haven, PA nearly 500 miles later.

Similar to the MABDR, the route runs mostly on dirt and gravel roads through Pennsylvania State Forests with short stretches of pavement at the start, in between the forests, and at the end of each section. The route is designed in 4 sections with convenient places to eat, camp or lodge overnight at the end of each section. The beauty of being a loop route is that riders can start and finish from any point along the route.

Best time of year: Most years you should be able to ride starting mid May until the first snow fall in late fall. The best time of year will be early June and September/October.

Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate

Link to: Red Desert Wyoming BDR-X

Red Desert, WY BDR-X

This BDR-X shares the same starting point as the WYBDR and offers a sampling of Wyoming’s diverse terrain from the vast region known as the Red Desert. The loop is 149 miles long when starting and ending in the town of Baggs. The route can be completed in one long day or broken-up into two. Dispersed camping is available mid-way through the route.

The Red Desert has remained lesser-known as a travel destination, but offers “National Park” quality scenery and fun riding. It is one of the last high-desert ecosystems in North America, and the home to Killpecker Sand Dunes, the largest living dune system in the United States. It is also home to the world’s largest herd of desert elk, and hosts the largest migratory herd of pronghorn in the lower 48 states. Riders will enjoy a varied landscape of buttes, dunes, sagebrush steppe, mountains, and rocky pinnacles.

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: Intermediate

Link to: Steens/Alvord Oregon BDR-X

Steens/Alvord, OR BDR-X

The BDR-X Steens Mountain & Alvord Desert is a loop off of the ORBDR Section 1 designed to showcase the striking contrast of Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert, a 5,000 feet elevation difference, in remote Southeast Oregon.

The total length is 229 miles and can be accomplished in two days.  It connects the Steens Mountain Loop Road, Moon Hill Road, Center Patrol Road in Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and the Alvord Desert.

It’s hard to find a more diverse mix of surface terrain than this loop offers. Gravel roads, rocky double-track, dike roads, overgrown dirt roads, and open desert playa are all combined to make this BDR-X unique. Starting and ending in Fields, Oregon, this clockwise loop leads to Frenchglen, Diamond, The Narrows, and Alvord Hot Springs.

Best time of year: This BDR-X can be ridden from start to finish generally from early July to the end of September. Snow in the Steens Mountains keeps this area closed to travel generally until early July. The Steens Mountain Loop Road is usually open by mid-June but sometimes opens later during heavier snow pack years. The lower roads and campgrounds often are open by the start of June.

Difficulty: Intermediate

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