Montana Gravel
An off-the-beaten-path mountain adventure
Discover the less-traveled, scenic roads of Big Sky Country.
Ready for an epic backcountry gravel adventure? Join us in Montana, where we’ll show you our favorite routes based on 20 years of pedaling around Big Sky Country. Our home base for the week is the Cliff Ranch in Ovando, just 45 minutes away from downtown Missoula. We’ll ride on primarily smooth, double-track dirt roads in search of that famous champagne gravel. We’ll plunge down fun mountain descents and muscle up challenging climbs along the way. This camp includes riding sections of the Great Divide, an over-3,000-mile route that stretches from Canada to Mexico. Expect stunning scenery, serene roads and perfectly cool riding conditions. To top it all off, a Cycling House chef will prepare you a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Highlights
- Five days of guided, supported gravel rides in Montana’s backcountry
- Accommodations at the charming 3,500 acre Cliff Ranch on the edge of the Blackfoot River.
- Chef-prepared, daily meals featuring local Montana produce
- Variety of off-pavement routes, including rides on the Great Divide bike route
- Idyllic riding conditions on quiet, scenic roads
Food
We prepare delicious meals specifically for endurance athletes, with an emphasis on lean proteins, leafy greens, root veggies and plenty of flavorful side dishes. We work directly with the local community to source regional ingredients whenever possible, which our chefs use to create diverse, interesting dishes inspired from around the world. You can count on us to take care of breakfast, lunch and dinner. We are sure to accommodate all dietary preferences and restrictions.
Accommodations
Nestled in the heart of the Blackfoot River Valley just 1 hour away from Missoula, the historic Cliff Ranch is the home base for our adventure on two wheels. Enjoy waking up to picturesque mountain and forest views as we take off on our daily rides.
As Featured In
ITINERARY
Welcome to Montana!
Riders arrive in Montana, and we’ll shuttle to our home base for the week: the Cliff Ranch. Our mechanics will get to work on fitting riders to rental bikes or building riders’ personal bikes, then we’ll head out on a welcome spin before the trip briefing and dinner.
Today’s Ride:
Arrival day ride: Shorter: 22 miles & 1,100′
Ride the Divide
We start the morning out with a 45-minute shuttle to Seeley Lake. The ride traverses the Seeley Swan Valley on the Great Divide bike route offering spectacular views of the Mission and Swan Mountains. We will have an optional 7 miles of single-track along the Swan Crest Trail, many Great Divide riders call this the most scenic portion of their 2,600-mile journey from Canada to Mexico. All the options offer spectacular views on some of Montana’s finest backroads.
Today’s Ride:
Ride the Divide (No Single-track): 37-54 miles & 3,000-3,400′
Ride the Divide (Includes Singletrack: 52 Miles & 4,700′
Ride the Divide Epic (Includes Single-track): 70 miles & 5,100′
Big Sky Country Loop
We start our morning with a short 20-minute shuttle to Ovando. The ride will take us into the Blackfoot Valley and meander on beautiful gravel roads with views that make you realize why they call it Big Sky Country.
Today’s Ride:
Big Sky Country Loop: 42 miles & 1,300′
Ovando Loop
We aim to find that perfect champagne gravel, and riding in Ovando is our go-to spot for these adventures. Today we’ll tackle a loop route to Ovando (population: 50), a remote historical site on the Lewis and Clark Trail. It’s also home to the scenic Blackfoot River, the inspiration for the movie A River Runs Through It.
The last aide station has an optional Out & Back to McCabe Trailhead with beautiful views. +8 Miles & 900′.
Today’s Ride:
Ovando Loop: 42-50 miles & 3,000′-4,000′
Shorter Option: 36 miles & 2,000′
Nevada Ogden Mountain
Our final day takes us on a beautiful point-to-point ride through the Nevada Ogden Valley towards Helmville. The climb up Nevada Ogden Mountain is well worth it; we are rewarded with a fun and fast final descent. We finish up with a picnic lunch on the Blackfoot River before shuttling home.
Today’s Ride:
Nevada Ogden Mountain: 41 miles & 2,800′
Departure Day
After breakfast and morning coffee, you can enjoy a travel/rest day to absorb an amazing week of epic gravel riding. We’ll shuttle back to Missoula after breaking down and packing bikes.
Today’s Plan:
Checkout and shuttle back to Missoula.
DATES & PRICES
- Jun 4 - 9 $3,975 / Person
- Sep 2 - 7 $3,975 / Person
- Sep 9 - 14 $3,975 / Person
- Sep 16 - 21 $3,975 / Person
DETAILS
What’s Included
- 5 nights/6 days accommodations
- Transfers to/from Missoula, MT
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Bike build and breakdown
- Professional cycling guides
- Vehicle sag support
- Ride nutrition products
- Tools available to use
- High-quality ride photos
What’s Not Included
- Airfare
- Single occupancy rate
- Bike rentals
- Café stops
- Gratuity for guides
- Personal shopping
Optional Activities
- Core/stretching sessions
- Trail runs or hikes
- Fly Fishing +$
- Swimming in the rivers and lakes
- Horseback Riding +$
Questions?
BIKE OPTIONS
Rent A Bike
Traveling through the airport with a bike—and paying for it to fly—is not everyone’s idea of a fun way to start a vacation. Fortunately, we offer high-quality, full carbon bikes on all of our trips across the United States and Europe. Want to just show up and ride? Just bring your shoes, pedals, helmet, and saddle (if you want), and rent one of ours.
Bring Your Own
Your bike is yours—we get it. Bringing your own bike has obvious advantages in terms of individual comfort. Before your trip, we suggest getting a tune-up at your local bike shop so it’s ready to roll for your week of riding. Once you arrive, we’ll be sure to have our mechanics build it and help with any necessary tweaks. Check out some helpful resources here:
Skip The Bike
If you or your travel partner want to enjoy the trip and explore a new destination without a bike, drop us a line and we’ll discuss options. Some trips are better suited for non-rider participants than others.
TRIP TEAM
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