Cohutta Red Eye

A Summer Solstice Overnight Bikepacking Challenge

Ride into the longest night of the year.

Cohutta Red Eye is a self-supported, overnight bikepacking event that celebrates equal parts grit, stubbornness, beauty, and questionable decision-making. Held on Summer Solstice weekend, riders take on a rugged loop through the Cohutta backcountry—either by day, by night, or both—earning their finish under headlamp glow or blazing sun.

This is not a race.
There is no SAG.
There is no easy button.

It is an unforgettable ride through remote forest roads, long climbs, quiet darkness, tired legs, and the kind of stories you only get from doing something slightly ridiculous with good people.

Ride Options:

Choose your flavor of suffering:

🌞 Day Option

Saturday | Rollout 6:00 AM

Ride the loop clockwise and finish before the heat, storms, or your better judgment catch up to you.

🌙 Night Option

Saturday | Rollout 8:00 PM

Ride counter-clockwise and spend the longest night of the year chasing your headlamp beam through the forest.

💀 Double Red Eye (Optional Flex)

You can ride both day and night. Complete both within 24 hours and earn a special piece of custom artwork.

Each option is limited to 25 riders.

Route & Format

• Self-supported bikepacking loop through the Cohutta Wilderness area (based on the Cohutta Death March Route, but with some tweaks!)

• No SAG or sweep

• Riders must be fully prepared to navigate, repair, hydrate, and feed themselves on route

• You may withdraw at any time

• Pickup is available for a fee if needed (standard Mulberry Gap shuttle rates apply)

At minimum, resupply is available at Mulberry Gap when you complete the loop. A neutral water / basic snack aid station may be added at a remote gravel intersection if volunteer support allows (TBD).

Time Limits, Patches & Prizes

• No hard cutoff — everyone who completes the route earns an official finish

• 12-hour challenge window:

  • Finish within 12 hours → earn the official Cohutta Red Eye patch (day or night version)

  • Finish outside 12 hours → official finish, no patch

Bonus Suffering Option

Add two fire tower climbs to your route.

Complete them and finish within 12 hours and you’ll earn:

• A special custom artwork piece

• Signed by Cohutta himself (yes, really)

Food Options (Optional Add-Ons)

Food is not automatically included in the event entry but is strongly encouraged because… calories.

All purchased meals at Mulberry Gap are prepaid, labeled, and held for you so you can eat whenever you stumble back in.

Important notes:

• Friday overnight stays must include Friday dinner + Saturday breakfast

• Saturday night riders must include Saturday dinner + Sunday breakfast

• Day riders may add breakfast even if not staying overnight

Lodging Options

Lodging is optional and limited.

Available both Friday and Saturday night individually:

• Private Cabins

• Camping

• Car/Van Camping

• Shared Group Bunkhouse (TNGA-style setup)

A Sunday “recovery sleep” option will be available for overnight riders who want a few hours of real sleep before driving home.

Schedule Overview:

Friday

• Afternoon arrivals

• 6:00 PM Dinner service

• Route prep, bike checks, nervous pacing

Saturday – Day Ride

• 5:00 AM breakfast available to pack or scarf down

• 6:00 AM rollout (Day Ride Option)

Saturday Evening – Night Ride

• 6:00 PM Dinner service (or it will be in the fridge for you wheneves)

• 8:00 PM rollout (Night Ride Option)

Sunday

• 8:30 AM Breakfast service (or it will be in the fridge for you wheneves)

• Finishers roll in

• Recovery naps

• Patches, bragging rights, mild hallucinations

Event Fees

Base Event Entry: $29

Covers:

• Event logistics

• Patch eligibility

• Custom artwork eligibility

• Planning + coordination

• General chaos management

Food, lodging, and parking are additional and optional.

What This Event Is (and Isn’t)

This is:

• A bikepacking challenge

• A personal test

• A celebration of summer solstice

• A very long ride with excellent vibes

This is not:

• A race

• Supported

• Beginner-friendly

• Sensible

Riders should be comfortable with long mileage, remote riding, navigation, night riding, mechanical self-sufficiency, and being alone with their thoughts for extended periods.

Registration Includes:

• Official event entry

• Eligibility for patches + artwork

• GPX files

• Pre-event rider guide

• Access to food & lodging add-ons

• Bragging rights forever

Searching Availability...