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Our Story
We have devoted over twenty-five years to creating and defining destination hut to hut skiing and mountain bike travel. In 1983, while on a climbing/skiing trip in Canada, Joe Ryan and his buddy were inspired to develop their own hut system. Joe had used the Canadian ski huts for more than a decade. A comprehensive…
What is at our Bike Huts
Our mountain huts hold eight people per night. The wooden huts are equipped with padded bunks, sleeping bags, a propane cook stove, propane light, wood stove, and necessary utensils, cookware, food and drinking water. Food supplies are replenished regularly, and each hut is equipped with a composting toilet facility. San Juan Hut Cuisine (There’s more…
Telluride to Moab
2025 Price Increase
Please note, for trips scheduled for 2025, the following pricing will apply:
- Telluride to Moab $1,385
- Durango to Moab $1,385
- Telluride to Gateway $1,185
- Durango to Paradox $1,185
*8 for 7 Rider Discounts will still be available with the initial booking.
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General Information
TELLURIDE TO MOAB – DEPARTURE DATES: JUNE 1-SEPTEMBER 26
The San Juan Hut System Telluride to Moab Route consists of a 6 night / 7 day bike ride, traversing from Telluride, through the Alpine Peaks of the San Juan’s, to Moab’s Canyon Country and Desert Slickrock. The 4 night/ 5 day ride follows the same route, but stops short of the La Sal Mountains and the awesome descent into Moab Canyon Country. In 2014 substantial new singletrack became available. The San Juan Hut System’s Telluride to Moab Bike Route follows 215 miles of secondary dirt roads and/or singletrack from Telluride, leaving the high alpine tundra of the San Juan Mountains to the desert slickrock and canyon country of Moab, Utah. This route is designed for beginner to advanced riders in good physical condition and offers alternate-Single Track routes between various huts to extend your trip and offer more challenges. The Telluride to Moab Route is a bit easier than its sister route, Durango to Moab, and spends a bit more time in the mountainous terrain. It is perfect for those who are first-time riders with San Juan Hut Systems or those who want more flexibility and time in their day to explore singletrack alternates.
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Itinerary
- Day 1: Telluride to Last Dollar Hut.
- Be aware that you are riding at altitude and many people coming from lower elevations will feel the effects on this first day. Perched near treeline at 11,000′ in the Sneffels Range, the views of the Wilsons and Lizard head form Last Dollar Hut are extraordinary.
- Standard Route.
- You will take the bike path to the start of Last Dollar Road. Last Dollar Road starts off as a dirt road and ends as a jeep road. You will have superb views of the Wilsons and Lizard Head throughout the day. The final 1/8 mile is a very steep trail up to the hut where views well worth the effort await.
- Alternate Routes:
- A variety of great single track options, from taking the gondola up to 10,500 ft for some extra downhill challenging singletrack miles, to the intermediate Galloping Goose, to the strenuous Deep Creek alternate.
- Day 2: Last Dollar Hut to Spring Creek Hut.
- Roll down the northside of the Last Dollar Pass and traverse Hastings and the Horsefly Mesas. Great old west scenery today passing through old ranch country with the jagged north side of the Sneffels Range in the background. For those with extra gas in the tank, there are single track options to explore after dropping your gear and getting a bite to eat at the Spring Creek Hut.
- Day 3: Spring Creek Hut to Columbine Hut.
- Standard Route:
- A densely forested dirt road parallels the edge of the plateau. View points along the way offer big views of the Sneffels Range, Lone Cone, Little Cone, the Abajos, and the La Sals!
- Alternate Routes:
- For the Singletrack rider, you can really choose your own adventure this day. There is a system of trails that generally parallels the standard route and you can choose which sections you want to ride. Even extremely fit and technically proficient riders will find enough singltrack to insure they sleep like the dead. There is also substantial beginner and intermediate trails that many riders will enjoy.
- Day 4: Columbine Hut to Grahm Ranch Hut.
- The Grahm Ranch is owned by Tam and Deana Grahm whose families have ranched in this area for generations. Showers are a welcome luxury this night.
- Standard Route:
- Today you will break out of the forests again and enjoy tremendous views from the alpine meadows and grasslands of the Uncompahgre Plateau. This is wild country with some of the most expansive views in the West.
- Alternate Routes:
- Beginner and intermediate singletrack options exist in the last third of the day.
- Day 5: Grahm Ranch Hut to Gateway Hut.
- The Gateway Hut rests in the shade of giant cottonwood trees alongside the Dolores River. Not long ago the little desert town of Gateway was one of the last isolated real, hard, ranching communities in the west and remnants of this wild west persist. There is even history from earlier inhabitants left in petroglyphs on the sandstone rocks and cliffs. A a relatively new and elegant resort, the Gateway Canyons Resort, has been developed by the previous owner of the Discovery Chanel. He must have recognized prime real estate when he saw it! The resort offers luxury hotel rooms, air conditioned dining, and even helicopter rides, baja 100 tours for those who are interested.
- Standard Route:
- Today you will drop form alpine ecosystem of the Uncompahgre Plateau down to the hot dry canyons. Lots of downhill!
- Alternate Route:
- Significant and quality singeltrack drops you down from the Plateau. There are several options to rejoin the standard route throughout the day.
- Day 6: Gateway Hut to La Sal Hut.
- La Sal Hut is nestled in a meadow on the shoulder of the La Sals that is filled with wild Iris in the Spring. For those up for a little more exploring there are petrified dinosaur tracks and for those with a sharp eye, arrow heads.
- Standard Route:
- Climbs up the infamous and wild John Brown Canyon back into the cooler air of the La Sal Mountains.
- Day 7: La Sal Hut to Moab.
- Yippee, downhill to Moab, one of the best biking capitals of the world.
- Standard Route:
- This is the fast track, you will fly by pines, then ponderosas, then pinion junipers, and then slick rock as you drop down into the desert canyon country of Moab.
- Alternate Routes:
- Various world class bike trails lead down into Moab including the Porcupine Rim Trail!
What People Are Saying
MTB Hut Trip Info
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6 Night / 7 Day
Bike Package $995 per person
Group Discount: 8/7 – Eight riders for the price of seven – $6,965 total. Only available with the initial booking.
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4 Night / 5 Day
Bike Package $895 per person
Group Discount: 8/7 – Eight riders for the price of seven – $6,265 total. Only available with the initial booking.
Ski
The San Juan Hut Systems’ Hut-to-Hut backcountry Ski Route links Telluride with Ouray traversing below 14,000 foot alpine peaks on the north side of the Sneffels Range. You can ski hut-to-hut from one town to the next, connect one or two huts, or even just spend one night out in a hut in the mountains.…
Mountain Bike Hut Trips
2025 Pricing Update
Please note, for trips scheduled for 2025, the following pricing will apply:
- Telluride to Moab $1,385
- Durango to Moab $1,385
- Telluride to Gateway $1,185
- Durango to Paradox $1,185
*8 for 7 Rider Discounts will still be available with the initial booking.
We have devoted over twenty-five years to creating and perfecting destination hut-to-hut travel. Both mountain bike routes provide a premium, minimalist experience, for the do-it-yourself adventurer. On either of the two routes, you may ride the ‘standard route’ (historic logging, mining, ranching roads). Or if you are a more technically motivated single track rider, choose the ‘single track alternates’ on four out of the seven days total, provided on each route.
Why this trip is awesome
Why you can do this awesome and remote trip…
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Your bike will be properly tuned with new tires, brake pads, etc., before your trip.
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You will have a variety of excellent navigational ‘tools’ (Maps, GPS tracks, turn by turn Route Descriptions).
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You will be in great condition with all the training you are doing to get in shape for your trip!
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You can go light because you don’t need to bring the kitchen sink. We even have one guy, the ultimate minimalist, who has ridden the routes about nine times and goes out with a whopping total of five pounds of gear, no joke!
Why this trip will be tons of fun…
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The western landscapes you ride through are nothing less than stunning.
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You will come home with memories and stories of a lifetime.
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Who knows what kind of epic weather the Weather Gods will throw at you that will make for a great story; perfect sunny days, driving rain, blowing snow, pounding sleet, man eating mud holes, blistering sun, wind driven dust storms, or bugs that can carry you away. Luckily, at both ends of the day, you and your buddies can relax in a comfortable hut protected from the elements! ‘No crawling into a leaky tent and sleeping on a pile of rocks for you’!!!
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You will be well rested for your next day’s ride after sleeping on comfortable 4’’ vinyl covered sleeping pads and eating all the tasty grub and beer you can get down your gullet.
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Awesome single track trails and backcountry dirt roads to ride on.
San Juan Hut Systems supplies expert advice on all aspects of adventuring with us. Please refer to our reference guide, The Bikers Bible, for information on our Policies and Procedures, Planning Your Trip, what to expect On The Route, and what you will find at The Hut and Hut Etiquette. You will also find such information as recommended Shuttle Services, Bike Shops, Transportation Considerations, Airports, recommended Lodging and much more.
Mountain Bike Routes
6 Night / 7 Day
Our six night/ seven day bike routes start in either Telluride, CO or Durango, CO and finish in the world renowned biking destination, Moab, Utah. Each hut is approximately 35 miles apart and is equipped with food, water, propane cook stove and lights, sleeping gear, and all cookware and utensils you need. Colder huts in the higher elevations also have a wood stove to keep it nice and cozy and to dry out gear. Maps, written route descriptions, and GPS tracks will lead you between each hut. These routes follow dirt road and single-track trails from the high alpine tundra of the San Juan Mountains to the desert slick rock and canyon country of Utah. The standard routes stay on dirt/jeep/and fire roads everyday and on over four of the seven days, there are great single track options on both routes. With the only, A to B, hut-to-hut based system in the US, we provide the adventure of bike packing/touring without the weight of supplies and gear by offering fully stocked huts with minimal route finding challenges.
$995 per person
or Group Discount: 8/7 – Eight riders for the price of seven – $6,965 total. Only available with the initial booking.
Packages are reserved on a first come-first served basis. Call (970) 626-3033 to Reserve
4 Night / 5 Day
Our 5 day / 4 night bike rides follow the same route, starting in either Telluride or Durango, but finish before descending into the Utah sections. The shorter Telluride route ends in Gateway and the shorter Durango route ends in Paradox. Although you miss out on two great days, these shorter routes are perfect for those who must fit their adventures into a standard week-long vacation.
Durango to Paradox and Telluride to Gateway… your entire trip in less than a week!
$895 per person
or Group Discount: 8/7 – Eight riders for the price of seven – $6,265 total. Only available with the initial booking.
Packages are reserved on a first come-first served basis. Call (970) 626-3033 to Reserve
Durango to Moab
2025 Price Increase
Please note, for trips scheduled for 2025, the following pricing will apply:
- Telluride to Moab $1,385
- Durango to Moab $1,385
- Telluride to Gateway $1,185
- Durango to Paradox $1,185
*8 for 7 Rider Discounts will still be available with the initial booking.
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General Information
DURANGO TO MOAB – DEPARTURE DATES: JUNE 15-SEPTEMBER 27
The San Juan Hut System Durango to Moab route consists of a 6 night/ 7 day bike ride, traversing from Durango, through the Alpine Peaks of the San Juan’s, to Moab’s Canyon Country and Desert Slickrock. This route follows 215-miles of secondary dirt roads from Durango, CO across the high alpine terrain of the San Juan Mountains to the desert slickrock and canyon country of Moab, UT. The route itself is more remote, rugged, and 25% more difficult than its sister route, the Telluride to Moab Route. It is designed for intermediate to advanced riders in very good physical condition. Alternate Single-Track Routes between various huts extend your trip and offer more challenges. Weather permitting, the Durango to Moab Route opens on the 15th of June. Please be advised that many of the single track options, the Durango to Moab Route is known for, can be closed until near the 10th of July due to potential remaining snowpack.
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Itinerary
- Day 1- Durango Mountain Resort to Bolam Pass Hut.
- Climb up, up, up through some of Colorado’s most stunning alpine scenery. You can either ride up the jeep road or spend almost the entire day on excellent singletrack on the Colorado Trail.
- Day 2- Bolam Pass Hut to Black Mesa Hut.
- Start the day of with lots of downhill either on a jeep road or fun singletrack. The second half of the day is a steady climb. Don’t miss the raspberries! There are several singletrack options for those looking for an additional challenge.
- Day 3- Black Mesa Hut to Dry Creek Hut.
- On this day you will ride out of the alpine and into the high desert. This day is somewhat of a rest day, mainly on jeep and dirt roads, with an optional 7 miles of singletrack. Take a swim in Miramonte Reservoir.
- Day 4- Dry Creek Hut to Wedding Bell Hut.
- Miles can roll by quickly on the high desert plateau. sage brush, Pinon Juniper, coyotes, and antelope abound here. Several singletrack options can be joined together, for an entirely separate route from the standard route (on dirt roads), or you can ride just one section of singletrack and ride the standard route the rest of the day.
- Day 5 – Wedding Bell Hut to Paradox Hut.
- Descend into the Paradox Valley through some real southwestern terrain with sandstone cliffs, big open spaces, and generally hot dry air. You will likely feel like you are at the edge of civilization this day, because you are. The final descent drops down a rough, steep, historic trail, not for the faint of heart! The Paradox Hut lies on the outskirts of a tiny ranching community and is stocked with local organic veggies when in season.
- Day 6- Paradox Hut to Geyser Pass.
- A big climb out of the desert and back up into the alpine terrain of the La Sals. At the end of the day, you will ride through one of the largest operating ranches in the state.
- Day 7- Geyser Pass Hut to Moab, UT.
- Ride all the way down into the desert slick rock of Moab! You can either take the fast track, whizzing down dirt roads, through awesome terrain or ride one of the many excellent single track routes. One popular option is to ride the world renowned ‘ Whole Enchilada’ for those really wanting to top off their single track riding for the trip. Quite the grand finale!
What People Are Saying
MTB Hut Trip Info
-
6 Night / 7 Day
Bike Package $995 per person
Group Discount: 8/7 – Eight riders for the price of seven – $6,965 total. Only available with the initial booking.
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4 Night / 5 Day
Bike Package $895 per person
Group Discount: 8/7 – Eight riders for the price of seven – $6,265 total. Only available with the initial booking.
Backcountry Hiking Huts
2025 Price Increase
Please note, for trips scheduled for 2025, the following pricing will apply:
- Sneffels Traverse: $450 per person
*The 8 for the price of 7 hikers discount will be available with the new 2025 pricing. Only offered with the initial booking.
Hike The Sneffels Traverse
The Sneffels Traverse, the ultimate hiking adventure: Complete the whole Sneffels Traverse starting at Last Dollar Pass above Telluride, CO and ending in Ouray, CO. Hike through the Sneffels Wilderness area and spend one night at each of the four huts. Five to nine miles of alpine hiking trails a day provide some of the very best views in the state. You will hike through alpine meadows, aspen groves, and beneath jagged peaks.
A food drop can be arranged at Blue Lakes Hut, which is half way through the Sneffels Traverse, to insure you never have to carry more than a couple days of food. This trip is perfect for those looking for a lightweight and more secure and comfortable backpacking experience or for mountaineers looking to cover a lot of rugged terrain with minimal weight.
Come to the San Juan Mountains, the trail hiking mecca of Colorado with 360 degrees of hiking! Our 4 backcountry Hiking huts traverse the north side of the Sneffels Range, below 14,000 foot alpine peaks.The routes between most huts are suitable for fit individuals with intermediate backcountry experience, while above the huts there is remote and rugged terrain for more technical peak bagging and mountaineering. Variations exist to accommodate most levels of fitness and experience.
During June through November*, you must book the full 4 night/5 day hut-to-hut traverse. We look forward to working with you to help create an adventure for you and your group to have an excellent experience.
*We will open the month of November up for independent bookings on November 1.
Hiking Hut Facilities
San Juan Huts accommodate eight people per night. The wooden huts are equipped with padded bunks, sleeping bags*, Crazy Creek Chairs, a propane cook stove, propane lights, wood stove, and necessary utensils and cookware. Each hut is equipped with a composting toilet facility. Hikers will need to bring their own food and personal gear.
Additional supplies stocked at each hut:
Paper towels, paper plates, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, bleach, dish soap, dish towels, hand sanitizer, lighters, olive oil, hot sauces, salt and pepper, coffee filters, percolators, pour-overs, and fire extinguishers.
*Sleeping bags are not provided for part of October, all of November, and May.
Backcountry Awareness
The hut system is designed to accommodate various levels of hiker ability. All hikers should be familiar with changing mountain weather conditions and must be adequately prepared. Hikers should possess route finding abilities, be physically fit, and general backcountry awareness.
Booking Information
From June 1 through November, we only book the Hiking Huts through the 4-night/5-day Sneffels Traverse. The Sneffels Traverse is $275 per person and includes your shuttle to the start of the hike.
During “Off-Season” or the months of May and November*, we allow custom bookings in the Hiking Huts. During these months, the huts are $30 per person per night and SLEEPING BAGS AREN’T PROVIDED!
*We will open up the month of November for custom bookings on November 1st.
A food drop can be arranged at the Blue Lakes Hut (night 2), halfway through the Sneffels Traverse, to ensure you never have to carry more than a couple of days of food. We also offer the option of a food drop at the Burn Hut (night 4). This add-on is perfect for those looking for a lightweight and more comfortable backpacking experience or mountaineers looking to cover a lot of rugged terrain with minimal weight. We ask that you give us 30 days’ notice before your start date to add on a food drop to your reservation. Please call or email to book the food drop(s) of your choosing.
Please call or email the office with any specific questions!
Maps
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Sneffels Traverse South Map
Hiking Hut Info
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Maximum 8 people per night
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June through November, the 4 night/ 5 day Sneffels Traverse is $275 per person. This includes your shuttle to the start.
*We will open up the month of November for independent bookings on November 1.
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During May and November, or the “Off Season”, we allow custom bookings. The Hiking Huts are $30 per person per night during “Off Season.”
Be Prepared
Adequate rain gear and warm clothing are necessary due to variable weather conditions. The average mountain elevation is 9,500+ feet. Temperatures can range from extreme heat to below freezing during any summer month. Springs along the trail are available for water between huts, although filtering is recommended. A carrying capacity of two liters per hiker per day is strongly advised.
About Us
Who is on the other end of the line? Although you might find us on the other end of the line of a phone or computer, we live to be outside. Some of our collective adventures include: Multi thousand mile bike trips throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Ireland; biking our own routes; innumerable miles…
Sneffels Traverse 2014 Results
What a great group of people, thanks for coming out everyone! Hope to see you all next year!