Trip Report: Cathedral Valley Bikepacking Route

We chose to make this voyage in early November of 2023. I consider fall and spring to be the best times for this ride as the summers are hot with limited shade, and the winter nights can be brutally cold with the campsite being above 7,000 ft in elevation. In terms of gear, my fellow lads and I were pedaling on gravel bikes with rigid forks. The trip was very pleasurable, but suspension would have made pushing through washboards and deep sand much, much easier. Be prepared to hike your bike frequently, as deep sand pits can appear often (some pits being longer than others). This route is encouraged for beginner and experienced bikepackers as long as you’re okay with hopping on and off the bike. Do not let this deter you, as there are still so many miles of prime gravel to rip without having to dismantle the saddle. There is only one spot to draw water, and it’s less than 10 miles into the trip. With that being said, plan to stash water near Cathedral Valley Campground, or carry PLENTY of water! We each had about 9 liters attached to our bikes and it was sufficient with appropriate budgeting. The coordinates 38.33719, -111.02676 mark the beginning and the end of the loop. This is BLM land right outside Caineville, UT. You’re welcome to bike counter-clockwise; however, we decided to approach it clockwise since it’s the direction most commonly traveled. Choosing clockwise also makes the first day about 40 miles long with about 2,500 ft of elevation gain. The second day is the “victory lap” with about 35 miles and 2,500 ft of downhill.
Day One Our trip began with a highway warmup, shortly followed by a mild river crossing (depending on the time of year). Don’t be scared to get your feet wet by rolling up your pant legs and walking your bike across the stream. You’ll have plenty of time to dry off, trust me!


Day Two Because the campsite is at the highest elevation on the entire route, the views were astronomical. Make sure to wake up with the sun and warm yourself up with a nice cup of joe (if you’re into that kinda thing). Knowing the rest of the trip is mostly downhill brought a lot of joy to our squad. The second day begins with a fairly steep and chunky descent into the cathedral valley you were once overlooking. Don’t be scared to take it slow, but also savor the moment because it’s not long before you plunge into the sandy pits in the valley that I mentioned earlier.


It should be noted that I am not the developer of this route. This loop is common for backcountry vehicles, but most recently became publicly developed as a bike route as well. Before riding, I gathered my research from Bikepacking.com and through the “Utah Gravel Grinders” Facebook group page. I am writing this blog for two reasons: to share my experience on the route as a beginner-moderate bike packer, and to inspire others to send it on one the best bikepacking weekend warrior experiences to be had in the state of Utah. The gpx file I uploaded is one that I created personally on Gaia; however, I created it as a mirror from the one I found on Bikepacking.com.