Availability 2008: October 2 - October 7, November 8 - November 13
Availability 2009: February 7 - February 12, February 14 - February 19
The largest park in the lower 48 states, its 3.3 million acres are nestled between two mountain ranges. Nonetheless, its Badwater Basin is 282’ below sea level – the lowest point in North America. The sun-soaked days and cool evenings make it the perfect setting for cycling. And we’ve included plenty of opportunity to hike into the park on this tour as well.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: The Westin Casuarina Las Vegas will be our lodging for the first evening. You can arrive anytime, but there is an optional rental bike fitting at 4:30pm. The evening is yours to take in a show, walk the Strip or get a spa treatment. Dinner is on your own. 0 miles.
Day 2: We’ll meet for the first time as a group at breakfast for a tour orientation. Then we’ll fit rental bikes for anyone who wasn’t there yesterday. After breakfast, we shuttle 2 hours to the ghost town of Rhyolite where we begin our bicycle ride down into Death Valley. We’ll bike through relatively flat desert terrain toward the Funeral Mountains. Then it’s a moderate climb to Gateway Pass before enjoying a long downhill with views of the Panamint Mountains to the west and the valley below. A quick ride past some sand dunes will bring us to our park lodging at Stovepipe Wells and dinner together. 32 miles.
Day 3: Today, we shuttle to Scotty’s Castle in the northern part of the park. We’ll take a guided living history tour of the castle to learn why this flamboyant structure ended up in such an unlikely place. Our easy ride back to Stovepipe Wells should allow us to see the Great Salt Flats shimmering in the distance at the southern end of the valley. 45 miles.
Day 4: After breakfast, we will hike 2-4 miles into the narrow Mosaic Canyon. This beautiful canyon is aptly named. The polished marble walls began as limestone millions of years ago when the area was covered by a warm sea. The addition of magnesium and other sediment and years of pressure and temperature changes altered the rock to the stunning marble it is today. After our hike, we’ll bike through the breathtaking landscape of the badlands. At the end of our ride, you will want to stop at the visitors center and the Borax Museum to learn more about the area’s natural history. An Olympic size pool and golf course will await us at the Furnace Creek Ranch this afternoon. 25 – 43 miles.
Day 5: Today offers a nice gentle ride to Badwater, the lowest point in North America. It acquired its name when an early surveyor wrote "bad water" on the map when his mule refused to drink the water. On the return trip, you can choose to ride the optional challenging terrain along Artist’s Drive. We’ll have a picnic lunch at Golden Canyon at the trail head to reknown Zabriskie Point. You can hike through a beautiful canyon of tall sandstone walls and a maze of multicolored badlands before returning back to our hotel for dinner together. 33 – 45 miles.
Day 6: We end the tour with a gentle but long climb out of the Valley. We’ll gain 3,000’ in 19 miles, but then we’re rewarded with 10 miles of gentle descent. For many women, this has been their favorite ride of the week. We’ll say our good-byes to the national park and shuttle back to Las Vegas, arriving at the airport by 5:00pm or the Westin Casuarina Hotel by 5:30pm. 29 miles.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Trip Price:
- 2008: $1790
- 2009: $1890
Price Includes:
- 5 nights lodging
- 5 breakfasts
- 5 picnic or sack lunches
- 4 dinners, snacks
- Park entrance fees
- Scotty’s Castle tour
- Cue sheets
- Van support
- Trained guides
Price Excludes:
- Single Upgrade: $400
- Rental Bike: $160 (2008), $175 (2009)
Also see tour packages in:
USA
Nevada
Bicycle Touring
Women Tours
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