Itinerary

Day 1: Colorado National Monument and Unaweep Canyon

After a morning meeting at the meeting hotel and a quick shuttle from Grand Junction, we begin our tour with a ride start near Fruita and into Colorado National Monument.
The 23-mile route along Rim Rock Drive in Colorado National Monument follows the redrock rim nearly 2,000 feet up a series of canyons above the Rio Colorado.
After the morning tour through Colorado National Monument. A short shuttle cyclists ride along scenic byway Highway 141 into the stunning confines of Unaweep Canyon. A geologically unique canyon that cuts across the Uncompahgre Plateau.
Although smaller in scale, the experience of riding in Unaweep Canyon is akin to riding a bike through the Grand Canyon. The splendid resort of Gateway Canyons Resort in Gateway awaits us for dinner and lodging this evening.
Distance: Morning Ride – Colorado National Monument: 23-miles with up to 2,750 feet of climbing
Afternoon Ride – Unaweep Canyon to Gateway (Standard): 10 or 18-miles with 2,800-feet of descending!
Afternoon Ride – Unaweep Canyon to Gateway (More miles option): 38 miles with up to 2,775 feet of climbing

Day 2: Layover in Gateway – Unaweep Canyon Out & Back

With a layover day at the Gateway Canyons Resort, there are two ride options offered this morning. The first is to pedal 30-miles round-trip up and down Highway-141 through magnificent Unaweep Canyon to Gateway Canyon Resort’s Stables.
In the spring and after rain storms there are multiple waterfalls on the west side of the canyon. Look for a waterfall near milepost 122 and then again near milepost 132 at Fall Creek.
More miles riders will also have the option to Reach the Summit by riding a few miles past the stables to the route’s high point and turnaround point at the Unaweep Divide to extend the ride which makes for a 47-mile round trip road ride.
After the morning ride on this layover day make certain to visit the amazing auto museum in the afternoon or to lay pool side at one of the two pool complexes.
Gateway Canyons Resort is simply one of the most beautiful, luxurious, and relaxing resorts in the Western US
Standard distance: 15 or 30 miles with up to 2,370 feet of climbing
Longest distance.: 47 miles with up to 3,160 feet of climbing

Day 3: Gateway Canyons Resort to Camp V

We consider the first 25-miles of Day’s 3 ride to be the most beautiful section of road on all of our tours. The route follows the dazzling scenery of Highway 141 southward.
The first 25-miles from Gateway Canyons resort are beneath 1,500-foot Redrock Canyon walls and alongside the Rio Dolores. Many of our guests have called this section the “most beautiful ride” they have ever enjoyed.
Views of the Hanging Flume are visible from Highway 141. The flume is an engineering feat of over 100 years ago and also one of the world’s most extraordinary monuments to human greed and folly.
Its purpose was to deliver water to a placer gold mine. Construction started in 1889 and a million board feet of lumber was used. The mine went bankrupt in the early 1890s. Today travelers are awe struck at the lengths gone into the creation of this means to convey water.
The road riding is high above the Dolores River and tight against vertical sandstone walls. It is quite simply one of the most stunning roads in the country. We finish our ride near Naturita and check into our lodging at Camp V.
Distance: 44 miles with up to 2,340 feet of climbing

Day 4: The Beautiful Confluence Ride

Starting from Camp V, we ride back north on Highway 141 and end the first segment with an aid station at the San Miguel River Preserve. From here we shuttle onto a gravel road to the Hanging Flume and then to the Rio Dolores & Rio San Miguel confluence where we will have lunch, swim and afterwards continue our shuttle to Bedrock.
From Bedrock we pedal back to our luxury cabins at CampV.
Distance: Standard, 27 miles with up to 1,790 feet of climbing
Longest distance: 40 miles with up to 3,645 feet of climbing

Day 5: CampV to Paradox Pass and Onward to Moab.

After breakfast, we ride out into wide open Paradox Valley. The Paradox Valley runs northwest-southeast and measures about 3 to 5 miles wide and 25 miles long. It lies along the extreme western edge of Colorado, The La Sal Mountain Range of Utah rises in the northwest.
Our route pedals the Paradox Valley on its way from Naturita to the Utah state line, crossing the Dolores River Bridge near the small unincorporated town of Bedrock.
Elevations on this ride range valley floor range from about 5,000 feet at the Dolores River to nearly 6,000 feet at the southeast end. Steep parallel sandstone and shale walls bound the valley to the northeast and southwest.
After reaching the border of Utah near the end of Paradox Valley, we load shuttle to Moab for a two night stay. In Moab guests can engage in many activities offered in the Moab region.
If you ever wanted to go adventuring, you can on-your-own choose from the multitude of adventure options Moab offers. If you ever wanted to go hot air ballooning, bungee jumping, mountain biking, rafting, jeeping, side by side driving on Slickrock, sky diving, hot air ballooning, rock climbing, tandem base jumping and more, Moab is your place! Check out the Moab Utah Vacation Planning Website for a comprehensive list of area activities.

Day 6: Castle Valley to Bul Canyon Overlook

The ride in the desert-canyon tour turns massif (mountain) country, if just for one day, Today it offers its riders a stunning ride from the desert realms of Castle Valley to the low alpine scrub forests just below the mighty La Sal mountains. A shorter 22 mile route cuts out the first 10 miles of the route. Upon reaching the top, the view from Bull Canyon Overlook is simply awe inspiring. Make sure to check out the fossilized therapod dinosaur tracks where it seemingly appears as if they “walked off” the cliff into the canyon below.
On the return trip the descent that follows back into the stupendous scenery of Castle Valley is simply breathtaking. We drop nearly 4,400 feet to end the ride and then shuttle back to Grand Junction which concludes our tour.
Distance: Standard: 22 miles with up to 2,290 feet of climbing, more miles option: 32 miles with up to 4,530 feet of climbing

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

The Moab & The Back of Beyond

Nights 1 & 2: Gateway Canyons Resort, Gateway, Colorado.
Nights 3 & 4: CampV Luxury Cabins. Naturita, Colorado.
Night 5 & 6: Western Canyonlands Lodge, Moab, Utah.

Included:

• Exceptional Lodging.
• 6 Days of meals (aside 1 dinner), daily lunch en route, energy food, liquid refreshments. Shuttle to and from the Moab region.
• Entrance fees.
• Mechanical support and luggage transfer.

Not included:

• Night before and after the tour not included.
• Bike rental. Be sure to bring your own helmet. We have a very limited supply and will only pack them if special arrangements are made ahead of time.
• Flights to and from the trip.
• Gratuity guides.
• Alcoholic beverages

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2024: $3520.- pp .single fee $ 750.-
You can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.
Bike rental:
The Scott Addict 10. $250.-
Scott E-bike road bikes with straight bars $ 395,-
Tour dates 2025:
13 Apr – 18 Apr
20 Apr – 25 Apr
27 Apr – 02 May
04 May – 09 May
11 May – 16 May
14 Sep – 19 Sep
05 Oct – 10 Oct
12 Oct – 17 Oct
19 Oct – 24 Oct

Conditions

Deposit $950,- pp
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

How the Shuttle Works:
Our Moab & The Back of Beyond Tour offers cyclists a challenge while at the same providing easily accessible mileage options for riders of varying fitness levels and desires.  Our tour leaders offer advice and provide cyclists with profiles of each stage.  Cyclists customize their experience by reducing overall mileage and choosing to avoid or focus on climbing the big hills of any given day.

The system works through a support vehicle that jumps ahead rather then sags to set up aid stations.  This allows cyclists to linger at the back and then take a 10-mile, 15-mile or whatever mile “bump” forward to catch-up or get ahead of the group.  Many cyclists on our tours ride their first century with us and are surprised by their ability to pedal most of the miles offered.

The Daily Schedule:
Cyclists ride their own pace. Our tour operator does its best to support riders in their varying desires and efforts. Cyclists can either use our tours to simply support their tour experience or to engage in a guided experience along the route.
Q-sheets with directions, profiles and locations of aid stations are given out for each stage.

Weather and the Moab & The Back of Beyond Tour:
The bike touring experience is really about one’s attitude. In 2010, three of the Redrock Canyons Tours were run in near record heat, near record cold and “perfect weather.”  The tours that were run under extreme conditions ended up being exceptionally memorable.  It is the “war stories” that are told around the Thanksgiving table five years down the road. Bonding often occurs through adversity creating life long friendships. The weather will do what is does.

“There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.” — Old Norwegian saying

Enjoy the views minus the bustle… Minimal vehicular traffic makes these routes are a true pleasure.

Super-Natural-Geology The pure geography on this region leaves one awe-struck.  Although located in a desert region, the Moab & The Back of Beyond Tour meanders along two of the great rivers of the southwest: the Colorado and Dolores rivers.  Additionally the Moab & The Back of Beyond Tour boasts views of multiple mountain ranges including: the La Sals, Abajos, Henry and San Juan Mountains.

It is difficult to mention just a few because the Redrock desert and canyon country of Southeastern Utah and Southwestern Colorado are full of highlights…

• Arches National Park is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches including awe-inspiring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balancing rocks. Author Edward Abbey captured its beauty working as a seasonal park ranger in the 1950s in his 1968 memoir Desert Solitaire, a true classic read for Utah’s  red rock desert and canyon country. Arches is an optional ride for cyclists while in Moab.
  
• The Devils Garden Trail in the furthest reach of Arches National Park boasts some of the park’s largest arches, or more scientifically speaking, largest series of rock fins broken from the earth through erosion. Strong red rock formations they are, but they are not immortal. The Wall Arch recently collapsed in 2008.
  
  The Devils Garden Trail in the furthest reach of Arches National Park boasts some of the park’s largest arches, or more scientifically speaking, largest series of rock fins broken from the earth through erosion. Strong red rock formations they are, but they are not immortal. The Wall Arch recently collapsed in 2008.
  
• Dead Horse Point State Park (Day 2) is named so for its history as corral grounds for wild mustangs roaming the high mesas where the mesa edges which drop to deep canyons made it feasible for cowboys to pen the animals. Dead Horse Point is one of the world’s most photographed panoramas.
  
• The Manti-La Sal National Forest (Day 3 & 4) is home to the La Sal Mountains and is part of the southern most Rocky Mountains. En route across the Colorado Plateau from Santa Fe, N.M. to Los Angeles, Calif., the Spaniards named this cluster of 11,000 and 12,000-foot peaks the Sierra La Sal or “Salt Mountains”.  Mount Peale is the highest point in the range reaching 12,721 feet.
  
• The Paradox Valley (Day 5) reaches 25 miles long and five miles wide; vast is a more than apt adjective to describe this valley located on Colorado’s western edge abutting the Utah border.  The Paradox Valley is lined with 1,000-foot high red cliffs and home to range lands and sage with the exception of the more lush environs in the town of Paradox. The paradox: the Dolores River runs across the valley, not through it as nature would intend.
  
• “Most Beautiful miles ever Ridden”: Dropping out of the San Juan Mountains, the Dolores River runs to the confluence of the Colorado River near the Colorado-Utah border.  The 35-mile Dolores River Canyon section of Day 5’s ride is considered by previous guests as one of the “most beautiful” rides they have ever done.