March 8, 2023 |
Photo – Wyoming Motorcycle Adventures Logo – Courtesy wyomotoadv.com
The Wyoming Backroads Discovery Route provides adventure for the intrepid traveler while putting money into the pockets of local businesses.
The Wyoming Backroads Discovery Route, or BDR, is a series of roads and trails through the state. The BDR starts at the Colorado border, meanders through the central and eastern parts of the state, and then heads north into Montana. Carbon County Visitor’s Council CEO Leslie Jefferson said Jock Boyer, owner of the YL Ranch in Savery, was responsible for generating interest in the route’s creation in 2019.
Backroads Discovery Route has assembled a curated selection of lesser traveled roads and off-road trails from across the US. The Wyoming leg of the BDR was in the works for about three years. Jefferson said she doesn’t have data on how many motorcyclists traveled the newly formed course, but projections put the number in the range of tens of thousands.
Beginning in the Baggs/Savery area, adventure riders travel across the Sierra Madres to the towns of Encampment and Riverside. When the route was originally planned, riders were expected to spend little time in Riverside before moving on to Centennial. Jefferson said instead of getting fuel and continuing the journey, many riders chose to stay in town.
Between Riverside and Centennial, BDR riders stop at Elk Mountain. Jefferson said the owner of Elk Mountain Cabins, Lou Larson, was pleased by the number of riders who stayed at her establishment.
Jefferson said Jock Boyer and Lou Larson confirmed their rooms were filled with BDR motorcyclists throughout the season. The Carbon County Visitor’s Council CEO said hotel owners in Riverside and Encampment were surprised by how many riders booked rooms.
Jefferson said a report provided by Backroads Discovery Route organizers showed plenty of rooms existed along the course for the riders to stay. She said because the adventure motorcyclists choose different places to stop, they provide an infusion of cash into our county’s communities.
If interested, you can learn more about Wyoming Motorcycle Adventures at the group’s web site: wyomotoadv.com, where they help develop multi-day custom trips based on a rider’s skill level.
