8/9/2025 – This summer I have been doing a lot more biking around Sawbill! I have never really done gravel biking before, but brought up a bike and decided to give it a try. There are tons of great roads around here for bike rides, including the Sawbill Trail. It has been very fun to do some out and backs over to other entry points, like Baker, but there are also some loops you can do.

Roads like the Sawbill Trail, Perent Lake Road, and the Grade are all wider and driven more frequently, however, there are also a lot of single track roads like Jabbo, Rice Lake, and Pancore Lake. Regardless there is something in it for everyone and as long as you’ve got decent tires for gravel, you are totally okay with any bike you have. I have been using my grandma’s bike from the early 2000s, which has done the trick and is more than okay for the routes I have done. As long as you’ve got a bike (and don’t forget your helmet!) you are all set!

We also get a lot of people coming through Sawbill who are doing the “Straddle and Paddle” bikepacking route which you can find more information about here. Similarly, crew member Damon (aka D-Dawg) has been exploring a lot of the back roads on his motorcycle which has allowed him to get places faster than a normal bike! Regardless of how you go about it, there are a lot of fun ways to bike. Just remember to leave no trace on the back roads, I have picked up a bunch of trash from other people on those roads so leave them better than you found them!!

-Anna