written by Hayden Seder

Fall is a great time for gravel riding. With hot summer days behind you, you can enjoy longer rides that take you up unpaved roads with views of mountain passes, aspen groves, flowing rivers, and the changing leaves. Ketchum has plenty of single-day and multiday rides but is also a jumping off point for accessing several longer bikepacking gravel routes that extend beyond the area.

Local Rides

Dollarhide is a popular ride for gravel bikers—it’s even a time trial route for The Big Lost (formerly Rebecca’s Private Idaho). As an out and back, it’s about 43 miles, winding through the Sawtooth National Forest along the river and giving ample opportunity for fishing and the chance to dip into Frenchman’s hot spring. You’ll grind up a 5–7% grade, reaching 9,301 feet at the Dollarhide Summit. For those wanting to explore a bit more, many do an overnight loop (or a longer day ride) of 85 miles by connecting to some double track, pavement, and bike paths that will lead you back to Ketchum. There are many campsites on the way up to the summit along the river or near the Worswick hot springs.

The Harriman Trail is a great day ride for gravel bikers, starting in Ketchum and ending 19 miles north of town at Galena Lodge. The trail follows the highway, offering beautiful views and open meadows as you gently wind through the Boulder Mountains. Grab lunch at Galena Lodge before riding back to town, making for a roundtrip of 38 miles. The trail is marked with kiosks along the way with information on the area’s history and environment.

Trail Creek Road, easily accessed from Ketchum, is a gravel road that leads to several different route options, including up Trail Creek Summit, where you can access Copper Basin Road, Corral Creek Summit, and many different variations of out and backs and loops in the area, famous for being home to The Big Lost gravel race.

West Hailey is home to several fun gravel rides, including Rock Creek to Poverty Flats, a moderate loop of about 35 miles. Head west from Hailey on Croy Creek and turn onto Rock Creek Road. About ten miles in, there will be a turn onto Poverty Flats Road, where you’ll meet a several-mile climb and then a fast descent to Glendale Rd, which then takes you to cross Highway 75 and connect with Gannett Road. Head back to Hailey from the bike path or Broadford Road.

Gravel Gear

There are numerous bike shops for you to rent or buy bikes, gear, or get your bike a tune-up. For renting gravel bikes, Sturtevant’s in Hailey and Ketchum rents them, along with e-gravel bikes, as does Elephant’s Perch in Ketchum and Trailhead Bikes in Hailey. If you’re looking for a hardtail rental, head to PK’s in Ketchum or Trailhead.

Bikepacking Routes

If longer bikepacking routes are your game, you’ll find there are several established routes and events in Southern Idaho for exploring. The Big Lost (formerly Rebecca’s Private Idaho) put Idaho’s gravel scene on the map, exploring the aforementioned areas surrounding the Trail Creek and Copper Basin area. The gravel bike race takes place every September and offers several different routes to choose from, varying in length and difficulty.

Smoke ‘n’ Fire is a 418-mile bikepacking route that starts and ends in Boise, gaining over 40,000 feet of elevation as you bike through the towns of Prairie, Pine, Featherville, Ketchum, Stanley, into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, and then through Placerville and back to Boise. This backcountry ride promises expansive views, roaring rivers, mountain peaks, and many hot spring pools, making for an epic multiday adventure on two-track, gravel, Forest Service roads, and single-track.

A new addition to Idaho’s bikepacking routes is the Golden Gravel, a long-distance bikepacking route spanning eight states—starting in Missouri and ending in Oregon. The route crosses the entire southern portion of Idaho for a total of 580 miles, overlapping with some of the aforementioned trails but giving riders the opportunity to explore small historic towns, like Arco or Blackfoot (the “Potato Capital of the World”), Craters of the Moon, and beautiful scenery. The route was designed to be accessible for riders who might want to split the route across multiple weekends or do just a day portion.