Why drive when you can bike? Getting out of the car and on the road with two wheels allows you to see national parks like never before. You're tasting the air, feeling the sun (or wind!), and noticing every incline or descent. Here are four national park rides I've taken, and I'm itching to take more.

This is my favorite of the four national park bike rides I've done, and it's pretty exclusive! To bike Going to the Sun Road (the iconic along-the-edge-of-the-mountain steep, narrow road that bisects the park, connecting the south of the park to the north), you have to time things just right, or get very lucky. The snow has to be melted enough that there is road to bike on, but not completely melted so that the road is open to cars. If you get really lucky, you will have scored the approximate two day window when the entire road has just finished being plowed, all the way from Avalanche Campground to Logan Pass, but has not been declared open to vehicle traffic. This most often will occur in late June, but can vary greatly!

If you are able to bike the entire route, you will be biking 15 miles uphill, and about 10 miles of that is steep climbing (I was in my lowest gear for the entire 10 miles!). While that is a lot of strenuous work, the payoff is epic, as you will fly back down. Bring a jacket, the descent is chilly!

We were able to climb up about 13 miles, until there was a flow of snow blocking the road. This 13 miles included about 3,000 feet of elevation gain, so bring snacks and ample water. I also suggest wearing layers, as you will generate a lot of heat peddling up! 

Once you get to the top, the feeling of comraderie is real. Everyone is sitting there, with their bikes, enjoying a snack and the amazing view. There are also ground squirrels running around everywhere!

Ok, logistics. If you did not bring your own bike to the park, there are multiple bike rental outfitters in Apgar Village at Lake McDonald and Whitefish. We rented from Glacier Outfitters, which was a seamless process. They have normal multi-gear bikes and E-bikes for rent. You can also rent a bike rack and bear spray (yes, you should still have bear spray even while biking!). If you rent an E-bike, be sure to reserve this early, as reservations will sell out. I highly encourage you to rent a normal bike, however. By going slow and taking your time, most people can make the ride without E-bike assistance. You also will feel like a complete badass, as about 95% of the cyclists are on E-bikes. It is also an awesome workout and will make that post-ride beer and burger taste even better 😉

The Scenic Rim Drive at Crater Lake National Park is 33 miles of views. The road is undulating too, so don't expect to coast on a flat surface the entire time.

I first visited Crater Lake in 2014 and drove the road. Not to hate on our national parks, but driving Rim Drive is honestly...boring. Drive, stop, get out, take a photo, start driving again. Wash rinse repeat. Then, add in hoards of other people who are doing exactly the same thing. Everyone is getting the same cookie-cutter experience. To make visiting Crater Lake memorable and thrilling, get out your bike and cycle it.

Where to begin? You can certainly drive to the Rim Visitor Center and start there. We were road tripping and camping during our visit to Crater Lake in 2020 (social distancing actually springboarded me into long distance road cycling), so we camped at Mazama Campground, then drove our bikes to Rim Visitor Center, and road Rim Drive from there. 

We cycled Rim Drive in a clockwise fashion, and there is quite a large hill climb at the end, right before you make it back to the visitor center. We did see an E-bike tour along the way, but be cool, be sporty--ride it with your legs as the only horsepower. There are 30 overlooks along the road, stop when you need to and take in the fantastic view!

Timing is also essential to cycle Rim Drive. Crater Lake experiences 41 inches of snow a year (and I remember seeing plowed snow drifts in 2017 on the 4th of July!) and is closed half of the year. Rim Drive will typically close with the first snowfall, around November, and reopen around May (once the snow has melted).

While I have not participated in this, Crater Lake also hosts two days in September for Ride the Rim. These are two perfect days for cyclists, where Rim Drive is closed to cars. To learn more about cycling Crater Lake, follow this link.

In 2021, social distancing still at play, my friend and I decided to plan a camping road trip to all the national parks in Utah. We cycled two of them, Arches and Capitol Reef, and cycling into Arches National Park and down the main road, was one of the coolest national park experiences I've ever had.

We cycled from our Airbnb in downtown Moab into the National Park. During COVID, vehicles had to obtain timed entry permits to enter Arches. As of the time this is being written (summer 2026), timed entry permits are not required, but this can change annually and it is always recommended to check the park website for current rules and regulations. Timed entry permits or not, one of the perks of cycling the park is you can bypass the vehicle line. Yes, imagine the joy of pedaling past all of the people idling their cars, waiting to enter the park. Cycling in, you also pay a reduced fee to enter the park (and just feel super cool because you're on a bike).

I will caution you, the road to enter the park is steep and full of switchbacks, so be prepared for an initial hard push once you pass the entrance kiosks. There are a few hills in the park, one notably long one descending down into the Wolfe Ranch area. You'll have to come back up this hill to get out of the park.

You can bike in as far as Devil's Garden, which is 23 miles into the park. Due to the heat of the day and the intensity of the ride, we biked as far as Wolfe Ranch (where the iconic Delicate Arch is located), took a break, and returned to Moab. Even though we didn't make it all the way to the end of the road, Moab to Wolfe Ranch and back is still a solid 36 mile ride.

It goes without saying, but not only are there cars on this road and no bike lanes, but this is the desert! It gets VERY HOT and shade is hard to come by. Please plan and train accordingly. Don't get heat stroke and pass out. Take your time, turn back if you need to, go at your own pace.  

This cycle route is a little more tricky, and is actually a hike/cycle combination route, that involves swimming (mini National Park Triathlon you say?!). This is a fun adventure that will take a half day at least, and involves scrambling and shimmying through a slot canyon. You will definitely want to bring a dry bag and wear a swimsuit or clothing you don't mind swimming in.

Start by locking your bike up at the Fruita Visitor's Center. When we did this in 2021, there was a bike rack, hopefully it's still there. If not, I am sure you can find a pole or something similar. Then, ensuring your car still has its bike rack on/is capable of transporting bikes at the end of the hike, drive to the Sulpher Creek Trailhead Parking, and leave your car there.

You will then hike the Sulpher Creek Trail which involves crossing a desert, entering a slot canyon, and descending down the canyon via a combination of walking, scrambling, and swimming. 

Sulpher Creek Trail is not for the faint of heart. It is a 5.8mi one way hike, and there are three waterfalls at the end of the trail. You absolutely should not hike this if it has recently rained or if there is any chance of a rain/flash flood, because you will drown. During our hike, we scrambled and swam our way to the waterfalls, but those falls themselves seemed impassable, so we climbed up the canyon edges and picked our way through desert brush to get around the falls themselves. There is no way I would recommend this route for children or anyone who has any mobility problems--you could easily become stuck in the canyon.

Once you make it back to the visitor's center, you now have a 3.3mi bike ride to do. There is no shade and it is entirely a hill. Again, I found myself trudging along in first gear. 

But, in the end you've hiked/swam/cycled 9.1mi, you feel like a complete badass, you did something a little scary and a little hard, and now you can put your feet up and unwind with a nice cold IPA and a ranger talk about Desert Bighorn Sheep

So there you are--four memorable cycles in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Have you biked a national park? I'd love to hear about it and get some tips in the comments below.