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Three adventure motorcycles riding a red dirt road past desert mesas

Ride somewhere new.
Prove it with a photo.

DirtRecon is a GPS scavenger hunt for adventure and dual sport motorcycles. Get the coordinates, find your own legal way there on your bike, and take the photo in the app. Earn badges, finish the season, earn gear.

Create a free account Get Rider Pass, $49 a year
See how it works

How it works

A scavenger hunt for people who ride dirt on two wheels.

  1. 01

    Get the coordinates

    Each challenge is a set of 5 to 8 GPS coordinates, each with a short clue: overlooks, fire towers, creek crossings, trailheads, small-town cafes. Find them in any order, over a weekend or the whole season.

  2. 02

    Find your own way

    There is no route to follow. Plan your own path on roads and trails open to street-legal motorcycles. Download the challenge GPX, or open the coordinates in Gaia GPS, onX or Google Maps.

  3. 03

    Take the photo

    At the checkpoint, take the photo in the app with your bike and the landmark in frame. The GPS location in the photo proves you were there. No signal? It saves the photo and uploads it when you are back in range.

  4. 04

    Earn it

    Verified checkpoints add points and progress. Finish your starter challenge for a profile badge, then earn Trail, Scout and state decals mailed to your door. See the rewards. No drawings, no luck.

App screen showing a challenge with numbered checkpoints on a topo map, each with GPS coordinates and a clue
App screen confirming a sponsored cafe checkpoint was verified by the GPS location in the photo, with a button to share the photo with the cafe

What you ride

Built for adventure and dual sport bikes.

Every checkpoint is picked for a street-legal motorcycle: gravel forest roads, two-track, mining roads and the paved stretch into town for lunch. With coordinates instead of a set route, you pick a way in that suits your bike and your riding.

Adventure motorcycle with aluminum side cases parked on a rocky trail above a forest lake
ADV

Adventure bikes

Big tanks, luggage and long days. Most checkpoints sit on graded roads and two-track that a loaded adventure bike handles fine.

Dual sport motorcycle stopped before an old wooden plank bridge
Dual sport

Dual sport bikes

Lighter and easier to pick up. The rougher checkpoints, with rocks, ruts or sand on the last stretch, are where a dual sport shines.

Know the ride before you go

Your bike needs a plate, insurance and a rider with a motorcycle license, because checkpoints can sit on roads open to street-legal vehicles only, like the dirt roads in many national parks. Each challenge carries a difficulty so you know what the roads are like.

  • EasyGraded gravel and pavement. Any adventure bike.
  • ModerateSome rough two-track. Good tires help.
  • HardRocks, sand or steep climbs. Easier on a lighter dual sport.

Nationwide

Challenges we are scouting for 2027

Sample challenges from across the country. The checkpoints are still being ridden and checked, so names and locations may change before launch.

Two adventure motorcycles with soft luggage parked on a red dirt two-track below sandstone mesas

Southern Utah

Moderate8 checkpoints

Red Rock Two-Track

Eight points among the mesas: slot canyon trailheads, sandstone overlooks and a small-town diner, all on roads and two-track open to plated bikes.

Muddy dual sport motorcycle on a rocky switchback above treeline with snowy peaks behind

Colorado

Hard

High Passes

Pass summits and old mining camps above treeline. One point sits at the top of a rocky shelf road that rewards a lighter bike.

Dual-sport motorcycle on a rocky overlook above Lake Superior

Minnesota

Moderate4 checkpoints

North Shore Gravel & Overlooks

Lake Superior overlooks and fire towers above the shore, linked by gravel forest roads and a stop for coffee.

Rider's view over the handlebars down a sandy two-track forest road

Every launch region

FreeEasy5 checkpoints

Starter Challenges

Five easy points near main roads in each launch region, to learn how it works. Free for every rider, on any adventure or dual sport bike.

Trail journal

Straight from the checkpoints

Every check-in can leave a note for the next rider. Here is the newest one. Read the trail journal, free with an account.

Loading the latest entry...

Rewards

Earn it on the trail.

Every reward is earned by finishing, never by a drawing. The starter badge is free for everyone. Decals come with Rider Pass and are mailed to you.

  1. 01Free · On your profile

    Starter badge

    Finish the starter challenge in your region. Added to your profile automatically.

  2. 02Rider Pass · Mailed to you

    Trail decal

    Check in at your first 10 checkpoints. We mail the decal to you.

  3. 03Rider Pass · Mailed to you

    Scout decal

    Earn 500 season points. We mail the decal to you.

  4. 04Rider Pass · Mailed to you

    State decal

    Finish every challenge in a state. One decal for each state, mailed to you.

Ground rules

Built the way riders actually ride.

Legal access only

Every checkpoint sits on or beside a road or trail open to street-legal motorcycles. Access is checked against Forest Service motor vehicle use maps, BLM travel maps and state rules.

No speed rankings

Points come from checkpoints, never from time. There is no prize for getting there first, only for getting there.

Works with no signal

The best checkpoints are where your phone has no bars. Photos and maps are saved on your phone, and photos upload when you get back in range.

You choose who sees your photos

Checkpoint photos are shared with DirtRecon. Trail journal entries, and the photo you post with one, are public. At a sponsored checkpoint, you decide whether to share yours with the business too. You are credited by name, plates are blurred and your location history is never shared. Read the photo terms.

Two adventure motorcycles parked outside a small-town cafe with picnic tables

Pricing

Start free. Unlock the season for $49.

Free

$0

Find the starter checkpoints and see how it works.

  • The Starter Challenge in your region
  • In-app checkpoint photos
  • A GPX file for onX, Gaia GPS or Garmin
  • Starter badge
Create a free account
Most riders

Rider Pass

$49 per year

Every challenge, points, badges and rewards for the full season.

  • Coordinates for every challenge nationwide
  • Season points and point levels
  • Trail, Scout and state decals mailed to you
  • GPX downloads for every challenge
Get Rider Pass

Renews automatically every year at $49 until you cancel. Cancel anytime from your profile.

Give a Rider Pass as a gift

FAQ

Questions riders ask

When does DirtRecon launch?

We are building the app now and plan to open the first challenges in several regions for the 2027 riding season, then add more each year. You can create a free account now and try the starter challenges.

Will it be in the App Store and Google Play?

Yes. DirtRecon is being built as a native app for iPhone and Android so captures and maps work reliably with no cell signal.

How do you know I was really at the checkpoint?

The app takes the photo itself, so it can't be an old one, and records the GPS location with it. If that location is inside the checkpoint zone, the checkpoint counts right away, sponsor stops included. If it is outside the zone or the signal is weak, the app asks you to move closer and retake it before you leave.

Do you give directions?

No. You get the coordinates and a short clue, and finding the way is the fun part. Each challenge has a difficulty, and you can download its GPX or open the coordinates in Gaia GPS, onX or Google Maps to plan a legal way in.

Who sees my photos?

Every checkpoint photo is shared with DirtRecon, which is part of using the app. At a sponsored checkpoint, you will see a Share button after your check-in. Tap it and that business can use your photo in its marketing. Skip it and nothing goes to the business, and you still get the same points and rewards. We credit you by display name, blur license plates and never share your location history. The Photo-Sharing Terms have the details.

What can I ride?

Street-legal adventure and dual sport motorcycles. That includes plated dirt bikes. If it has a plate, lights and insurance, and you hold a motorcycle license, you are good to go.

Can I bring an ATV or side-by-side?

No. DirtRecon is built for motorcycles only. Many checkpoints sit on roads that ATVs and side-by-sides can't legally ride, such as dirt roads in national parks and highway-legal-only forest roads.

Is this a race?

No. There are no timed or speed rankings. Ride at your own pace, stay on roads and trails that are open to motorcycles, obey speed limits and closures, and stay within your ability.

Can I cancel the Rider Pass?

Yes. The Rider Pass renews automatically each year at $49 until you cancel. Turn off renewal any time on your profile with one button, and you keep the pass through the end of the year you paid for. We email you a reminder before each renewal.

Can I give a Rider Pass as a gift?

Yes. A gift pass is a one-time $49 payment for 12 months of Rider Pass. We email you the code, and the rider too if you add their email. The code never expires, the 12 months start when it is redeemed, and it never renews or charges the rider. If they already pay yearly, the gift covers their next renewal.

Start with a free account.

Try the starter challenge in your region for free. Or get the Rider Pass now for every challenge this season.

Create a free account Get Rider Pass, $49 a year