The Pioneer Trail starts in Cannonville and takes you from there on three very different routes through the Staircase - Escalante National Monument. On the Cottonwood Canyon Road, you cycle through a colorful canyon on a partly quite sandy track, with the steep Smoky Mountain Road you climb up to a high plateau with ancient juniper trees, and with the Hole-in-the-rock road you finally reach the famous trail of the Mormon settlers on their voyage to the west. On this dirtroad the unknown, but fantastic Zebra Slot Canyon is hidden. We recommend to do a half-day hike to explore the canyon and the Morqui marbels on the plateau above. The desert landscape with the marbled rock walls and the sparse vegetation is fascinating! We also camped at Almstrom Point high above Lake Powell with a wonderful view over the lake and far into Monument Valley. Unfortunately this is a dead end and you cycle twice (approx. 20km) the same way, but for us the view in the soft evening light was one of the highlights of the whole route.

In Escalante you reach the tar road, which you follow to the small village of Boulder. There you turn off on the Burr Trail, another old cattle trade route of the pioneers. First on tar you continue through another colorful canyon, over a small pass and finally reach the famous (from RV drivers scared) switchbacks, which lead you down into the Capital Reef National Park and Lake Powell. With the morning ferry, you cross the lake at Bullfrog Marina and continue along Blanding and Monticello towards the famous Needles of Canyonlands National Park. Later in the year / in fall it is possible to avoid this stretch on the mainroad when riding the Elk Ridge Road (see alternate in gpx file). In April there was still too much snow in the mountains for this option.

Approaching the Needles the small paved road winds its way through a narrow river valley, which with its green creates an amazing contrast to the red rocks. Just before the Visitor Center you turn right into the Lockhart basin. The Lockhart basin is a real secret. The ATV track follows the Colorado River on its right, but does not need a special permit like the well-known White Rim route - and it is too difficult for most ATV drivers. The landscape is fantastic, lonely and often seems to serve directly as a backdrop for a Western. Apart from a somewhat rough downhill, the whole route is a bit sandy, but easy to ride by bike. Shortly before Moab you reach tar again.

If you have more time and want to head further east, the Kokopelli Trail to Fruita is a nice continuation. A detailed route description is available at bikepacking.com

Infrastructur / Logistics

The Escalante Staircase National Monument has no official camp sites or other accommodation. It is, however, allowed to camp anywhere if you are in possession of a backcountry permit. You can apply for it (it takes only a few minutes) in any of the BML visitor centers in Cannonville, Big Water or Escalante and it is free of charge. It is valid for 14 days. In the US in general, stealth camping on public lands is officially allowed and it is usually easy to find an idyllic place for your tent. In addition, all the small towns along the route offer lodging options ranging from campsites with all facilities to motels, as well as general stores where you can stock up your provisions. Since the shop in Big Water was very small and we wanted to see the Horseshoe Bend, we hitch-hiked the 30km to Page in Arizona and filled our supplies in the local supermarket.

The biggest challenge of the Pioneer Trail is the water supply. We rode the route in mid April and found some clean rainwater puddles on the way to Almstrom Point, as well as a stream of clear water on the Smoky Mountain Plateau. We do not know how the situation will look like later in the year, and we would not count on these water sources. We also filled our bottles at Collet Canyon Creek, which proved to be a big mistake. Although the water was absolutely clear, it tasted bitter (chemicals / natural arsenic?) and we both had stomach problems for one day. So get your hands off and fill your bottles at the visitor centers, even if this means you have to carry a lot of water with you. The larger rivers (Gulch River at Burr Trail, Colorado River at Lockhart) have very sediment-containing water, which kills every water filter in short time. If you have to rely on this water, treat it with chlorine / iodine or boil it. All reliable and good water sources are noted as waypoints in the gpx file. In spring you will find some more water sources due to snow melt, but they will dry out during summer and are therefore not marked in the roadbook.

Difficulty

With almost 60% of tarmac, the Pioneer Trail is a rather moderate bikepacking route that is nevertheless seasoned with a few challenges. The route goes through lonely desertic landscapes and is not designed for the hot summer months. Ride it either in spring or autumn and plan your water supply carefully! In the Escalante Staircase National Monument, as well as in the Lockhart basin, there is no mobile phone coverage and only very little traffic. So most of the time you are on your own and should therefore have some experience in wilderness touring.

The dirtroads are becoming impassable after rainfall and need a few days to dry out. The visitor centers can give information and hang out lists with the current road condition. In good conditions, the whole route is easy to ride with a mountain bike or touring bike. A tire width of at least 2" is, however, obligatory, so that the short sandy and rocky sections are fun. There are some steep climbs waiting for you: pack light, you will appreciate it!