Courtesy Emily Phelan

Summer is in full swing now and that means many Adventure Riders are heading for the hills in search of cooler temperatures. The Colorado Rockies are arguably the best place on the planet to get in some good riding during the summer. With their snow-capped peaks, lush green valleys and rugged mountainous terrain, the High Rockies are an adventure riding paradise.

Our friends at RawHyde Adventures have made the annual migration to their Colorado off-road training center for the summer. RawHyde Colorado is the only purpose-built adventure bike terrain park in the US, purchased and built from the ground up to offer an ideal setting to train adventure riders. And this year the facilities have doubled in size to a total of 80 acres!

This idyllically-placed ADV Encampment offers a chance to both train and explore with several popular trail systems and 14,000-ft mountain passes in close proximity.

RawHyde staff have been busy building all-new obstacles and training courses in the off-season on the expanded property. The natural landscape has been groomed and massaged to give riders a taste of all the different types of terrain (e.g. sand, rocks, hills, turns, ruts, whoops, etc.) they might experience out in the wild, but in close proximity and under the guidance of top-level instructors. Better yet, they’ve designed their new courses to be even longer so that students spend more time riding, instead of waiting in line.

Training courses are purpose-built for adventure bike riders to increase their proficiency at handling ADV Bikes in the dirt.

When we visited RawHyde California and explored those facilities a few years ago, we came away thinking it was basically Disneyland for Adventure Riders. But now we hear the new facilities in Colorado are even more expansive. And the expansion continues, RawHyde is currently in the process of constructing a massive 8,000 square foot neo-rustic lodge on the property to further enhance the comfort of this summer camp for grown ups.

RawHyde Colorado isn’t just for training though, it’s also a base camp for those that want to get out and explore some of the best trails Colorado has to offer. The property sits at 9,500 feet elevation among the aspen trees and pine forests, surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks, and is within striking distance of popular trail systems like the Continental Divide, Trans-Am Trail and Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. A couple years back we joined the RawHyde crew on their High Rockies Adventure and the riding was epic!

Accommodations at RawHyde Colorado include private wagontop tents all set up for campers.

Few places stimulate the senses quite like the Colorado Rockies, where you can breath the fresh mountain air and soak in majestic views of the surrounding mountains and forests. If you haven’t ridden there before, it’s a place you really need to visit. Classes and tours for the summer are already underway and filling up quickly. RawHyde is an official BMW training center but riders of all makes and models are welcome. You can bring your own bike or rent one from RawHyde’s fleet of 2018 BMWs ranging from the G310GS up to the R1200GSA.

For more details about RawHyde Colorado’s training, tours and facilities, check out the RawHyde Website.

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Mexico, Africa, Europe, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.