Timberline Adventures

Ready for a spectacular winter bike ride in 70 degree weather? We have found an ideal ride, call it early season or winter getaway, to hold your attention, with enough quirky sideshows to keep you amused. We will ride the entire 113 mile length of the famed Overseas Highway from Key Largo to Key West. Although there are about 1700 keys in the archipelago, there are only 43 connected by bridges – and we will ride most of them! From Key West, we cruise to Fort Meyers on a modern, luxury catamaran and from there, ride Sanibel and Captiva Islands. These islands are a special place, whether it is your first time to the famous islands or you are a regular. Sanibel Island is the perfect place to stroll by the lighthouse or enjoy a trip through Ding Darling wildlife preserve looking for amazing animals and birds. The tour is also ideal for couples or those who might want a beach vacation without actually lying around on a beach. As with all our bike tours, e-bike rental is also now available.

In riding the Keys, we discovered some truths: the ocean and Gulf are as wide and at least as blue as Montana’s Big Sky; as deep as the Rockies are high; the coral reefs of the Keys rival the color country of Utah’s canyons and its wildlife is as fascinating as that of Yellowstone. Palm trees and mangrove swamps and tropical orchids are the wildflowers of the Keys; crocodiles and manatees and the occasional panther are the protected wildlife. In the West we have Bear Valley and Death Valley; in the Keys there is Shark Valley. Road signs in the West warn of elk or deer crossings; in the Keys are alligator warnings; river valleys in the Keys are rivers of grass and snorkeling or kayaking replace hiking as offered activities on layover days. In short it reinforces what we all know-there is no part of America that is not special and glorious. This is a unique and beautiful tour and we are excited to be offering a Florida Keys trip.

A 200-mile stretch of barrier islands just off the coast of North Carolina, the Outer Banks is a different kind of place. Beautifully natural, formed by centuries of wind, water and sand blown from the Atlantic Ocean, and home to a rich history, it’s a place that inspires a true sense of adventure for our cycling tour of the region. During our North Carolina cycling tour, we will savor the charm of southern hospitality in these seaside villages. As we progress south on the Outer Banks, rich salt marshes give way to pristine beaches. It is not just natural beauty we will experience; the region is steeped in history. The first flight happened on our route, where two brothers on the sands of the Outer Banks solved a mystery that had captured mankind’s imagination since our first breath by teaching man to fly. If that isn’t enough, this area of the coast is known as The Graveyard of the Atlantic and lays claim to more than 600 shipwrecks. Then there is the century’s old mystery of the Lost Colony, where between 1587 and 1590, 117 men and women disappeared! Not to worry, our expert guides will keep you on your route for your adventure.

The names of our Death Valley cycling tour are exciting; Death Valley, Dante’s View, Badwater, Hell’s Gate. Death Valley has an instantaneous emotional impact on everyone who sees it. That initial view from Zabriskie Point across the vastness of the valley floor to the distant Panamint Peaks rising from the valley clad in an unmistakable mantle of snow is unlike anything that one can experience in a normal cycling trip. Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the lower 48 states. Its 3.3 million acres are nestled between two mountain ranges, and its Badwater Basin is 282’ below sea level – the lowest point in North America. In fact, during our visit, we will get a view of the Badwater Basin and Telescope Peak at 11,040 ft above sea level.

The park’s paved roads offer a beautiful bicycling experience through a rich palette of surreal desert geography and an assortment of topography from level desert spinning to sustained climbs. The sun-soaked days and cool evenings make it the perfect setting for cycling for our February Hub Tour. We have time on the agenda for scenic rides as well as time at the pool.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic, through America’s small towns and popular cities, across landscapes that have inspired artists and poets…join us for our 14th annual epic 53-day cycling coast to coast adventure.

Starting in San Diego, California, on March 3, 2023, and ending in St. Augustine, Florida, on April 24, 2023, the weather at that time of year is ideal for a cross-country bicycle tour.

You will enjoy the vastness of this wonderful country from the seat of your bicycle. Traveling this way allows you to explore, see, hear, smell, taste, and enjoy this country like no other cross-country transport can do!

Yes, bicycling across the country on the Coast 2 Coast Bicycle Tour will be an adventure that will change your life. Are you ready for the challenge? How about actually enjoying the challenge while we take away all the hassle? From coast to coast, Timberline Adventures takes care of all the details so you can truly bask in the beauty of the countryside and just enjoy the ride.

The allure of the Hill Country as a bike touring opportunity is unmistakable. The Hill Country is astonishingly rural and underpopulated — a nostalgic reminder of a past era. On our Texas Hill Country Cycling tour of south-central Texas we utilize a vast network of 2-lane farm-to-market country roads traversing a vast undulating expanse dissected by deep green valleys, rolling hills, rushing creeks, and rugged limestone cliffs, and no more than a scattering of small villages. It is an area that retains its rich cultural heritage and identity. Fredericksburg and Boerne are characteristic of the early German immigrants who settled and homesteaded in the Hill Country in the 1840’s. The Hill Country is also cattle country and the region’s many historic ranches are reminders that we are in Texas.

This year we have doubled your incentive for joining us on this spring tour. We all know that Texas Hill Country is Bluebonnet Country and these hills in the spring are ablaze in an array of bluebonnet blooms. In addition, due to the many hot summer days the region experiences, it is also home to many local, homemade ice cream shops! From the famous apple ice cream in the apple orchards, to winners from the National Ice Cream Show, to the surprise of local chains churning out small batch frozen delights on site. The tour will be a winner for all your senses!

With perfect weather, cool ocean breezes and lost canyons to explore, this cycling tour will be unforgettable. With just one hotel move on the tour, you’ll have a chance to unpack and enjoy the Southern California vibe, not to mention the excellent wines of the region, after a good day’s cycling.

We start in fabled Santa Barbara just below it’s Landmark Spanish Mission. On our first day of riding we’ll get our legs warmed up along the coast, before climbing to beautiful Lake Casitas. Why not take a swim before our return to Santa Barbara? Day three we say goodbye to the hip, coastal town and travel past Painted Cave and over the Old San Marcos Pass, past Cachuma Lake Recreation area and on to Solvang, known for its Danish-style architecture and many wineries. Here we will spend our last three nights.

Day four of the tour takes us back out to the coast to visit the Vanderberg State Marine Reserve – a destination in itself. Day five will be the ultimate ride through Four Canyons. We start by biking through Ballard on Alamo Pintado, before entering Foxen Canyon and its many wineries. Sisquoc is our northernmost point, then we head back south through Cat Canyon to Los Alamos. We’re not done yet, as spectacular Drum Canyon calls, popping us out into the Santa Ynez River valley and our return to Solvang. For our final Day six of riding we return to the coast for an enjoyable tour through State parks and beaches for our conclusion in El Capitan, and a van shuttle return to Santa Barbara.