Now comprised of two self-guided hut-to-hut trail systems: Telluride to Moab and Durango to Moab! They are private huts on National Forest Service land, so you have to pay to use them but the stocking and comfort level make this one of the best deals in self-guided tours you'll be able to find.

The official San Juan Hut System site (sanjuanhuts.com) has very detailed description of the hut tours and current availability. The season for each is the early June through the end of September. Each trip normally takes seven days and six nights and costs $475, including food and sleeping bags. Since the huts are fully stocked, you only need to carry what you'll need throughout the day: rain gear and a jacket (for evenings or surprises), sunscreen, a first-aid kit, a toolkit with inner tubes and patches, lunch, energy food, and anything else you personally need (like a thin cotton sleeping bag liner for psychological hygiene.) You're best bet is a large hydration pack like the Camelbak H.A.W.G. or similar.

Read the 28 page Mt. Bikers Bible, a pdf of the guide that is given to riders with all sorts of info about the trail, geography, and more!

The photo above is by iversonic

Telluride to Moab Hut to Hut

National Geographic Adventure has a good article on riding the trail in the October 2002 issue. The article has great photos and details about San Juan Hut System. Click in the map below for a larger version.

Click on the map for a larger image.

If you need to rent a bike or have yours assembled after shipping, Paragon Ski & Sport is recommended by the San Juan Hut System. Telluride Style has more information on Telluride here.

Durango to Moab Hut to Hut

The official description.

2007 San Juan Hut bike trek: Durango to Moab flickr photo set

I found two articles about the new Durango-Moab trip: Beers, Steers, and Granny Gears from Collegian Adventure magazine, and From Durango to Moab by Bike by the New York Times. NY Times is a subscription site, but you can use bugmenot to log in for free and protect your privacy.

If you need a bike, Cliffside Ski and Sports (970-385-1461) near the Durango trailhead rents full-suspension mountain bikes for $175 a week.

Durango-La Plata County Airport has daily flights from Denver, Albuquerque and Phoenix. For transportation from Moab to Durango, call Colorado Adventure Transportation (970-626-5491); $325 for one to four people or $425 for four to eight. From Moab to Telluride, the service is $275 for one to four people and $375 for five to eight people. Or have your vehicle shuttled from Durango or Telluride to Moab by Alpine Luxury Limo in Telluride (970-728-8750); $250 a vehicle from Telluride, $375 from Durango.