Photography by Coen Wubbels Unless you fly in, you will have seen a fair share of the Atacama Desert by the time you reach Iquique, whether your Pan-American overland journey takes you southbound or northbound through Chile. No matter how smooth the asphalt that cuts straight through the driest non-polar desert in the world, 995…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Botswana
Photography by Expedition Overland Botswana offers the ingredients of a wild adventure. Hundreds of unpaved tracks made of thick sand and bone-wrenching washboard could keep an overland traveler busy for many months, if not years. Add fuel logistics and range considerations, regional raw meat restrictions, and the systematic destruction of your vehicle to the mix,…
Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway
Editor’s Note: Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2023 Issue. They say the Million Dollar Highway begins and ends between the Colorado mountain towns of Silverton and Ouray, but traverse it, and you’ll also discover a plethora of dirt road hideaways laced with abundant scenery, lakes and streams, ample camping…
Overland Embassy Launches Flat Rack as RORO Alternative
Though safety issues are sometimes exaggerated, any vehicle owner is justifiably concerned about handing over the keys to their unlocked vehicle and sending it away on a ship—especially when that vehicle is their full-time home along the Pan-American Highway. For those with larger vehicles who would love an alternative to Roll-on, Roll-off (RORO) shipping, it’s…
On the Up and Up: Returning to the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route
Editor’s Note: This Washington Backcountry Discovery Route article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2023 Issue. Photography by Kris Newsom Perched on the edge of the Lion Rock escarpment in Washington’s central Cascades, I leaned back in my chair and watched the molten sun drip behind Mount Stuart’s jagged silhouette. Behind me, a clicking…
Five Things to Know About Overlanding the UK
The UK is an absolute riot to drive through. Twisty, narrow roads bordered by mossy stone walls lead to lush glens filled with bluebells, quaint towns whispering of a captivating past, and seaside coves that stretch for miles. Charmingly, it’s impossible to escape the bahs of baby sheep in the spring. Whether you’re passionate about…
Overland Expo Foundation Announces 2023 Grant Recipients
The Overland Expo Foundation has revealed the recipients of its grant program for 2023, which supports organizations and individuals working towards protecting public lands and maximizing rights for overland travelers. The foundation aims to fund projects aligning with its mission of turning passion into protection. One of the wholly deserving recipients of the grant is…
Overlanding Europe? Here’s What You Need to Know About the Schengen Zone.
Whether you’re a history buff, espresso fanatic, art lover, off-road adventurer (or a combination of the above), there are many compelling reasons to tour the European continent by vehicle. For North Americans, shorter driving distances and a wide variety of foods, languages, and scenery make the region a particularly rewarding travel destination. Or, perhaps you’re…
Starlink Competitors To Increase Global Broadband Coverage (And Why This Is Great News For Explorers)
Starlink is a game changer for those who travel and work and explorers who benefit from the security, peace of mind, and seamless connectivity that satellite-distributed internet access provides. Soon there will be nowhere on Earth without a high-speed internet connection, with all the positives and negatives that come with it. One thing is certain:…
Why Overlanders Are Choosing Iraq as the Gateway to the Middle East
Lead image by Olga On Tour When Swiss overlanders Marcel and Chiara Fuerst drove through Iraq in November 2021, they stopped at roughly a hundred military checkpoints. Heavily armed military escorts were required through certain areas, and they tackled the stretch from Baghdad to Jordan in one go due to the risk of ISIS terrorist…
BMW Partners with BDR on Oregon Route
BMW Motorrad USA is collaborating with Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) on their newest project in the west, Oregon. The ORBDR brings the total routes created by the non-profit BDR organization to an even dozen. It is the second with BMW as a partner, the first being the Wyoming BDR. ORBDR Film Premier Save the date:…
Five Reasons Japan Should Be on Your Overland Bucket List
It was with great joy this October that I read Japan was lifting its last Covid-19 travel restrictions and that the country would be open again to individual travelers. As of yet, Japan has been little visited by overlanders who bring their own vehicle, probably because it’s a long way from any of the main…
Overland Routes: The Trail of Kings
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2022 Issue. Arizona may be known for saguaro cactus, but it is also 26 percent timberland, and Humphreys Peak rises 12,633 feet into the southwest skyline. From the precipitous enclave of Jerome, and the start of this Overland Route, Humphreys Peak looms in the distance….
The Great Gravel Boom :: 4,000 riders expected at Garmin UNBOUND Gravel 2023
unbound adjective un·bound | \ən-ˈbau̇nd\ 1: having no limit The gravel race that began with 34 participants in 2006 will boom through the scenic rolling hills of Kansas’ Tallgrass Prairie in 2023, with thousands of cyclists clamoring for a lottery ticket to ride. Although participants will hit blacktop roads in smaller sections, the vast…
Destination :: Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, British Columbia
Photography by Richard Giordano Located south of Banff and within the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa or Kootenai First Nations, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is a culmination of the Canadian Rockies’ finest. Bright alpine lakes border jutting rocky ridges, while spruce, fir, and pine trees shade blazing wildflowers in fiery orange, pretty pink, and delicate…
Twisties, Curves, and Canopies: A Journey Through the Ozarks
It’s All in the Planning We had planned the trip for a couple of months, poring over the details, making inventories of what we had and would need for a long-distance moto journey across the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri. I would need to bring a new set of tires for my BMW F 750…
Overland Embassy Guides Darién Gap Crossing for Travelers
Photo credits: Alejandro Huerta Franco The Darién Gap crossing between Panama and Colombia is many overlanders’ first exposure to the red tape of transcontinental vehicle shipping. Some travelers are so overwhelmed by the paperwork and costs involved they turn around and return the way they came. Others take a deep breath and plunge in, embracing…
The Canyons of the Ancients
If you had lived in southern Colorado during the Ice Age, chances are you’d be hunting camels for your dinner. Luckily, a lot has changed since the Pleistocene era, the epoch geological timespan when glaciers ruled North America. Ten thousand years after its first settlers dined on camels and woolly mammoths, modern-day visitors to the…
Destination: Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
Photography by Richard Giordano At 5,897 meters (19,347 feet), Cotopaxi is Ecuador’s second-highest peak and one of the highest active volcanoes on the planet. Located a mere 30 miles from the Ecuadorian capital city, Quito, the park is well-visited and offers enough to keep visitors entertained for several days, including camping, hiking, off-pavement driving, and…
Video of the Week :: Living in the Cactus Forest with Tight Loops
Lead photograph by Tight Loops Eager to escape the coldest winter months in Montana, Chase Bartee and his wife Aimee head the desert southwest in their 1985 VW camper van, exploring the rugged terrain of the Saguaro, Joshua Tree, and Death Valley National Parks. The couple’s skills as artists, photographers, and filmmakers fuse with a…