The new year is off and running, and as travel slowly becomes more accessible, cyclists who have been stuck exploring closer to home are ready to hit the trails somewhere new. Bike lovers looking to venture further from home this year are in luck, with many resorts including new and improved bike programming as travelers’ interests shift to the outdoors and connecting with the world around them.
Here are several destinations encompassing diverse bike programming and surrounded by beautiful landscapes to make for some of the best trips for bicycle lovers in 2021. Whether you prefer a desert ride or heli-biking in the Alaska backcountry, these locations recommended by BikingBro.com have something for every level of rider—there has never been a better time to hit the trails!
Within the Wild
The Alaska adventure company, comprised of Winterlake Lodge and Tutka Bay Lodge, offers backcountry biking adventures for everyone from expert riders to novice explorers. Taking advantage of the incredible uniqueness of the surrounding landscape, both lodges have designed their biking excursions to showcase the diverse and boundless biking opportunities only Alaska has to offer. Experiences vary from winter to summer, and guests can explore untouched mountain ranges, beach and tide rides, and glacier and high alpine tundra, with every level of riding imaginable from a leisurely tundra cruise to white knuckle gravity-fueled runs. Once in a lifetime locations include fat tire biking down the Iditarod trail and heli-biking on the region's active volcanic islands.
Enchantment Resort
Sedona’s premier ride-in, ride-out resort for mountain biking, hiking, and outdoor adventure, recently debuted its new adventure center Trail House. Designed by Gluckman Tang Architects, Trail House is an epicenter for outdoor adventure, exploration and learning, and serves as the gathering point for resort guests interested in active exploration — through mountain biking or hiking — of the nearly 400 miles of trails and red rock vistas that are unique to Sedona. Expert guides outfit guests and lead them on a wide variety of mountain biking excursions for all levels, and private lessons and adventures are also available. With a previously existing path running directly through the building, Trail House acts as both a destination and a point of interest along the trail. The centerpiece of Trail House is the Map Room, a space dedicated to introducing guests to the region’s dramatic trails and geology, diverse flora and fauna, and Native American culture and history. The room features a twelve-foot video wall, a 3D topographic map table and a wall map that highlights more than fifty trails to explore nearby.
The Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort
Amidst the resort’s 10,500 acres in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, there are miles of scenic cycling trails that wind through the mountains and along streams. With multiple trails on the property, the resort has options for all cyclists from beginners to advanced. Examples of routes include a 32-mile trip up Figueroa Mountain Road that climbs to an elevation of 3,200 feet overlooking vineyards and ranches—the same route a few world-renowned cyclists have taken while doing Tour de France training. Or the route of one of the Amgen Tour’s time trials—a 13-mile loop with stunning rolling hills and a lake along the way. Bike rentals are available through the resort, as are guided cycling tours. The Alisal also offers cyclists packed lunches from their renowned culinary program.
Cuyama Buckhorn
Nestled at the border of Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Kern, and Santa Barbara counties in the heart of California's high desert, guests have access to a wide array of recreational activities with breathtaking views across the valley’s wide-open spaces. Guests can mountain bike along designated trails in Los Pardes National Forest, including Ballinger Canyon and Aliso Canyon. The property offers picnic packs which can be taken on rides, allowing guests to spend their full day out in nature.
