Orogenesis: From Cabo to Canada

Trans-Cascadia 2018

From Cabo To Canada

The longest mountain bike trail in the world?

Photos courtesy of Orogenesis

At over 5,000 miles long from Cabo to Canada, Orogenesis nabs that title. But it doesn’t totally exist yet. The longest mountain bike trail in the world is 95% complete — the only gaps are in California.

Orogenesis is the geologic process of mountain forming. This process has shaped the western flanks of North America for millions of years—creating the majestic peaks, bubbling streams, and solemn forest groves that we love and cherish. The Orogenesis route winds through these landscapes, painting its story in front of your two wheels whether you’re riding all 5,000 miles or just five.

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Image of Orogenisis route hugging the Pacific Ocean
Ten day tour around the Cape Loop of the Baja Divide.

The trail at a glance

  • 5,029 Miles
  • +470,854’ Elevation
  • 87% Dirt, 40% Trail
  • 50+ Indigenous Territories 
  • 24 Tiers
  • 7 States or Provinces
  • 3 Countries

Completing the Orogenesis trail

As it stands, the route is about 95% complete with about 40% singletrack and 45% dirt roads. Yet there are some serious holes in the alignment—we estimate these gaps total about 206 miles.

The official project launch to complete the trail took place at GearLab in South Lake Tahoe this past October. Project partner Chris McNamara posted the following on his Facebook page: “Gabriel Amadeus, the co-creator of the Oregon Timber Trail and now the executive director of Orogenesis Collective , will tell the story of how we are creating a 5,000-mile route from Cabo to Canada. Hear how the trail is already 95% complete and the plan for how we will build the last 5%.”

Once completed Orogenesis is sure to become one of the most iconic trails in the world, and you can be a part of it.

Orogenesis – Klickitat 2022

Help complete Orogoenesis

How much does it cost to build 206 miles of singletrack you might ask?  Well, at $5 per foot, it comes to $5,438,400. 

Then you can tack on trail maintenance costs—about $1,000 per mile, or $1.5 million annually. Advocacy, outreach, and education are all important components of our mission as well, and pile on additional cost. 

There is a lot of work ahead to see this project through. You can help by donating here.

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