Categories: TRAVEL

Cycling Guide: The American Southwest

The American Southwest is a region that is diverse in beauty. Several leading tour companies offer both self guided and guided tours of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. You can ride through Bryce and Zion National Parks or see the Grand Canyon. See alpine mount sides that contain snow year round and then cycle down into the desert plateau and see stunning sandstone cliffs and rock formations. Bicycle tours give you the opportunity to take things slow so you have the chance to truly experience the landscape and surrounding area.

Here is a guide to leading bicycle tour companies that offer guided and self guided tours.

1) Timberline
http://www.timbertours.com/GCSW.html

This amazing tour company offers top of the line tours throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. You can cycle some of the most extreme terrain in the United States. One of their tours features the Great Canyons of the Southwest. Another tour offers a New Mexico trip through Sangre De Cristos and Southern San Juans.
The tour company is ran by a husband and wife team who offer their love of the West to all their clients to make it an unforgettable experience.

2) GORP Travel
http://gorptravel.away.com/xnet/search-2.tcl?activity_id=1&destination;_id=8221∨_categories=activity_id∨_categories=traveler_demographic_id

This wonderful tour company offers several trips to the amazing American Southwest. One of their most popular is their Arizona White Mountains tour. This wonderful 7 day trip will take you from from the Verde Valley into Zane Grey country atop the Mogollon Rim. You will also get to tour White Mountains Scenic Byway to Greer, nestled in the high alpine Lee Valley at 8,525′ near the headwaters of the Little Colorado. You will also ride the Coronado Trail. The minimum age for this tour is 15 years old.

They also offer a sixteen day deluxe New Mexico tour of the desert of Northern New Mexico, the vast tablelands of the San Luis Valley and South Park, the surrealism of the Great Sand Dunes, and the alpine grandeur of Hoosier and Loveland Passes. You will also get to have in depth tours of Albuquerque to Denver, Colorado.

Timberline Adventures was chosen by National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the Best Travel Companies on Earth in 2009.

3) Hermosa Bike Tours
http://www.hermosatours.net/sw_utah.html

This cycling tour company takes you into Southwest Utah where you will try your hand at extreme mountain bike riding. You must have good fitness level to enjoy these tours because they tend to be quite extreme.

Your lodging each night will be at The Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens. They pick you up at the airport in Las Vegas and drive you to the entrance to Zion National Park where your adventure will truly begin.

4) Trek Tours
http://www.trektravel.com/Southwest.cfm

This tour company offers several tours of the American Southwest. You can enjoy a cycling adventure through Moab for a long weekend getaway. They also offer cycling vacations through Bryce and Zion. One of their most popular tours is their New Mexico historic cycling adventure. This wonderful trip lets you truly soak up the culture of the area and partake of some excellent Southwestern food.

5) Escape Adventures
http://www.escapeadventures.com/tours/mountain_bike_tours/

This wonderful tour company lets you feed your passion for mountain biking. They offer tours in New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. You will get to try your hand at some of the most diverse of terrains and see absolutely stunning scenery. They have many adventures to choose from. If you love the outdoors and you want to enjoy everything that the American West has to offer then this is a wonderful way to enjoy it.