Western States Mountain Bike Route
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The Western States Mountain Bike Route (WSMBR) is a long-distance mountain biking route in the United States that leads from Canada to Mexico over a distance of 2,640 miles, making it the longest mountain bike route in the country. The route crosses Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona, reaching elevations as low as 1,700 feet and as high as 11,200 feet above sea level. It is very rugged, climbing an estimated 185,000 vertical feet end-to-end. Highlights of the WSMBR include many National Forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, and National Parks, as well as the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Sonoran Deserts.
The route was established in 2005 by Erik Schlimmer, an adventurer, professional speaker, and author of Thru Hiker's Guide to America, with a 52-day traverse of the then-proposed route. To create the WSMBR Schlimmer incorporated sections of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Great Western Trail, Shoshone Trail, and Arizona Trail, in addition to countless other trails and roads, to form a continuous route from border-to-border suitable for mountain bike use.