Great Parks Bicycle Route
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The Great Parks Bicycle Route is a 2455 mile (3951 km) bicycle touring route that extends from Jasper, Alberta, to Durango, Colorado. The route passes through Jasper National Park, Banff National Park, Kootenay National Park, and Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. Crossing into the United States, the route passes through Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and Mesa Verde National Park before arriving in Durango.
The Great Parks Bicycle Route was created and mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association, an organization that promotes long-distance bicycle touring.
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[edit] Great Parks North
Even in July, cyclists must be prepared for cold nights and occasional snow in the higher elevations during storms. The Canadian parks, with their wide road shoulders, provide good cycling conditions, though motorist traffic during the tourist season is heavy. Towns outside the parks, such as Fernie, British Columbia, offer information and ample opportunities for off-road cycling. There are many opportunities for side trips for natural and geological sightseeing, which include aerial trams, hiking onto glaciers, and whitewater rafting. Riders should allow extra time beyond bicycling for this route. This route can be ridden from early summer to mid-fall. Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is usually closed until early June. Note that snow can occur at any time during the summer in the Rocky Mountains. Due to changing local conditions, it is difficult to predict any major wind patterns.
The route begins in Jasper, Alberta, a busy tourist center in the heart of Jasper National Park, one of the five Canadian Parks the route traverses. The route passes glacial lakes, waterfalls, steep mountains covered with glaciers, and a tremendous variety of wildlife. After 230 miles, the route leaves Kootenay National Park and descends into the town of Radium Hot Springs. From Radium Hot Springs southward to Elko, the western side of the Rockies offers gentler cycling following the Columbia and Kootenay river systems. At Elko, the route turns east over the Continental Divide through a series of small mining communities. The prairies begin on the eastern slope and riders traverse the foothills through Waterton Lakes National Park. The border crossing into the United States at Chief Mountain is only open from mid-May through mid-September. From there, the route enters Glacier National Park, crossing the Divide back to the western side on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The western segment of Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed to bicyclists after roughly 11:30 AM due to heavy tourist traffic, so riders must plan their day to complete this traverse. Park rangers can provide guidance to cyclists. There are no major climbs or descents after leaving the park, and the route mainly follows river valleys bracketed by mountain ranges all the way into Missoula, Montana.
[edit] Terrain
The northern portion of the route is a series of climbs/descents over passes into various river valleys. In the south, the route stays in the valleys and experiences a more rolling terrain. The route crosses the Continental Divide three times.
[edit] Logistics
To begin this route, Jasper can be reached by VIA Rail from Vancouver, British Columbia or Edmonton, Alberta. Along its entire length, small towns at regular intervals provide ample services, but camping or lodging planning is required due to crowded tourist conditions, especially in the Canadian Park System and in Glacier National Park. Reservations at both hostels and campgrounds are recommended. For off-road bicycling and primitive camping, a water purifier is necessary.
[edit] Great Parks South
The route traverses a continuous setting of mountain scenery, national forests, parks, monuments, and many climbs and descents over passes. Off-road mountain-biking opportunities abound at the various ski areas along the route, which offer singletrack riding on quiet forest trails, serviced by tourist villages. This route can be ridden from early summer to mid-fall. Trail Ridge Road is closed between October and June. Note that snow can occur at any time during the summer in the Rocky Mountains. Due to changing local conditions, it is difficult to predict any major wind patterns. Altitude sickness can slow some riders, so preparation for the high altitude is important. Arriving early a few days before beginning a trip is a good way to acclimate. It is important to stay well-hydrated at altitude.
The route begins in northern Colorado in the ski town of Steamboat Springs. After a difficult climb out of Steamboat Springs to Rabbit Ears Pass, the route passes through open grazing land and national forest lands heading into Kremmling, Colorado. There is heavy summer tourist activity from Hot Sulpher Springs to Granby, the southern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Traffic is heavy throughout the park, and the terrain is extreme. From Estes Park to Georgetown, this area is a tourist destination for not only Denver and surrounding communities on the Front Range but also much of the nation. Communities from Keystone to Breckenridge have become major year-round tourist destinations, and so experience traffic and recreational vehicles. South of Fairplay, the route becomes more rural and traverses the high, open land of South Park. After crossing Trout Creek Pass, the route drops into the Arkansas River Valley near Buena Vista. The western slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is old mining country, from Salida all the way into Durango. Around Dolores, the mountains give way to the dry, open Four Corners region, highlighted by Mesa Verde National Park. Durango, Colorado is the southern terminus of the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the only remaining regularly scheduled narrow-gauge passenger train in the United States.
[edit] Terrain
This route crosses eleven mountain passes, and six of these are over the Continental Divide. The highest point is at 12,183 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. The route follows a few river valleys, but for the most part it is either climbing or decending.
[edit] Logistics
In Colorado, high-altitude services from campground water to grocery stores can shut down early in the autumn depending on weather. A water purifier is recommended. Due to high levels of tourist activity in the summer, reservations for accommodations and campgrounds are recommended.
