An adventure motorcycle parked at the edge of a high mountain pass, helmet hung on the mirror, the backcountry route winding through the valley far below

Backcountry Idaho · Multi-Day · Fully Supported

Guided rides through Idaho's best kept secrets

Fully-supported, multi-day adventure routes for experienced riders — built, scouted, and led by the man who drew the lines on the map.

Long days. Remote country. Real weather. These expeditions can be demanding, often by design — and not for everyone.

Get in touch ↓ See the routes

Day adventures

600–1,300^mi

Something for everyone

Established routes

43^yrs

Riding Idaho backcountry

Why ride with Joe

Detailed custom maps. No one left behind.

These routes don't exist anywhere else — and the person who built them is the one taking you through.

Custom-built routes

Joe builds every route himself from decades of riding and scouting Idaho. They're not published tracks anyone can download — they're his own.

Real support

Restaurants sampled, lodging booked, campsites saved, extra fuel hauled, trail-chef ready to conjure remote meals as needed. This is a demanding ride, not a self-supported suffer-fest.

Expert navigation

Route-finding is handled. Nobody's staring at a phone on a ridgeline hoping the line goes through — Joe already knows it does.

Mechanical backup

When something goes sideways deep in the backcountry, Joe is quick to assess the issue and lay out options to keep the group moving and smiling. Forty miles from pavement is exactly where you want him.

A 1940s dozer abandoned at 9,380 feet beside an adventure motorcycle high in the Idaho mountains — 1940s dozer at 9,380 feet — from the SIDAR trip, 2024

The three routes

Ride all three · Earn the Tri-Idaho Coin

Ghost town ruins with a rusted antique truck beneath limestone cliffs in central Idaho

Central Loop

8 day adventure 975+ miles 1 rest day Intermediate · optional advanced Mid-July – September

Historic Idaho, all the way around: stunning lookout views, mining ruins, ghost towns, remote hot springs, high mountain passes, and tiny Idaho towns.

Sunday morning departure from the hotel, back the following Sunday afternoon. One rest day toward the end — recover, or take on the bonus options: a mountain-lakes poker run, try fly fishing, hike to Idaho's tallest waterfall, or ride up Idaho's highest road to see it from above.

Seasonal runs start mid-July and continue through September, as weather, snow, other rides, and family events allow.

Enquire about the Central Loop →

A long gravel road running straight toward distant snow-capped mountains

Fixed it!

Upgraded IDBDR

9 day adventure 1,300+ miles Intermediate & advanced sections Mid-July – September

All the great adventures and memories you'd expect from a BDR — plus hidden homestead routes, overlooked views, hot springs, and extra historical sites. Other riders on the BDR will think we made a wrong turn. You'll know better.

The Backcountry Discovery Route guys built an incredible route spanning from just below the Idaho/Nevada border to the Idaho/Canada border. We loved every mile of it — but as Idaho natives, we knew there were a lot of "gems left in the creek" when it was developed. Not to worry: we've added in all the good stuff and a few reroutes to see the best of what Idaho has to offer along the way.

Saturday morning departure from a tiny motel in Jarbidge, NV. Start with a prized alternate route and trade half the dust holes of Section 1 for 1800s homesteads and hot springs. We stick with the BDR most of the way, but always opt to upgrade the adventure when we can. The "who knew that was there?" continues for several glorious days, ending at the Canadian border.

Seasonal runs start mid-July and continue through September, as weather, snow, other rides, and family events allow.

Enquire about the Upgraded IDBDR →

Riders taking a break beside a wide whitewater river in central Idaho

East to west

SIDAR

8 day adventure 600+ miles Intermediate & advanced sections Mid-July – September

A full-length Idaho traverse, west to east — the short, long one. Linking high desert and the wild west to river country and the high mountains, with optional advanced sections, side trips, and an alternate line for those who want more.

Sunday morning departure from a hotel in Jordan Valley, OR, ending in West Yellowstone the following Sunday afternoon. Explore ghost towns, lookouts, mining settlements, hot springs, the world's first ski lift, Craters of the Moon, the world's first nuclear power plant, long-forgotten mountain passes, and mountain lakes.

Seasonal runs start mid-July and continue through September, as weather, snow, other rides, and family events allow.

Enquire about SIDAR →

Build your own

Custom trips

Have a wish-list of must-see places — or a group with its own idea of the perfect ride?

Send Joe your must-see points and he'll scout and build a custom expedition just for you and your group — same support, same local knowledge, your route.

Plan a custom trip →

Idaho high country

Meet Joe

Builder · Guide · Designer

Joe States smiling in his helmet on the trail, snow-capped peaks rising behind him

Joe States is a multi-generational Idahoan who's spent 43 years riding the backcountry he grew up exploring — across Idaho and the Northwest.

These routes aren't pulled off the internet. Joe builds them himself — scouring maps and running his own scouting trips to find and verify the landmarks, the remote hot springs, the lines that actually go through.

He's a MacGyver type. He's been pulling equipment apart and putting it back together since childhood — fixing, modding, improving, designing, inventing — which is exactly what you want in the person leading you 60 miles from the nearest town. He's spent the last five years leading group rides all over Idaho, with occasional ventures into Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Montana.

He's also just a good guy to have around: larger than life, an infectious laugh, first to commit to any adventure, and the first to help when something needs doing. He's never met a stranger.

When a route takes you to the middle of nowhere, Joe's the one you want out there with you.

What's included

We handle the logistics. You handle the riding.

On us

Fully custom-built, scouted route
Downloadable maps for both onX and Gaia
Expert trail guidance
Support vehicle throughout, with backup fuel if needed
Lodging / camping (as per location)
"Wilderness cuisine" as needed in remote locations
Extra gear hauled as needed
Mechanical support and on-trail problem-solving
Extra fuel as needed (first can free)
Basic first-aid kit
Extra water and/or a water filter

On you

BYOB — ride your bike, or have a rental the day before; we can help with rental options
Riding gear and personal kit
Fuel — stations will be mapped along the route
Meals at the cafés and restaurants we stop at — you're in for a treat; we've picked a handful of good ones en route
Snacks, drinks, and personal ride food
Look after each other, stay safe, choose good lines
Bring ride etiquette, respect, and a few good stories if you've got them

Your bike

Adventure or dual-sport, in good mechanical condition, not overloaded, road-worthy for short paved sections, with a desirable range of 120+ miles between fill-ups. If your bike is thirstier than that, consider adding a 5-liter fuel can or making special arrangements with us before the trip. Carry a tool kit — especially any odd tools specific to your bike.

What to expect

Long days in the saddle, deep in remote Idaho history. This is multi-day, self-reliant riding — real backcountry, real weather, real terrain, and real risks. You don't need to be a trials rider or a big shot, but you do need to be competent on both dirt and pavement, and able to handle eight days out in the weather. We handle the route, the support, and the logistics. We've got your back — you handle the riding.