What happens when you blend backpacking, biking, and camping? Aside from a whole ‘lotta fun, it’s a popular sport known as bikepacking.

With bikepacking booming in Bend, the activity joins sports like skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, trail running, climbing, river surfing, and stand-up paddling as quintessential Bend adventures. Looking to load up your bike for an off-road camping adventure? Here’s what you should know about bikepacking around Bend and Central Oregon.

Getting started in bikepacking

The beauty of bikepacking is that it can be as simple or complex as you want. If you’re just testing the waters, use that old hardtail mountain bike and plot out a destination you can arrive at in half a day. Looking to rent a gravel bike while you’re in Bend? Sunnyside Sports and Pine Mountain Sports both have great gravel options along with their mountain bike and road selections. Also, check out Gear Fix, a used gear paradise that has a fantastic array of new and used bikepacking equipment beyond bikes — though they have those, too. Think frame bags, seat-post bags, rollup handlebar bags, lightweight sleeping bags and tents, and best of all, the most extensive dirtbag bike knowledge in all of town to help you MacGyver your bikepacking setup. 

Get info at local bike shops

Speaking of local shops, before you plan any Central Oregon bikepacking adventure, whether you need gear or not, swing by your bike shop of choice for the most up-to-date lay of the land. The aforementioned Sunnyside Sports, Pine Mountain Sports, Gear Fix, and REI—where they have a fantastic map section that’s a great place to plot routes—are all home to various trail experts. Trail and road closures, condition reports, mosquitoes, crowds, snow, water availability—our local shops are the best way to find out about what’s riding well and what feels like the Hell of the North.

Route finding

As bikepacking has surged in popularity in recent years, so have the resources for finding routes for all abilities and experience levels. Here’s a few of our favorites:

• Dirty Freehub: Part-time Bend residents who have created one of the most extensive gravel riding sites in the country. Dirty Freehub is a great way to start planning a trip by browsing their routes and connecting them with nearby campgrounds and/or dispersed camping sites. 

• Bikepacking.com – Specific bikepacking site that features 13 Oregon routes, everything from a 52-mile, one-night camping route to the nearly 700-mile Timber Trail that has a suggested trail time of 25 days. 

• Bend Trails – Bend’s singletrack bible which will make any bikepacking trip a little more memorable. Most of lower Phil’s is rideable on a gravel/bikepacking bike, as is Sisters’ Peterson Ridge network. 

Looking for some quick suggestions? Here’s some of our favorite rides based on skill level.

Beginner

Bend to Cold Springs Campground outside of Sisters: Combine parts of two local favorite gravel rides —the Twin Bridges Gravel route and Sisters Coffee run—to take gravel the backway to Sisters and head west another four miles to Cold Springs Campground for a smooth but unpaved trip under 50 miles, one way. Sisters has plenty of food options and the campground has water, so you don’t even need to pack a dinner or breakfast. This route takes you over the oldest bridge and dam in Deschutes County and incorporates spectacular views of the Cascade range to the west. A great intro into bikepacking. 

Intermediate

Former Ochoco Roubaix route: Starting and ending in Prineville, this 120-mile loop is an 8,700-foot adventure into some of the best riding in the Ochoco Mountains. Most enjoyable as a two-night, three-day trip – though some maniacs have been known to do it all in one giant day – this clockwise route is highlighted by the Mill Creek Wilderness, Walton Lake, and Big Summit Prairie. 

Advanced

Oregon Outback. The route that made us fall ass-over-handlebars in love with bikepacking, this 365-mile adventure traverses most of the state, starting in Klamath Falls and ending at the Columbia River. You’ll see some of Oregon’s best-kept secrets, including Fort Rock, the Cowboy Dinner Tree, the Crooked River, Ashwood, the confluence of the Deschutes and Columbia, and more. Take at least four days—we did it in six—and (re)discover this beautiful state. 

Lessons we learned the hard way

• If you’re going to be doing a lot bikepacking, get your bike fitted. When you’re in the saddle for extended periods of time, especially with lots of equipment, you want to make sure you’re not putting undue or unnecessary pressure on your joints. Nothing kills a trip quicker than an achy knee, ankle, or back because you’re not set up on your bike correctly. It’s not something you’ll notice on a two-hour mountain bike ride, but it’s impossible to ignore when you’re in the saddle for eight hours climbing in the Ochoco Mountains. 
• Master the art of packing. It sounds so simple, but make sure all your gear fits before you actually go out on your ride. Check that your bags don’t rattle, that you’re not putting too much weight on stress points, and that you can actually ride with your gear on something other than pavement. 
• Do your research and call ahead to check out services. Make sure that rural gas station is actually still open (or open when you’re counting on fresh water or a pick-me-up microwave burrito). Also, carry a bit of cash or make sure they take credit or debit cards. 
• Maybe most importantly, know where your water stops are and always bring a water-filtration system. Again, chat with local shops on if expected water refill stops will actually have water. Especially later in the summer and early fall, some creeks and rivers you’re counting on to fill up your water bladder could be dry. Lean on local knowledge as much as possible.