Capes of the Canyon

Grand Canyon Bikepacking

South Rim - Capes of the Canyon

North Rim - Capes of the Canyon

The Capes of the Canyon are a set of two bikepacking routes located on the South and North Rims of Grand Canyon National Park.  Both routes traverse classic Colorado Plateau geography.  The COTC take riders into vast forests of pinyon, juniper, ponderosa, aspen, and spruce.  They travel through open subalpine meadows and arid savannahs.  They cross exposed plains of sand, sage, stone, and prickly pear. They traverse across benchlands and canyonlands topography.  They peer down at the waters of the Colorado River.  And most strikingly, they take bikepackers to Capes of land jutting out into geological space, providing riders iconically recognizable and rarely regarded views of the Grand Canyon.  

​​​The Grand Canyon bisects the portion of the Colorado Plateau found in Northern Arizona into two distinct halves.  The South and North Rims offer bikepackers different views, perspectives, elevations, temperatures, climate, vegetation, and remoteness.

Ride with GPS Maps

Explore the Ride with GPS map collection for the North and South Rims.

Route Passages

The Capes of the Canyon are broken up into a series of passages for those looking to section-ride, overnight, or day ride.

South Rim Passages

North Rim Passages


Partner Organizations

Connecting the Capes

Capes Connectors are options for riders who are looking to connect both the South and North Rims in one continuous trip.