Join the interest list for next time!
Catalina Island Bikepacking Trip
Ride beautiful dirt roads and camp on the beach for a long weekend of Island living.
About the Ride
Bike Camp: Catalina ISland is a guided bikepacking trip across Catalina Island
TBA
Catalina Island, California
Bike Camp is an opportunity to learn bikepacking essentials while traversing the beautiful and sparsely populated landscapes on Catalina Island, one of the most diverse and mountainous of the Channel Islands off the southern California Coast. Our second edition of Bike Camp takes you on a three-day, two-night adventure where we’ll pedal 67 miles of the island’s best cycling roads.
Event Details
Positive Planet Impact
Full Event Story
Ready to take your adventure to the next level? Introducing Bike Camp: Catalina Island. This island is a biking paradise as the general public is not allowed to drive vehicles. The rare car we encounter will be driven by permitted land managers or for use by small local businesses.
What if your next cycling trip didn’t just take you to beautiful places but also equipped you with the skills to explore remote backroads, camp under the stars, and be completely self-sufficient?
Bike Camp is more than just a bike ride – it’s an opportunity to master bikepacking essentials while traversing some of the wildest and awe-inspiring landscapes on Catalina Island. Once we depart Los Angeles by ferry, we’ll leave the traffic and the hustle and bustle of the mainland behind for a peaceful few days of camping, riding, swimming, and learning.
Why You Can’t Miss This Bikepacking Adventure
Master Backcountry Bikepacking: Learn essential skills like ultralight packing, trail navigation, bike maintenance, and leave-no-trace camping. Our experienced guides will ensure you leave with the confidence to tackle future self-supported adventures.
Visit Catalina Island: Many people have seen it, some have visited, but few have biked the entire network of epic gravel roads while joining a group of adventure-seeking friends!
Swim, Hike, and Snorkel – Adventure Beyond the Bike: It’s not just about the ride. We’ll camp on or near the beach on both nights of this trip, where you’ll be able to swim or snorkel in the clean blue waters of the Pacific. We’ll also visit botanical gardens, wander around the cute towns of the island, and may even encounter some of the wild bison that live there.
A True Backcountry Adventure – No Support Vehicles, Just You and the Wild
This is a new and different kind of Climate Ride event. You’ll carry all your gear on your bike, just like seasoned backpackers. Our guides will provide essential group gear like water filters, cooking supplies, and emergency communication devices, but you’ll be in charge of your own tent, sleeping bag, clothing, and bike gear. Don’t worry – you’ll learn everything you need to know along the way.
Photo Gallery
Itinerary Overview
Itinerary subject to change, your Ride Guide will include full details.
Day 1
22 Miles, 3,000 feet of climbing
We’ll meet in the morning and help all participants pack their bikes, assess gear, and load up with snacks and then we’ll board a 1.5 hour ferry ride to Catalina Island. Our first day climbs up near the island’s high point, Mount Orizaba before descending back to the sea where we’ll camp at LIttle River Camground. This campsite was named best camground in the west by Sunset Magazine!
Day 2
15 Miles, 1,800 feet of climbing
Today we get to enjoy all that the island has to offer. We’ll still get a beautiful ride in with some challenging climbs, but as we adjust to island time, we’ll hang at the beach, go for a swim, and have a nice lunch in the town of Two Harbors. From here we pedal along the ocean to the northern tip of the island where we’ll camp away from it all on the beach. You’ll have options to hike, snorkle or catch up on some reading as we take things slow and indulge in party pace.
Day 3
30 Miles, 4,000 feet of climbing
On Day 3, after we’ve eaten most of our snacks and our bikes are a little lighter, we’ll tackle our biggest day of riding and climbing. Today, we’ll see the rest of the bikeable roads on the island and catch a late afternoon ferry back to the mainland. We can arrange airport shuttles to John Wayne Airport (SNA) or the vicinity. We don’t reccommend booking flights earlier than 9:00 PM on October 21.
Ready to get started?
FAQs and More Info
What’s included
- Pre-trip planning and guidance for packing
- Ferry fares for the trip
- Simple breakfasts and coffee each morning
- Trailside lunches
- Delicious dinners each evening
- All overnight camping fees
- Daily biking permits for riding on Catalina Island
- Professional guides (who are also bike mechanics) and support
- Transportation to and from John Wayne Airport (SNA)
Not included:
- Bike rental
- Snorkling gear
- Extra snacks or alcoholic beverages
- Gratuities for guides
- Parking fees for vehicles at the ferry terminal
Getting to and from the ride & bike rental
We’ll arrange an early morning shuttle from John Wayne Ariport on October 19, 2025. If driving, you can meet us at the ferry terminal in Long Beach, CA.
Participants can rent a carbon Salsa Warbird gravel bike equipped with fork mounts for stuff sacks. All bikes are set up with tubeless gravel tires and come with a pump, multi-tool, spare tube, water bottle, helmet, and spd or flat pedals. Bike rentals for Bike Camp: Catalina Island are $180.
When we arrive back to Long Beach after the ride, we’ll offer a shuttle John Wayne Airport. The exact ferry schedule is to be determined for October but we don’t expect to arrive to the airport until after 7:30 PM on October 21.
What type of bike should I bring and what are the roads like?
The ideal setup is a gravel bike , but a rigid 29’er mountain bike with fast-rolling tires will also do the trick. Disc brakes, tubeless tires and a wide range of gears for steep climbs and a loaded bike are also highly reccommended. With a mix of dirt and paved roads, and the occational section of mud, puddles or sand, you’ll want a versatile bike that can take on the variety of surfaces we’ll encounter. You’ll also want a bike that can accommodate a frame bag, seat bag, handlebar roll, and potentially fork mounted bags or lightweight panniers.
Bike safety
Bike safety is our top priority. All participants must follow bicycle rules of the road and state laws. Wearing approved bicycle helmets (a proper safety helmet that is less than 3 years old) is mandatory at all times while cycling. Our support crew provides guidance, SAG (Support and Gear), and reinforces bike safety tips throughout the event for comprehensive bicycle safety. Please see our Safety Page for more information.
Fundraising and important deadlines
Fueling Adventure and Supporting Trail Stewardship
The fundraising proceeds from Bike Camp: Catalina Island will power Climate Ride’s new Bikepacking Education Program, designed to educate and inspire our growing network of adventure-seekers who are passionate about exploring remote landscapes by bicycle while treading lightly on the planet. Through this program, we equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to embark on self-supported adventures and foster a deeper connection to the natural world.
In addition, a portion of the proceeds from this event will be granted to local trails coalitions that build, maintain, and protect the very trails that make journeys like this possible. These organizations play a vital role in ensuring that public lands remain accessible, safe, and sustainable for future generations of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.
Note: This event does not feature beneficiary selection, allowing us to focus proceeds on supporting the Climate Ride Bikepacking Education Program and the dedicated organizations that safeguard the trails we cherish.
Fundraising Deadlines:
| $500 to be raised by: | TBD |
| $600 to be raised by: | TBD |
| Transfer Deadline: | TBD |
| $1200 to be raised by | TBD |
What is the Climate Ride Bike Camp Catalina Island event really like? What areas do we ride through, what kind of cycling is involved, and what should participants know about this bikepacking adventure?
The Climate Ride Bike Camp Catalina Island is a true destination bike packing experience, designed to be a rugged and rewarding cycling adventure just 22 miles off the California coast. Unlike our fully supported rides, this Bike Camp is a hands-on, self-supported journey where you’ll learn the art of bikepacking while immersed in the wild beauty of one of the Channel Islands. It’s about building community, embracing sustainability through self-sufficiency, and disconnecting from the mainland for a few days of incredible riding and beach camping.
The heart of this trip is exploring the island’s scenic and often challenging back roads. We leave the pavement behind to traverse the island’s interior on a mix of dirt and gravel paths. The route features significant climbing, with daily elevation gains between 1,800 and 4,000 feet. You’ll pedal up to breathtaking vistas near Mount Orizaba, descend to the beautiful shores of Little Harbor for camping on Catalina Island, and explore the charming town of Two Harbors. This is a true backcountry adventure where you might even spot some of the island’s famous bison!
The cycling is primarily gravel cycling. The ideal machine for this trip is a gravel bike with a wide range of gears to handle the steep climbs with a full load of gear. A rigid mountain bike with fast-rolling tires is also a suitable option. This is a challenging charity bike ride, and while you don’t need to be a seasoned bikepacker, you should be a confident cyclist comfortable with long climbs and varied terrain. Our guides will be there to teach essential bikepacking skills, but you will be responsible for carrying your own camping gear. Your fundraising efforts for this trip directly support our mission of conservation, making every pedal stroke an act of eco-tourism that contributes to fighting climate change.
More questions?
Be sure to review our general FAQ and policies or contact us!
