4/5/2023 – Lauren Wolff

Find the hidden gems on ROUVY

Have you ever ridden along a ROUVY route and thought, 'Wow, look at that!! I didn't expect to see that at the side of the road or see it cross my path! How cool! Maybe I'll see more!' Well, these hidden gems of the furry kind are pretty rare and not always hard to find, so I have curated a few routes to make your job a bit easier in finding some unique ROUVY routes with hidden gems!

Meander through the Garden of the Gods in Colorado in the USA

Ride through a unique National Natural Landmark location, a natural resource rich in beauty, biodiversity and geology. The area lies in the southwest of the United States, in Colorado Springs, one of the most popular tourist attractions where nature lovers can venture through the nature park for hiking, rock climbing, road and mountain biking and horse riding.

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Enjoy the spectacular views in this unique natural park and keep your eyes open for the hidden gems: wild animals crossing the road in this Garden of the Gods video in the first part of the route.

The remarkable geological features of the Garden of the Gods park make the landscape so unusual are the unique and majestic sedimentary rock formations protruding from the lush green vegetation. These massive natural rock features have unique descriptive names, such as the Cathedral Spires, Sentinel Rock, Steamboat Rock, the Three Graces, Balanced Rock and Sandstone Strata. The rock consists of deep hues of red, pink, and white sandstone, conglomerates, and limestone deposited horizontally and now tilted vertically due to the lifting up of the Rocky Mountains and the Pikes Peak massif over millions of years.

While meandering through, consider how these ancient rocks formed as mountains that eroded and then were buried in their sediments over 300 million years, resulting in these slanted and precarious formations called 'fins' and exhibiting a comprehensive view of the earth's history. The region was once an ancient sea, containing eroded remains of an old mountain range, sandy beaches, and great dune fields. Some wildlife seen here is mule deer, Bighorn sheep, elk and rabbits.

Tour the spectacular natural surroundings of the Piatra Craiului National Park in Romania

Cycle and explore the Piatra Craiului Mountain range in the Southern Carpathians in Romania. The name means Kings' Rock or The Rock of the Prince because the massif has one of Europe's most spectacular limestone ridges, towering high above you and seemingly stitched to the edge of the road. The mountains form part of one of the most magnificent landscapes in the area, home to a highly diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna. The region became a National Park in 1938 and has a concentrated high number of plant species in Romania in only a small area. The Piatra Craiului National Park recently received the European Diploma for Protected Areas from the Council of Europe.

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The Piatra Craiului carnation flower is now its symbol and unique to the park. The flower, found on the sunny craggy rocks in the lower alpine area or at the upper edges of meadowlands, provide an array of colour. In the summer months, you can notice its beautiful pink colour. Many species of orchids, edelweiss, yellow poppy and wild lilies add to the park's natural flora. From spring to autumn, the area displays abundant and myriad colours. The caves provide shelter for many species of bats, while numerous rare bird species and hundreds of unique and protected species of butterflies inhabit the region.

The park is also home to many mammals, such as large carnivores like the wolf, bear, bobcat and lynx. The park is famous for mountain climbing, hiking and mountain biking. Many mountain bike trails are inside the park and along its limits, where one can explore this magical and protected space. On this route, look out for the different hidden gems: domestic animals that observe and accompany you while you ride.

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Explore the well-known Custer State Park Bison Wildlife in South Dakota, USA.

Enjoy a memorable ride under sunny skies through the lush green, spectacular scenic, and famous Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the USA, named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. On this 19 km route, you will discover a massive nature reserve featuring picturesque views, trails and wildlife. In 1962, Custer Park was once the spectacular setting for the iconic Western cowboy action movie, 'How the west was won.'

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The route is rolling, and the climbs are short and manageable. You start heading southwards and up a short climb of 1 km, a flat section following the road westwards until 6 km. After that, until the end of the route, it's a gradual climb with two very short bumps, one as you snake your way up some twisting climb parts and then a short hill at the end. But you won't notice these as your attention is held captive, and you focus on the varied views and changing landscape. There is an excellent opportunity to spot wildlife and a hidden gem a bit further on in the ride. Other residents are elk, deer, mountain lions, prairie dogs, eagles, coyotes, wild goats and sheep.

Tour the historic Cape Point and the magnificent Table Mountain nature reserve.

Take a scenic ride through the magnificent Cape Point and its National Park reserve to the Cape of Good Hope, a headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa, a key tourist attraction. On False Bay, we start outside the 200-year-old historic naval village of Simons Town, South Africa's most significant maritime base and harbor.

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Our undulating ride on a varied route is home to many bird species, including African penguins, ostrich, zebra, and baboons. Look out for the hidden gems near the end, ostriches and buck on the left-hand side near the end. Beware, the ostriches can kick hard! Read my in-depth route review about Cape Point before riding it and learn more about this spectacular region and nature reserve.

Ride along the Avenue of the Giants in a magical and ancient setting.

Avenue of the Giants, located along the Eel River in northern California, the famous Humboldt Redwoods State Park and the Bull Creek watershed, is California's third largest state park, with over 53,000 acres and containing the Rockefeller Forest, where you'll find the world's largest and majestic remaining old-growth forests, or trees that are more than 250 years, with some more than 1,000 years of age. The trees here date back to 900 AD with trunks so large. You can drive a car through its base! These trees are the world's tallest type of tree, measuring 367.8 feet (112.1 metres) tall, and many grow to heights of more than 300 feet (90 metres).

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One can explore while hiking, mountain biking and riding along this stretch of the enchanted road feeling like a miniature figure amongst the towering redwoods. You will also find fantastic animal and plant life that have made this place their habitat for thousands of years. Ride in total awe through a picturesque and magical ancient forested area along a 32 km stretch but be sure to watch out for a furry gem crossing your path during your ride.

The next time you ride a route, you may view them all differently and observe the route in case of hidden gems. Have you seen some unexpected animals you hadn't expected along an AR route that you would like to share? Please share in the comments!