Bikepacking the Northern Blues and Wallowa Gravel Loop: A 465 mile journey in Eastern Oregon

My Video Recap of the Northern Blues

The Northern Blues and Wallowa Gravel Loop, otherwise known as the “Nubwiggle,” is a 465-mile Pacific Northwest route that starts and ends in Walla Walla, Washington. The route climbs 42,000 feet through arid farmlands, forested canyons, and remote mountain wilderness. 

Despite the intense climbing, nearly all of it is rideable, and the campsites each night offer ample water resupply and an opportunity to clean off. The abundance of small towns along the route means that a beer and a hamburger are never too far away. 

The route was designed by Phil Neumann, an entrepreneur and Walla Walla local, as part of his mission to map big bikepacking routes from his front door.

Phil's description of the route below:

"The Northern Blues and Wallowa Gravel Loop (NBWGL aka “Nubwiggle”) is an eight-day bikepacking route through some of the best and most remote gravel riding in the Western United States. Expect postcard-worthy scenes of farms, ranches, forests, rivers, and quaint agricultural towns that will burn themselves into your mind forever. Summer riding offers snow-free travel through this rugged landscape, with near-daily resupplies and camping each night on iconic waterways of eastern Washington and Oregon…"