With 11 trans-state and regional routes under their belt, Backcountry Discovery Routes is now releasing the Red Desert BDR-X, the first in the series of a new concept consisting of shorter BDR-style routes that loop.

BDR-X routes will be developed as excursions of existing BDR routes or routes in an entirely new area. These shorter tracks will be 200-500 miles in length, take only a few days to complete, and conveniently loop riders back to wherever they started the route. A number of BDR-X routes are already in the works, including the PA Wilds BDR-X, set for release in early Fall; the Steens Mountain & Alvord Desert, OR BDR-X and the Black Hills, SD BDR-X planned for release in 2023.

Red Desert BDR-X

This first route in the BDR-X series shares the same starting point as the recently-released WYBDR and offers a sampling of Wyoming’s diverse terrain from the vast region known as the Red Desert. The loop is 149 miles long when starting and ending in the town of Baggs. The route can be completed in one long day or broken-up into two. Dispersed camping is available mid-way through the route.

Although it is ‘lesser-known’ as a travel destination, the Red Desert offers “National Park” quality scenery and technical riding. This area is one of the last high-desert ecosystems in North America, and the home to Killpecker Sand Dunes, the largest living dune system in the United States. The fun and technical loop will lead riders through buttes, dunes, sagebrush steppe, mountains and rocky pinnacles.   

The BDR recommends riding the loop in a clockwise direction which puts the most difficult sections near the start of the ride in case you find the technical areas overwhelming and you need to turn around. “This way you’ll have a shorter distance to backtrack and a lower risk of running out of fuel,” explains the non-profit organization.

Route Tracks, Maps and More

The free trip-planning resources for BDR-X’s are similar to that of traditional routes and include an interactive map, free GPS tracks download, a short documentary film, a printable map, travel resources, and FAQs.

You can now view the short documentary film of the Red Desert BDR-X Expedition and find free GPS tracks and trip planning resources at RideBDR.com/RedDesert.

Photography by Simon Cudby.