What we’re about
Do you want to get into bike touring but haven't tried it yet? Are you an experienced bicycle tourist who would love to share his / her insight about the joys of bike touring? Do you just want to go on an overnight trip or multi-day bikecation? This is the group for you if you're looking to connect with like-minded bicycle travelers on the west coast from San Diego to Vancouver.
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Whitewater Preserve OvernighterArrow/Metrolink, Redlands, CA
The inland area east of San Bernardino is often described as a bleak and dry desert (but, remember, Joshua Tree National Park is out there). In the near vicinity is a little known area called the Whitewater Preserve. They have a place for camping, so we'll camp there!
THE RIDE (See Route)
This is a 45-mile ride. We start at the Redlands University Metrolink Arrow Station. The ride is on paved roads (except for a 2-mile gravel road section), and goes through Beaumont and Banning. If you appreciate a dry desert ride with an Inland-Empire vibe, this ride is for you. We even go past those oddly misplaced dinosaurs by the 10 freeway in Banning. The first half of the ride goes though the desert urban spaces, and the second half is rather empty. We return the same way.
All bicycles capable of carrying a load are fine. Class 1 e-bike is okay, if needed.No Class 2 or 3 e-bikes. Just remember that there is a 2-mile section that is all gravel; choose your bike as you see fit.SMALL DETAILS
The camping is free. There are good restrooms and water at the camp. However, there are no showers and no food store (this is a nature preserve). No campfires allowed.
We'll stop at Stater Brothers in Beaumont half way through the ride for anyone to pick up food for camp in the evening. We'll have lunch around the same time as well.
Hopefully, we'll arrive by 4 pm to allow some time for you to wander the trails of the preserve if you want (sunset time is 5:50). (Per rules of the preserve, bikes to be left at the campground since bikes are not allowed on trails.)MEETING POINT
We'll meet at 10 am at the Redlands University Metrolink Arrow Station. The schedule of the trains makes it unlikely that people will arrive by train. There is ample parking at the station, but I couldn't find any info about whether overnight parking is okay. If it becomes problematic, there is good residential parking on High Street one block northwest of the station.************************
Disclaimer: This bike-touring/camping group ride is a meeting of like-minded people gathering for a time of fun and social interaction. No organizational responsibility is implied in the creation of this ride. Upon registering for this event, you acknowledge that participation in the event is done out of your own risk and you accept responsibility for your own safety. - Blair Valley -Anza Borrego Desert State Park -Camp-Ride -HikeBlair Valley, California, CA
Tentative Place and Time-Subject to changes .
Join me for a relaxing weekend Dry Camping in Blair Valley. We can ride a loop around the Valley. ( Adventure Bikes with wider tires due to sandy hard packed roads perfered . Mtn Bikes ect. )
Chill out enjoying the Desert , and or do some hiking at two great hikes .
Dry camping --Bring Water ,food ,be self suported, A porta potty is near the entrance and can be rode or pedaled to.
We can also drive to Auga Calente county Park for the Hot Springs .
Other rides are close and some may want to stay extra days .Hello everyone . The ride is coming soon. The weather is looking good but be prepared for chilly nights . A couple tips .
Make Shure you download the directions as cell service is spotty and your gps might not work.
Look for a sign ( on the signpost )or two noteing where we will be camping. Its a big area and is real popular at this time of the year.
Bring all your supplies ( their is a camp store close-- but don,t relie on it being open -sometimes they are closed
Make Shure you have gas (there are no gas stations close to Blair Valley.
Pack it in Pack it out !
More information
Blair Valley contains four established hiking trails: Marshal South Home, Pictographs, Morteros trails and a branch of the California Riding and Hiking Trail, which descendsfrom the Cuyamaca region and passes through Blair Valley on its way to the
![img](https://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/abphoto/SouthHome2.jpg)
Visitor Center in Borrego Springs. This, the longest trail in the park, rises to nearly 5,000 feet and drops to below 1,000 feet in Borrego Valley, exhibiting a wide variety of different habitats.Recreational vehicle campers enjoy the flat areas surrounding the Blair lake bed, while tent campers disperse farther out into the nearby covesaround Little Blair Valley. These two playas were connected lakes during the ice age. A rocky ridge now separates Blair dry lake bed (about 2,500 feet in elevation) from that of Little Blair. A dirt road, accessed from Highway S-2 at mile marker 23, makes an 8-mile loop around the ridge and passes by both lake beds.
• This area contains numerous cultural resources that include residential sites of Kumeyaay People, agave roasting pits and processing stations, extensive bedrock grinding features, and elaborate pictograph panels. • Little Blair Valley contains within its boundaries the “Morteros Village” archaeological site. This prehistoric village is in the very heart of agave country; agave was a main staple of the Kumeyaay, the indigenous People of this region. • Location of Pictograph Trail , a rock art interpretive site • Site of the historic homestead of Yaquitepec. • Yaquitepec was the experimental home site of Marshall South, who brought his family to live in the area in the mid-20th century, and publicized and popularized their daily life in many columns and articles in Desert Magazine. • A section of the Southern Overland Trail runs through the western portion of Blair Valley. • This Cultural Preserve will allow visitors to compare and contrast the realities and the romance of desert life from two points of view: that of the Native People and that of more-recent Anglos.