This is a fun afternoon outing that checks all the boxes of a great gravel ride – good dirt, quiet tarmac, beautiful scenery and a super secret mountain airport mid ride.

The dirt riding is a mix of smooth ATV roads, some off camber sections and some slightly chunkier sections but nothing too bad. The paved sections consist of some super quiet but real rough tarmac and some perfectly paved but slightly busier (wide) shoulder riding.

After the airport it’s all paved riding on a wide shouldered Highway 89 and some quiet back roads. This follows a portion of the South Lake Loop which recommends stopping at the Mad Dog Cafe so naturally it’s a good place for a near end of ride snack and beer.

NOTE: There are Private Property/No Trespassing signs at the entrance to Mud Lake Rd but it’s for the land that is accessed via the road, not the road itself. The other end of Mud Lake Rd does not feature any signs that I’ve seen.