gpsKevin Adventure Rides - Baja Safari 25

Baja Safari

Side by Side Style

February 9 – 15, 2025

6 Day safari around northern Baja California

Video of the 2024 Baja Safari by Tim B

The Baja Safari is a one week adventure to explore the backcountry in northwestern Baja California. We will be staying in hotels and we will be eating in restaurants or roadside stands. Each day we will travel the backroads to a new location. Folks will be riding together in small groups and will need to keep track of each other.

The time has come to join these fantastic Baja adventures

Street license is not needed for your side by side, but it must be registered with OHV tags from some state.

Note: There is parking for your truck and trailer on the USA side and you can just drive your Side by Side across the border

The Baja California Peninsula stretches southward from the US border for nearly 800 miles. The deep blue Pacific Ocean surrounds it on the west and the emerald green waters of the Gulf of California wrap it on the east. Along Baja's 2,000+ miles of coast are deserted coves with pristine beaches and picturesque fishing villages. At the southern tip of Baja, at Cabo San Lucas, the Pacific and the Gulf of California meet. Rugged mountains go down the spine of the peninsula, creating some of the most spectacular riding spots in the world. The Baja climate varies from the cool climate similar to Southern California in the northwest, semi-arid mountainous regions in the interior, and semi-tropical areas along the southeastern coast. Baja is geographically isolated from the rest of Mexico which graces the area with unique varieties of plants found no place else on earth. The giant cordón cacti, cirio, and date palms that the Jesuits planted in the 17th century and the mangrove thickets are just a few of the varieties found in Baja. The temperature can vary from summer highs topping 100°F to balmy winter temps in the seventies and eighties. The ideal time to travel in Baja is from late September to mid-June.

Desert in the springtime

About this Safari

This ride is an adventure, meaning there will be a lot of back dirt roads and some pavement. Not too much tough stuff. There will be scenic easier options and some tough options. This is mostly an overland style ride where we explore the peninsula, the food, local culture and the people along the way. The days can be long, sometimes 8 to 10 hours of traveling. We will be staying in remote motels or lodges each day. 6 days total riding with a total distance of 1,250 miles. The average ride day is 200+ miles. The ride will include motels each night and plenty of places to get food. You will want to bring your own cooler and lawn chairs. All riding is on your own, but everyone hooks up and rides with a friend or a new friend or me. This will be a spectacular ride, I am excited for this adventure. If you have questions feel free to email us at: kevin@gpskevinadventurerides.com

About gpsKevin Rides

This ride is an adventure. Not too much tough stuff.

I have added some easy and harder options for riders that are looking for extra or just to relax.

This is a 6 day adventure ride making a big loop around northern Baja. We will be staying in different motels each night during the week. Some riders may tow their vehicle to the border and then leave their trucks/trailers at the border for the week.

We will be eating in restaurants during the week, so no need to bring cooking equipment or food.

The riding should be scenic to rough depending on your choices.

The exciting part about this ride is that riders can choose their own level of adventure exposure each day to meet their desires and level of excitement.

Each day our route will take us to the next motel and many days we will have an option of lunch on the trail.

Each morning riders will grab breakfast and team up with their riding buddies, grab their daily snacks and begin their adventure.

The day's adventures are long with many rich options along the way.

After the day's ride, riders perform maintenance and join up for happy hour and dinner. Then it is often to bed early as the next day comes quickly.

Ride Details

I know many of you also enjoy dreaming about the ride and making your plans, so here is the detail, enjoy!

Ride Description Baja Safari 25

Signup info:

The cost to join this 6 day ride is $1,695. This covers your lodging for the 6 nights during the ride. Each ride signup is for one vehicle with 2 adults and includes a double room with 2 beds. These spots are meant for couples or friends traveling together. If you have a family with kids and can work out the two beds that is also fine. This also covers your ride packets which include custom Garmin GPS maps on a micro SD card and printed ride maps and descriptions. Not included is the cost of meals, drinks and gas.

Now taking signups: You can now reserve your spot on this ride by leaving a $200 Deposit (Ride limit is 12 vehicles)

Sorry the ride is sold out. You can add your name to the waiting list and if someone cancels I will contact you. Note this often happens, so you should really add your name.

Rider Waiting List BAJA SAFARI 25

After your signup riders will receive an email from me with further ride information and instructions.

Note:

Riders must make 50% payment by October 19th, 2024.

Riders must make full payment by December 14th, 2024.

Riders will receive ride packets in the mail one week before the ride.

Refund Policy

Do not sign up for this ride unless you are serious about coming. I take your signup very seriously and start planning for you the minute you sign up. If you need to cancel up to two months prior to the ride start date I will give you a full refund but I will keep $100 to cover the planning work. Sorry but I make non refundable commitments myself so it gets hard for me. "I hate this world of non refundable deals myself." If you need to cancel within two months of the ride, I cannot give a refund unless I can find a replacement rider. In the case of finding a replacement rider, I will gladly give you the full refund minus the $100 to cover the planning work. In the event of ride cancellation, you will be given a full refund.

Ride Yodas

View the ride maps

OK since many of you like to study more detail about the ride, below are the ride maps.

I put these ride maps on the web page because I know a few of you love looking at the ride detail and dreaming about the ride. At first glance these maps do not look so impressive, but they are way cool. If you start zooming in, you can see the ride in incredible detail. I have spent a ton of hours sorting through the details of the ride for each day, so for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing, well enjoy!

Legend:

The Blue lines are MAIN routes

The Red lines are Harder routes

The Green lines are Easy options

The Black lines are the out and back viewpoints

How does the ride navigation work?

This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own. You are responsible for your own riding. You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together. You are not encouraged to ride alone. You are responsible for your own riding and yourself.

(see my ride Navigation Video)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff, come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden. I take the best from all my rides and make new ones.

(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)

Note from me, gpsKevin

My goal for this ride is simple, great riding, so you can count on great routes and places to ride.

But in addition: the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of northwest Baja.

Thanks

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q:What will the weather be like this time of year?

A: In February, the weather is most often nice, could be a little hot in the lower elevations and it can be cold in the morning and in the mountains. But sometimes there can be rain. Wet and muddy routes can force us to change our plans. Come prepared with extra gear for cold and wet.

Q: Would this be a good ride for new riders?

A: No, this ride is for intermediate and experienced riders only. The riding has easy route choices and tough route options. Each evening we will study the following day's choices. You will find lots of supportive people at the ride.

Q: What are motel room arrangements?

A: Rooms are double occupancy, meaning each couple or family shares a two bed room.

Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?

A: Buy one, you need it, we will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for under $200 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but almost everyone hooks up and rides with a friend, or a new friend or me.