Wyoming may be getting a Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) of its own.  According to the Basin Republican Rustler, the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation (WOOR) is looking at getting the state onto a BDR map.  During a recent meeting WOOR’s Manager, Christopher Floyd brought the BDR opportunity to the attention of the Bighorn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (BBORC).

An excellent opportunity

Floyd told the BBORC that the BDR already has maps for the surrounding states of Idaho, Colorado, and Utah.  He informed the collaborative that having a BDR in Wyoming represents an excellent economic development opportunity.  He also told the group that the BDR already has a proposed route for Wyoming.  The route will travel through seven counties and will end at the Montana border.  The average time to ride the route will be eight to nine days.

Meeting with county representatives

On a zoom call, Floyd previously met with county representatives from Big Horn, Natrona, Albany, Carbon, Washakie, and Sheridan counties.  Also in attendance were BDR staff and business owners including one from Greybull.

Floyd is quoted as telling the meeting attendees:

“With a little bit of fundraising, we can literally put Wyoming on the map for thousands of high-end, long-distance-adventure, motorcycle-riding enthusiasts.  Right now, we are missing out on potentially millions of dollars of direct spending by these riders inside of our borders.  They’re choosing other states like Idaho, Utah, and Colorado instead.” – Christopher Floyd as reported by the Basin Republican Rustler

Significant interest?

And it seems that the representatives may be more than a little interested.  County representatives reportedly said that the $15,000 cost to get onto a BDR map isn’t an impossible number to raise.  That amount will include a professionally produced, waterproof map, a feature-length film with a DVD downloaded on the website, a dedicated page that features local lodging, food options, discovery points, and a dedicated Facebook page.

Floyd went on to say:

“These riders have to stop for fuel, food, supplies, and lodging virtually every day and the route will take more than a week to complete.  The BDR will provide a lot in the way of adventure for the riders, but also a lot in the way of spending in communities along the way.  These riders tend to be middle aged and they travel on bikes that can cost more than $20,000, so they have disposable income to spend here before they head home.” – Christopher Floyd as reported by the Basin Republican Rustler

According to the Basin Republican Rustler, each county will continue the process with WOOR.  They hope to have the route approved and in place by 2023.

A Wyoming BDR could be great.  There are still lots of wide-open spaces and interesting things to do and see there.  Here’s to hoping both the WOOR and BDR are successful in bringing a new BDR route to Wyoming.  We’ll keep you up to date as we learn more.

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