23 Hot Gravel Races for 2023

We love this time of the year; the leaves are changing, the mornings are crisp, the racing is (largely) over, and it's time to start dreaming about next season.

Gravel racing continues to explode — in popularity, in formats, in gear, and in the sheer number of events offered. To help you zero in on the best ones and maybe put one or two on your calendar, we have compiled a list of 23 hot gravel events for 2023. 

To celebrate these 23 events, we bring in Betsy Welch, a senior editor at VeloNews who has covered and participated in gravel events all over the world. I have also raced gravel across the country — including Unbound Gravel, The Mid South, SBT GRVL, and multiple Belgian Waffle Ride iterations — and I really enjoyed doing this podcast episode with Betsy, reminiscing on past fun times and daydreaming about future adventures.

If you haven't already listened to the pod, check it out! If you're here reading this article because you heard the episode and you want more information on the events — the date, the website, and the recommended tire — then read on below.

1. Grasshopper Low Gap, CA, January 28

The Grasshopper Adventure Series in NorCal combines road, gravel and often a bit of trail with good food and a great vibe. Last year Kate Courtney and Luke Lamperti won Low Gap.

Tire recommendation: 35mm semi-slick 

More info: grasshopperadventureseries.com

2. The Mid South, OK, March 11

The clay roads outside Stillwater, Oklahoma are fast when dry and spectacularly goopy when wet. Roll the dice, and go get your hug from Bobby Wintle. Check out this gallery from a wet year.

Tire recommendation: 40mm semi-slick (even when it's wet!) 

More info: midsouthgravel.com

3. Barry Roubaix, MI, April 15

This gravel race is so O.G. it's not billed as gravel — it's in the category of 'faux-baix' American races on dirt. A classic

Tire recommendation: 35mm semi-slick 

More info: barry-roubaix.com

4. Bootlegger 100, NC, April 22

Put on by the folks who brought you Pisgah Monster CX, this one features nearly 10,000 feature of climbing in the Pisgah National Forest.

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby 

More info: pisgahproductions.com

5. Belgian Waffle Ride California, CA, April (date TBD)

Now in its 12th edition, BWR CA is one of the original gravel races — although its organizer Michael Marckx argued about the terminology. Now BWRs are spread around North America, but the original in San Diego is the biggest by far. Marckx interjects dozens of 'sectors' of dirt, gravel paths, and singletrack into the course that also has ample road mileage. 

Tire recommendation: 35mm semi-slick 

More info: belgianwaffleride.bike

6. Wild Horse Gravel, CO, May 20

A small event hosted at a ranch on the western slope of Colorado, this race features a healthy amount of climbing, some really rugged surfaces, and a wild mustang refuge. In contrast to BWR held right off a California freeway, Wild Horse is miles down a dirt road where most people camp at the ranch. 

Tire recommendation: 45mm knobby 

More info: events.outsideonline.com/wildhorse

7. Gravel Locos, TX, May 20

Four distances and a big turnout of pros from around the world bring the small town of Hico to life in May.

Tire recommendation: 40mm semi-slick 

More info: gravellocos.bike

8. Rule of Three, AR, May 21

Tarmac. Gravel. Singletrack. Which bike is best for all three in one course? Most go gravel, with the biggest tire that fits.

Tire recommendation: 45mm knobby 

More info: ruleofthree.bike

9. Unbound Gravel, KS, June 3

The biggest one of them all. But you don't have to do the 200! There are also 25-, 50-, 100- and 350-mile events as well. Entry for 2023 will be determined by lottery at the end of January. 

Tire recommendation: A super-tough 40mm 

More info: unboundgravel.com

10. Oregon Trail, OR, June 21-25

A five-day gravel stage race with camping each night at a new location in the Oregon woods.

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby 

More info: oregontrailgravelgrinder.com

11. Crusher in the Tushar, UT, July 9

With a rowdy, ripping downhill and a brutal finishing climb, "whichever bike you pick will at some point be the wrong one," is how race founder Burke Swindlehurst put it. The small town support for this event is huge.

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby 

More info: tusharcrusher.com

12. Dust Bowl 100, IN, July 22

Historic covered bridges, densely forested track and wide open dusty plains - the Dust Bowl 100 has a bit of everything and is a fundraiser for youth cycling. Come ride with Coach Jake!

Tire recommendation: 35mm semi-slick 

More info: dustbowl100.com

13. Dusty Roadrunner Jemez Loop, NM, July (date TBD)

When Covid hit and races were shut down, Ryan Travelstead of Nero Veloce pivoted and used sponsorship money for his race team to fund insurance for a new gravel series that was — and remains — completely free to participants. The series is held at various remote points in New Mexico. 

Tire recommendation: 40mm semi-slick

More info:  dustyroadrunner.weebly.com

14. Rooted Vermont, VT, July (dateTBD)

Ted and Laura King put on this weeklong gravel festival with multiple distances, great local food and beer, and a strict adherence to mullet policy — business (race) in the front, party (casual pace) in the back.

Ted's recommendations on tires (and bike and gear) 

More info: rootedvermont.com

15. SBT GRVL, CO, August 20

In 2022, all 3,000 spots in the Steamboat Springs race were sold out within six minutes of registration opening. It's a hot event! Top pros descend on the high-mountain town for the weekend. For 2023, the race will use a random selection process in December. 

Tire recommendation: 35mm semi-slick 

More info: sbtgrvl.com

16. Gravel Worlds, NE, August 26

Long before the UCI jumped in with a world championship of gravel, there was Gravel Worlds — a tongue-in-cheek jab at self-seriousness and regulated racing that dates back to 2010. The 150-mile flagship event remains a staple of the core gravel culture, with good-natured fun and extreme endurance racing served up in equal measure.  Registration opens October 7.

Tire recommendation: 35mm semi-slick 

More info: gravel-worlds.com

17. The Last Best Ride, MT, August (date TBD)

Held on the doorstep of Glacier National Park in Whitefish, The Last Best Ride is put on by racers Jess Cerra and Sam Boardman with an emphasis on enjoying the area for a full weekend.

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby 

More info: thelastbestridemt.com

18. The Overland, VT, August (date TBD)

Although not long at 60 miles, the 7,000 of elevation on Class 4 roads takes a toll. 

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby

More info: vermontoverland.com

19. Trans-Sylvania Gravel Epic, PA, August (date TBD)

Four stages of gravel racing in three state forests in Pennsylvania. 

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby 

More info: tsegravel.com

20. Rebecca's Private Idaho, ID, September 4

Four days of hanging out in Sun Valley with three stages of racing, RPI is one of the original gravel stage races — with an emphasis on a fun camp atmosphere.

Tire recommendation: 40mm semi-slick 

More info: rebeccasprivateidaho.com

21. Mammoth Tuff, CA, September (date TBD)

Hosted by former Unbound Gravel 200 and BWR CA winner Amanda Nauman and David Sheek, Mammoth Tuff brings you around Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierras.  

Tire recommendation: 40mm knobby 

More info: mammothtuff.com 

22. Rexy, Queen of the Desert, UT, October (date TBD)

Solo or relay — tackle 200 miles across the desert from Moab in Utah to Fruita in Colorado. There are also 50- and 100-mile options.

Tire recommendation: 40mm semi-slick 

More info: desertgravel.com

23. The Spirit World 100, AZ, October (date TBD)

"Tequila feed zones? Mariachi bands? The Spirit World 100 and other grassroots gravel races succeed by putting the experience ahead of the competition." Read Betsy's story on The Spirit World 100.

Tire recommendation: 45mm semi-slick 

More info: thespiritworld100.com