Please click here to jump to Pricing within the Overview section that includes all tour details.

Great Divide Trail Tour: Highlights

Are you interested in riding the Great Divide Trail, but not free for the full 22 day tour from Steamboat to Antelope Wells?

In August of 2026, we are offering the option of riding the first portion of this route, from Steamboat, CO to Salida, CO. This section is a self-guided tour offering a taste of everything the Great Divide Trail has to offer.

What is a Self-Guided/Supported tour?
The Steamboat to Salida tour is a self-guided ride with the addition of equipment support between camps. This means that clients ride independently between campsites or lodging without a SAG support vehicle following behind them.

What Type of Bike?
Both gravel and mountain bikes can be ridden on the Great Divide Trail.

Our Great Divide Trail Tour offers the self-guided cyclists a supported adventure from Steamboat, Colorado to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. This point-to-point journey takes us from the high Rockies, across all of Colorado and New Mexico, to the US-Mexico Border in Antelope Wells, NM. Along the way we’ll wind through meadows of wildflowers high in the Rockies, soar down sweeping descents alongside babbling rivers, and discover the beauty of dozens of wilderness areas.

Lizard Head Cycling’s Great Divide Trail Tour offers camping or the addition of indoor lodging when available, delicious meals, gear movement and emergency support throughout the tour. Guests ride on their own throughout each day and meet their camping equipment in the next camping area.

The Great Divide Trail is the premier long-distance trail in North America, and for good reason!

Great Divide Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

Tour Dates

• August 23 to 28, 2026 Section 1 Only/6 Days – Steamboat, CO to Salida, CO (Book Now!) – TOUR A GO!  Only 2 spots remain. Register now!
• August 23 to September 13, 2026 Full Tour/22 Days – Sections 1, 2, & 3 – Steamboat, CO to Antelope Wells, NM (Book Now!)

Interested in an alternative tour? Consider our Colorado Trail Tour!

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should You Sign Up Now And OPEN A Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so we can commit to that date.

When you OPEN a date, you get to pick your preferred departure and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets the rider minimum. Don't wait. Just do it!

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

NOTE: In anticipation and encouragement of future tour sign-ups prior to reaching the tour minimum, the Lizard Head Cycling website may be updated to show TOUR A GO prior to actual tour confirmation. Even if the website says that the tour is a GO, please wait for your official Email Confirmation before booking non-refundable travel reservations.

Great Divide Tour: Overview

Steamboat to Salida, CO: 6 Days

Tour Length: 6-Days & 6 nights (Steamboat to Salida, CO)

Starting Town: Steamboat Springs, Colorado at the designated meeting hotel. Fly directly to Steamboat or fly to Denver, CO (DEN) and take a shuttle service to Steamboat.

Ending Town: The Steamboat to Salida Tour ends in Salida, CO & then shuttles to the airport in Gunnison, Colorado.

Driving to and from this tour: Please contact us if you’re interested in driving to/from this tour; we can help arrange a plan for parking and shuttling your car.

Total Miles: 264 miles (Steamboat to Salida)

Daily Mileage Range: 38 to 52

Ability Level: Advanced (3/4) 

Group Size: 6 to 11 (this smaller size ensures for a personalized experience)

Camping Tour Cost: $2,140- per person for camping from Steamboat to Salida.

Lodging Tour Cost: $2,990- per person for lodging options. This option includes one night of camping gear rental & five nights of shared lodging. NOTE: Limited lodging options are available for this price. Book early.

Single Supplement Lodging Cost: For a private room, add $100 per night.

Steamboat to Salida Camping Tour Includes: Campground lodging, 3 camp dinners during the tour, 4 breakfasts, 6 lunches, gear movement for 6 days, Ride w/ GPS route files, luggage support service, coolers space for your food, energy food (fruit, nuts, bars gels and drink powders) and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages are not included in tour cost.

What is a Self-Guided/Supported tour?
The Steamboat to Salida tour is a self-guided ride with the addition of equipment support between camps. This means that clients ride independently between campsites or lodging without a SAG support vehicle following behind them.

Once cyclists depart in the morning, the support staff cleans up the current site and drives directly to the next location; it does not follow the GDT route. Please note, however, that the vehicle remains available to leave camp and assist cyclists in the event of an emergency.

Steamboat to Antelope Wells, NM: 22 Days

Tour Length: Full 22 days & 21 nights (Steamboat to Antelope Wells).

Starting & Ending Town: Denver, CO and El Paso, NM.

Driving to and from this tour: Please contact us if you’re interested in driving to/from this tour; we can arrange a plan for parking and shuttling you back to your car.

Total Miles: 1,176 miles (Steamboat to Antelope Wells)

Daily Mileage Range: 35 to 60

Ability Level: Advanced (3/4) 

Group Size: 6 to 10 (this smaller size ensures an awesome, personalized experience on the trails)

Tour Cost: $6,990 per person (Steamboat to Antelope Wells)

Tour Discounts: Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page to learn more about Reptile Rewards, Tour Discounts, and Group Discounts. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions – only the highest valued discount is provided. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Steamboat to Antelope Wells Package Includes: This 22-day tour includes 3-nights indoor lodging and 19-nights of supported camping. All camping nights will be supported by LHCG’s support truck (comfortable chairs, a delicious guide-cooked meals, etc.). This tour passes through remote areas, and very small towns. As such, all accommodations are selected with an eye towards comfort and authenticity, but the exact style of accommodation and service will vary throughout the adventure. Also included are alll meals, shuttles, vehicle support, and daily gear movement.

Gravel Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott 2023 Addict 30 which is light, can handle rough terrain, fits chunky tires and has enough mounts to carry all the liquids and freeze-dried chicken curry you want. What's really important, though is what this bike allows you to do. Now, perhaps more than ever, the Addict Gravel 30 is your ticket to adventure when you need it most.

The Addict 30 features: Addict Gravel Disc HMF Carbon Gravel geometry, Shimano GRX 22 speed drivetrain, Shimano BR-RX400 hydraulic disc brakes, Schwalbe G-ONE Bite Performance 700x45C tires. Approx. Weight: 20.3 / 9.2 kg (without pedals)

☛ Learn more about our Rental Bikes and Equipment

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Rental Tent, Ground Pad and Sleeping Bag: Camping gear is also available for rental on this trip for $85-.  Our camping gear is selected to keep guests warm, dry, and comfortable. More information, can be found here.

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted), including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and, occasionally, guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guides preparing meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten free, Dairy free, Vegan, or someone who loves it all – we will keep you well-fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepare healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu, including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour, if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days, sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Riding the Great Divide Tour

What is the riding like on this route? You’ll explore unspoiled landscapes, rush through cool mountain air, drink in 360-degree mountain views and pedal past carpeted fields of wildflowers (which can be handle-bar high). You’ll also navigate the high desert of southern Colorado and New Mexico, zig-zagging between cacti and wandering through ancient landscapes. Carefully-selected campsites offer a canopy of bright stars and deep sleep at night. Your experienced guides take care of all the planning and logistics.

At day’s end, the fully-equipped support truck at the camp (or at the night’s indoor lodging, on some evenings!) provides all the necessities for a delicious guide-prepared meal. All you have to do is relax, hang out with your new friends, or explore a little more on your bike.

What about the altitude? Cyclists from lower elevations ride in Colorado and New Mexico each year, and most have no problems. All it takes is some preparation, patience and a little more hydration than you’d normally have.

Yes, you’ll likely ride slower, and your heart rate will increase, but these are the Rockies, after all.

• Read a Bicycling Magazine article about riding at altitude.

How is the weather on this route? The high Rockies and the New Mexico desert have some of the most dynamic weather in the country. One moment, it’s sunny and warm under intensely blue skies. The next, massive clouds race across the horizon and bring a frozen downpour with thunderclaps.

As Coloradans who know a thing or two about this stuff, we’ll make sure you’re well-outfitted and safe from these intense, but brief weather events.

Ok, but really, how hard is this tour? Although this tour is for advanced riders, it is NOT a death march. This is a well-planned, guided adventure into the backcountry that is within the ability of experienced riders. In reality, many riders who are capable of riding and enjoying tours similar to this one self-select themselves out of participation because they feel the tour will be too hard. If you would like to join us and have a question about your ability, please call. For more information or to make a reservation, contact us: 970.728.5891 or Info@LizardHeadCyclingGuides.com.

• Still concerned? Here’s a must-read article for you!: Training for Your First MTB Tour: 5 Best Tips to Improve Your Pedaling Technique

Great Divide Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline of what to expect while on this tour.

Section 1: Steamboat, CO to Salida, CO
264 miles through the High Rockies

The trip of a lifetime! A 264 mile southbound ride of the Great Divide route from Steamboat Springs to the mountain town of Salida. This is the perfect trip for someone wanting a sample of what the Great Divide has to offer, as well as the Colorado Rockies!

This route takes our EPIC tour routes to another level. Starting in Steamboat Springs, CO, we’ll make our way down to Salida, CO, known as the “Heart of the Rockies”. Over the course of 264 miles, we’ll ride an average of about 44 miles per day as we take on a portion of one of the most well-known cycling routes in North America. We’ll ride through remote stretches of wilderness, into quaint mountain towns, and be surrounded by astounding beauty. Riders will travel through alpine passes and open grasslands as we make our way south through the Great Divide.

As this is a Lizard Head trip, riders will be supported by guides and a rig each day. Due to the remote nature of this route and the scarcity of hotels throughout much of the trip, this is a camping trip. When we are staying in a town with the option of a hotel, guests are welcome to make reservations and will be dropped off at the end of the day and picked up in the morning.

During the trip, the Lizard Head guides will provide three dinners, with coolers and cooking equipment provided for the duration of the trip. This is a great chance to perfect one’s backcountry cooking skills!

This route is perhaps best known from the famous “Tour Divide”, an annual self-supported endurance race spanning the full 2,745 mile route from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells. We’ve chosen to highlight the Colorado section of the route for the Lizard Head iteration of this route as it runs through the part of the country that we feel is our playground, or as we like to say, “our backyard”.

This route is primarily on gravel and dirt roads, and while less demanding in technical skills, the Great Divide Route’s length and daily climbing make it a challenge level ride for serious riders looking for a trip they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Highlights: Boreas Pass, stunning riding over Colorado’s alpine ridges, Colorado mountain towns.

Day 0: Steamboat Springs

Our preparation day for the Great Divide starts in Steamboat Springs with a meeting at our starting hotel in downtown Steamboat Springs on the evening prior to day 1. This will give everyone a chance to explore Steamboat Springs, check out a local bike shop, and have a welcome dinner with the group!

For transportation to Steamboat Springs, there are daily flights from Denver, as well as shuttle services from the Denver International Airport. 

Day 1: Into the Rockies

Join us for our wild Great Divide adventure starting in Steamboat Springs, CO. The first day marks an immediate jump into the Rocky Mountains, hitting gravel roads shortly after leaving Steamboat. We end the ride at a dispersed camping location, with an opportunity for some cowboy cooking.

Day 2: Crossing the Colorado River

Today we head into the Gore Range of mountains, located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. This route gets us into the true mountains of the Rockies, with beaver dams, high alpine meadows and babbling creeks. The highlights of this day include more stunning vistas, along with crossing the Colorado River. We end up in the town of Kremmling, CO.

Day 3: Into the Heart of Ski Country

Today is a day of reservoirs, with cycling past the William Fork, East Branch, and Dillon reservoirs that all help control flooding, and provide water throughout the dry season. We end in the heart of ski country in Colorado, surrounded by resorts such as Breckenridge, Copper and Keystone. Tonight guests are on their own for dinner. 

Day 4: Dillon to Fairplay

Today we climb back into the mountains after rolling through Breckenridge in the morning for some more mountain vistas and high altitude gravel. We pass through the small historic railroad town of Como before descending to our camping location in Fairplay, CO. 

Day 5: Fairplay to Hartsel

We start the day with getting back on the Great Divide, before cruising some more gravel. This day is a slow descent downhill, with lots of chances to admire the sorroundings and soak it all in. We end out ride just outside of the small town of Hartsel, CO, with one last night of camping to be had.

Day 6: Final Push to Salida!

This day marks the last day of our grand adventure, with another gravel filled day at higher elevations. We pass by some of Colorado’s famous 14’ers, or peaks that are at or above 14,000’ above sea level. Before arriving in Salida, we get an exhilarating 10 mile downhill into town, marking the end of our journey on the Great Divide. Once we roll into town, we will have our final dinner of the trip before a relaxing stay in town. For the following morning, we will have shuttles back to Gunnison and Montrose for flights out of Colorado. 

 

Section 2: Salida, CO to Grants, NM
538 miles of riding through some of the wildest mountains in North America 

After the first section of riding, guests will have settled into a routine, and become familiar with the Great Divide Trail’s rhythms. That’s good, because the Rockies aren’t done yet! This portion of the route features more climbing (you’ll climb nearly 4,000 feet in the first 25 miles after leaving Salida, up to Marshall Pass!) and more time in the high-mountain wilderness of Colorado.

As the miles melt away, we’ll notice the scenery changing as we enter the South San Juan Mountains and, eventually, New Mexico. Though the terrain will stay mountainous, the high desert environment will present a significant change-of-pace from the Rockies, and a new kind of beauty to surprise and delight you as you pedal.

Section 3: Grants, NM to Antelope Wells, NM (US-Mexico Border)
395 miles in a final push to the US-Mexico Border

Though the high mountains of Colorado may be the most well-known attraction on the Great Divide Trail, this final segment may actually contain the most unadulterated, wild, beauty of the who route. As you approach the southern terminus of this epic journey, you’ll meander through some of the most scenic terrain in New Mexico, including traversing the Gila Wilderness, one of the wildest places remaining in all of North America. It’s a fitting, epic, conclusion to a truly epic ride. Congratulations!

28 Day Great Divide Trail Tour: Logistics & FAQs

PRE-TOUR LOGISTICS: Guests meet us in Steamboat, Colorado at the designated meeting hotel. Fly directly to Steamboat or to Denver, CO (airport code: DEN).

POST-TOUR LOGISTICS: LHCG will provide transport to El Paso on the day the trip concludes. Guests are welcomed to depart from El Paso that evening, or arrange their own accommodation in town before flying out later!

Bike Shipping

Lizard Head Cycling recommends shipping with BikeFlights.com. Bikes can be shipped either to our partner bike shop in each meeting town for professional assembly or directly to the meeting hotel for self-assembly. Bike boxes can generally be left at the meeting hotel during the tour. Bikes shipped across the continental US should be shipped 8 days prior to your tour.

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead

 

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is an equal opportunity service provider and employer.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides operates under special use permit from the USDA Forest Service, Rio Grande National Forest.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is a permittee of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest.