Hey everyone, to give a little background, I plan on going on a 2+ month trip, mainly around the western side of the United States. I am not under a stringent time frame, but I am trying to keep it under 3 months at most if things work out that way. I reside outside of Chicago, IL, and have just recently gotten into "overlanding." I have done various trips around the Midwest on dual sports for a couple of weeks, so I am familiar with boondocking and what it takes to be on the road for extended periods of time. Although being in a car, I am hoping it will be much more comfortable than what I'm used to. Especially with being able to carry many more luxuries such as a fridge, full bed etc.
I plan on leaving sometime in early May of this year. Being from a dual-sport background, I am familiar with BDR's and am hoping to complete as many as I can, as I believe following these pre-mapped trails will be easier and less time-consuming than actively looking for new trails and picking routes. Along with having the convenience of gas stops and laundry mats mapped out, etc. With that being said, I am not opposed to going off the route to see other things that I may find interesting. I also understand that these routes are "living" routes and constantly change due to weather or other circumstances.
Some of the BDR's that I would like to complete or at least partially follow include the Southern California BDR, the new Northern California BDR, the Oregon BDR, a portion of the Washington BDR, and then finally heading towards Colorado, where the trip would most likely conclude.
With that being said, starting from Chicago, IL, my thinking so far is to start by going south, as many of the routes I intended on taking up north from my understanding will still be snow-packed. My goal is to end up somewhere near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I intend to complete trails such as the Sandstone Canyon Trail and whatever I find interesting in the area. From there, I will follow the Southern California BDR. My only concern is the heat in the desert in May. At the end of the BDR, I would end up in Benton, California.
(The Southern California BDR is the orange one)
My question for this portion is, in between my travels from Chicago to SCA, are there any must-sees? Is there anything I should be aware of when traveling here in early May?
After finishing the Southern California section, I would go to Mammoth Lakes, CA, to begin the Northern California BDR. Ultimately, ending up in Lakeview, OR. My only concern is that being a newer route that they have posted, there is not much information about how doable it is in a 4x4. Is anyone familiar with any of these sections and able to give me some pointers? On another note, when showing this route to many people, they are mostly shocked that I am not near the coast. Am I missing out on anything by not visiting the northern coast of California?
From there, I intend to begin the Oregon BDR. This particular route, I believe, will be one that I might not be able to fully complete due to some of the higher elevations in Hart Mountain. After that, I plan to explore the Washington BDR and leave somewhere near Section 2 in order to explore the Olympic National Park. Once satisfied, I am hoping to continue on the Washington BDR up to the Cascade Mountains, which I hope will mostly be open. By this portion of the trip, it would be most likely near the end of June, so I am going to stay optimistic.
I would begin making my way over to Colorado, where I intend to spend any time I have left. I have various trails and landmarks that I'd like to see, time permitting. What are places that I should stop along the way from Washington to Colorado? I intend on driving through the Tetons as it has been my favorite National Park that I have been to so far.
As of now, this is my general plan; it might even be overly ambitious as there is a lot to see and take in, and even 3 months does not feel like it might be enough. I also understand that most of these trails have "expert sections." When it comes to those, I will avoid them and go for the alternatives, as I am not trying to push my luck. For the past few months, I have been preparing my rig for this extensive trip (hopefully it makes it) and collecting the right gear. Although I am simply excited to start this journey!
If anyone here has any suggestions or any tips based on your own experiences in any of these areas or even better completing some of these BDRs. I'm all ears!
I plan on leaving sometime in early May of this year. Being from a dual-sport background, I am familiar with BDR's and am hoping to complete as many as I can, as I believe following these pre-mapped trails will be easier and less time-consuming than actively looking for new trails and picking routes. Along with having the convenience of gas stops and laundry mats mapped out, etc. With that being said, I am not opposed to going off the route to see other things that I may find interesting. I also understand that these routes are "living" routes and constantly change due to weather or other circumstances.
Some of the BDR's that I would like to complete or at least partially follow include the Southern California BDR, the new Northern California BDR, the Oregon BDR, a portion of the Washington BDR, and then finally heading towards Colorado, where the trip would most likely conclude.
With that being said, starting from Chicago, IL, my thinking so far is to start by going south, as many of the routes I intended on taking up north from my understanding will still be snow-packed. My goal is to end up somewhere near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I intend to complete trails such as the Sandstone Canyon Trail and whatever I find interesting in the area. From there, I will follow the Southern California BDR. My only concern is the heat in the desert in May. At the end of the BDR, I would end up in Benton, California.
(The Southern California BDR is the orange one)
My question for this portion is, in between my travels from Chicago to SCA, are there any must-sees? Is there anything I should be aware of when traveling here in early May?
After finishing the Southern California section, I would go to Mammoth Lakes, CA, to begin the Northern California BDR. Ultimately, ending up in Lakeview, OR. My only concern is that being a newer route that they have posted, there is not much information about how doable it is in a 4x4. Is anyone familiar with any of these sections and able to give me some pointers? On another note, when showing this route to many people, they are mostly shocked that I am not near the coast. Am I missing out on anything by not visiting the northern coast of California?
From there, I intend to begin the Oregon BDR. This particular route, I believe, will be one that I might not be able to fully complete due to some of the higher elevations in Hart Mountain. After that, I plan to explore the Washington BDR and leave somewhere near Section 2 in order to explore the Olympic National Park. Once satisfied, I am hoping to continue on the Washington BDR up to the Cascade Mountains, which I hope will mostly be open. By this portion of the trip, it would be most likely near the end of June, so I am going to stay optimistic.
I would begin making my way over to Colorado, where I intend to spend any time I have left. I have various trails and landmarks that I'd like to see, time permitting. What are places that I should stop along the way from Washington to Colorado? I intend on driving through the Tetons as it has been my favorite National Park that I have been to so far.
As of now, this is my general plan; it might even be overly ambitious as there is a lot to see and take in, and even 3 months does not feel like it might be enough. I also understand that most of these trails have "expert sections." When it comes to those, I will avoid them and go for the alternatives, as I am not trying to push my luck. For the past few months, I have been preparing my rig for this extensive trip (hopefully it makes it) and collecting the right gear. Although I am simply excited to start this journey!
If anyone here has any suggestions or any tips based on your own experiences in any of these areas or even better completing some of these BDRs. I'm all ears!
