Great Divide Montana

Self Contained Immersion in Montana's Rockies
Price :
$2,549
Surface :
Duration :
11 days
Support :
Self Contained
Difficulty :
Level 4

For more than two decades, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route has fulfilled the dreams of cyclists looking for the ultimate off-road adventure!

You’ll tackle over 300 beautiful miles along the entire 3,000-mile route, which traces the spine of the Rocky Mountains from Jasper, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Beautiful Whitefish is your starting point, but your ride through the deep woods of northwest Montana with stunning views will take you to Helena, Montana’s capital city, before a return shuttle to Whitefish. Along the way, we'll stop through small Montana towns like Seeley Lake and Ovando, known for their hospitality towards cyclists.

Photos by Greg Edwards | Greg Edwards | Chuck Haney | Greg Edwards
Dates
Dates:
Jul 10 - Jul 20, 2024
Price:
$2,549
Availability:
Space still available

"Being part of a group provides a greater sense of support, empowerment and encouragement to allow me to tackle rides I would not do by myself."

Itinerary

Day 1. Whitefish, Montana, 0 miles

We'll meet in the late afternoon for our orientation meeting before eating dinner together. You'll find this a great opportunity to prepare your gear, meet your fellow riders, and share the excitement of the journey ahead. We will head to bed under the starry sky, ready to head out early in the morning for our Montana Great Divide adventure. If you arrive early, there are great trails located in Whitefish at our start location.

Day 2. Whitefish to Big Fork, 45 miles

We'll ease into our great adventure, following roads winding through a civilized countryside that will become a rarity on our tour. We'll venture our way to the small, artistic community of Bigfork, nestled at the mouth of the Swan River on the northeastern shores of massive Flathead Lake. The mostly paved day will help us get our legs under us as we get ready for the climbing and dirt roads ahead.

Day 3. Bigfork to Swan Lake, 31 miles

With a slightly shorter ride today, there is plenty of time to get off the bike and explore. We'll make our way from Flathead Lake and head up, over, and down to Swan Lake. Our first climb is the longest, but it is followed by an unforgettable downhill. Much smaller than Flathead Lake, Swan Lake provides opportunities for solitude. Not far from the lake are opportunities to get out on foot and explore some hiking trails.

Day 4. Swan Lake to Condon, 41 miles

Most of our day will be spent on Forest Service dirt roads full of great climbs and thrilling descents. These rolling and primitive dirt roads are squeezed majestically between the base of the stunning Mission Mountains and State Highway 83, with fantastic views all around. We'll end our day in Condon, and if you're feeling up for it, opportunities to ride or hike to the Holland Lake Falls.

Day 5. Condon to Seeley Lake, 35 miles

Today features some spectacular climbing and a thrilling descent as we work our way to the high point of our tour just over 6,600 feet. We'll also get the opportunity today to ride some fun singletrack, a great change of pace. About halfway into the ride, there's the option of stashing your bike in the woods and hiking a half mile to hidden Clearwater Lake, a sparkling gem that's perfect for a bracing dip. From the day's high point, it's almost all downhill to our overnight in Seeley Lake, which is a great place for our layover day tomorrow!

Day 6. Seeley Lake, 0 miles. Layover day

This small Montana town tucked into the banks of sparkling Seeley Lake is a perfect place for golfing, canoeing on the Clearwater River or Seeley Lake, hanging out on the beach, walking around town, riding the snow-free paths of the Seeley Creek Nordic Trails, or hiking the Morrell Falls National Historic Trail. Did we mention the outstanding ice cream scooped up at the ever-popular Stage Station? With so much to do here, you may not have time to do it all!

Day 7. Seeley Lake to Coopers Lake, 48 miles

Today will be a great day on the bike as we wind and climb Forest Service roads, then get some spectacular descents. We'll pass through the hamlet of Ovando just past our halfway point of the day, and have the opportunity to stop and explore the small town which welcomes traveling cyclists with open arms.

Day 8. Coopers Lake to Lincoln, 24 miles

A relatively short ride today, we'll start the day by cresting scenic Huckleberry Pass, then enjoy a great downhill and a nice cruise into the town of Lincoln, named for the president by gold seekers who rushed into the area during the 1860s.

Day 9. Lincoln to Marysville, 24 miles

While today's ride is again on the shorter side, we have a fair amount of climbing to tackle today as we make our way up and over the Continental Divide, just over 6,800 feet above sea level! A quick side trip at the top brings you to the Granite Butte Lookout Tower for fantastic views of the surrounding area. From the top, we'll work our way downhill to fantastic cyclist-only overnight with people who support many riders each year as they cycle the Great Divide.

Day 10. Marysville to Helena, 39 miles

Our last day of the tour brings us into Helena, the capital city of Montana. Helena is a great town to explore and our biggest glimpse of civilization since we left Whitefish 10 days ago. We'll celebrate together tonight with a meal out on the town, reminiscing about the great adventure we had together.

Day 11. Helena to Whitefish Shuttle, 0 miles

After breakfast, we'll load up on our shuttle back to Whitefish, ending our adventure where we started. During the ride, we'll be able to pass some areas we traveled and share stories about our great adventure together.

Route

Additional Details
Start Location:
Whitefish, MT
End Location:
Whitefish, MT
Airport:
Glacier Park Intl. (FCA)
Total Days:
11
Riding Days:
8
Layover Days:
3
Riders:
13
Miles:
343
Average Daily Mileage:
42.9
Accommodations:
Camping
Meals:
Shared cooking
Difficulty:
Level 4
Technical Difficulty:
Moderate to Difficult
Terrain:
Mountainous
Elevation Alert:
High Point: 6,627'
Restricted Bike Type:
Road/Cyclocross, Trike, eBike, eTrike, Hybrid

Know before you go

Bike Shop Info:

Glacier Cyclery in Whitefish, Montana, can provide a rental bicycle for your tour. RESERVATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED, especially during the peak rental season of July–August. Glacier Cyclery has a wide variety of bikes for rent, including full suspension and hardtail mountain bikes, touring road bikes, and fat bikes. Touring bikes come equipped with a rear rack. If you request it at the time of reservation, Glacier Cyclery can install a rear rack on one of their hardtail mountain bikes.

Contact Glacier Cyclery for more information:

Glacier Cyclery, 406.862.6446, glaciercyclery.com

Startpoint Info:

This tour will start and end at The Whitefish Bike Retreat in Whitefish, MT, and group reservations have already been made for the first day of this tour. Whitefish can be a high-demand area. If you are arriving before the first day of the tour or would like to stay on the last day of the tour, the Whitefish Bike Retreat has camping and indoor options available. You can make a reservation directly with the Whitefish bike retreat online.