Gravel Rides

Sunday, April 13 – Sasquatch Duro – Carlton, Or. – https://www.mudslingerevents.com/sasquatch-duro

Carlton, Oregon, offers a stunning gravel cycling backdrop through rolling vineyards, lush forests, and serene farmland. The quiet roads boast varied terrain, from smooth gravel to rugged paths, perfect for adventure close to PDX and the Upper Willamette Valley.

Sunday, April 20 – Honey Badger Klamath River – Klamath RIver, Or. – https://honeybadgerrides.com/copco-honey-badger/

Another beautiful Northern California ride through the foothills next to the Upper Klamath River where the former Iron Gate and Copco dams and reservoirs. Starting and finishing at the base of the  Iron Gate 1 Dam, just over the California border from the Rogue Valley, this is one of our early season staples. When the high country is still covered by snow and the woods are wet, this ride is usually temperate and dry. The route has a true mix of terrain and is best ridden on at least 32c tires.

Sunday, April 27 – Gorge Gravel – Dufur, Or. – https://www.mudslingerevents.com/sasquatch-duro

Gorge Gravel is the perfect early spring event celebrating all riders from beginners to seasoned gravel gurus!  Test your fitness coming out of the winter with beautiful views, pure gravel camaraderie, and a pre and post-ride celebration based in Oregon’s gem of gravel, Dufur.  Gorge offers challenging competition for racers and also a supportive, inclusive ride for fresh gravel converts, with the innovative gravel pace group program. 

Saturday, May 3 – Flywheel Honey Badger – Talent, Or. – https://honeybadgerrides.com/flywheel-honey-badger/

The Flywheel Honey Badger has three route options to choose from that all start and finish at Flywheel Bicycles in Talent. This Honey Badger ride is one of the only routes that actually starts and finishes in the Rogue Valley. All three routes climb west from town and cross over to the Little Applegate drainage. The longer routes ramble around the Little Applegate more before they climb back over the hills and back into the Rogue Valley.

Saturday, May 3 – Oregon Coast Gravel Epic – Waldport, Or. – https://www.mudslingerevents.com/oregon-coast-gravel-epic

Start your season with this epic Pacific Northwest spring classic at the coast. This gravel cycling event showcases the raw beauty of ancient Siuslaw National Forests and is geared towards the enthusiast cyclist looking for a well-marked and supported event. A good day of gravel riding with friends amid an enchanting forest is in store on the Oregon Coast.

Sunday, May 4 – West Coast Gravel – Yachats, Or. – https://www.mudslingerevents.com/west-coast-gravel

West Coast Gravel celebrates the explorer in all of us as you make your way to the shores of the Pacific and take on the Siuslaw National Forest’s unforgettable backroads for a journey that would make Thor or Freyja proud! This second day of cycling after the Oregon Coast Gravel Epic sits only 9 miles from Waldport south on the 101 to the fantastic community of Yachats, Oregon. 

Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18 – Siskiyou Scenic Bicycle Tour – Yreka, Ca. – https://yrekarotary.com/siskiyou-scenic-bike-tour

Our next ride will be May 17th & 18th of 2025. Again a 2 day event with both all pavement rides and gravel rides. We are adding an all pavement ride on Sunday May 18th and a gravel ride on Saturday the 17th so that those who only ride 1 type of bike can have 2 days of fun in Siskiyou County. $20 discount for 2 rides.

Sunday, May 18 – Oregon Gran Fondo – Cottage Grove, Or. – https://www.mudslingerevents.com/oregon-gran-fondo

Road Cycling at its finest with an option for a mixed surface gravel option for the gravel cyclist. One big day on the bike, no matter your level, for two all-road routes or one mixed-surface Adventure route starting in Cottage Grove, Oregon, 20 Minutes south of Eugene. Timed, supported, and fun whether you are racing it or simply riding it to finish.

Saturday, May 24 & Sunday, May 25 – Art of Survival – Milan, Or. – https://survivalcentury.com

The 12th Annual Art of Survival Century and Gravel Grinder Bicycle Ride event isn’t just about pedaling a road or mountain bike through beautiful stretches of the countryside. It’s also an opportunity to learn about a region that includes Southern Oregon’s Klamath Basin and Northern California’s Tulelake Basin and Butte Valley area. What is unique about this event—which is a ride, not a race—is that each rest stop offers an educational component highlighting the geology of the area, cultural history, geography, and environmental issues; along with providing fluids and nutritious snacks.

Saturday, May 24 – Rock the Mini Croc – Pendleton, Or. – https://www.pendletononwheels.org/minicroc/

The miniCROC 2024 is a fully supported one day, 62-mile bike ride in the beautiful Blue Mountains outside Pendleton, OR sponsored by the Pendleton on Wheels (POW) bicycle club. The route from Pendleton climbs up Deadman’s Pass then on to Meacham for 31 miles one way. The route can include a gravel option of about 20% of the route. On route there will be sag support, rest rooms, and refreshments. There will be free parking near the start (Roy Raley Park) which is adjacent to the historic Round Up rodeo grounds. The post ride social event will be at BackFire Station which is next to the park. BackFire will host a taco bar and beverages for after the ride. Come for the whole weekend there are many cycling options for your weekend. Visit our website for more information about the ride including information on room discounts.

Sunday, June 1 – Cascade Gravel – Sisters, Or. – https://www.oregongravelgrinder.com/cascade

The Cascade Gravel Grinder is one of the most scenic and diverse gravel events in the country. Located in Sisters, Oregon the event will provide an amazing ride through the Central Oregon high desert and Cascade Mountain Range. The Cascade Gravel Grinder gives riders a spectacular Sunday ride with three different ride options.

Saturday, June 21 – Tour de Fronds – Powers, Or. – https://www.tourdefronds.com

We are looking forward to this year’s annual Tour de Fronds bicycle ride. Registration will open March 1 and close on June 1st . The ride always takes place on the 3rd Saturday of June. It is a fully supported bicycle ride that allows cyclists to enjoy a day in our back yard, the gorgeous Siskiyou National Forest. All cyclists are welcome and we look forward to meeting new participants and greeting former Tour de Fronds riders.

Saturday, June 21 – Tour de Outback – Adel, Or. – https://www.tourdeoutback.org

The 2025 Tour de Outback gravel route is a 51-mile ride (~3300 ft elevation gain) that takes you up to a vista point at just above 6600 ft.  All rides, including the road bike rides, will start in the quintessential ranching community of Adel, Oregon (population 106, elevation 4548 ft). Adel is located just east of Lakeview, Oregon.  

Saturday, June 21 – Grizzly Gravel Hugger – Greensprings, Or. – https://www.gravelhugger.com

This is a timed gravel race.

Sunday, June 22 – Jenny Creek Honey Badger – Jackson County, Or. – https://honeybadgerrides.com/jenny-creek-honey-badger/

All routes start and finish at the Jackson County operated Klum Landing boat ramp and campground. There’s plenty of parking, water, and even showers if you want to know the dust off after the ride. Please make sure you purchase a day pass if you park there.

Wednesday, June 25 thru Sunday, June 29 – The Grand Tour of Gravel – Bend, Or. – https://www.oregontrailgravelgrinder.com

5 Days of Gravel Riding – 4 Nights of Camping – Adventure of a Lifetime – Gravel adventure through the heart of the Cascades

Saturday, June 28 – Talkema Gravel Grinder – Canyonville, Or. – https://www.takelmagravelgrinder.com

Seven Feathers Casino Resort, nestled among tall Douglas firs and pine trees, just off of Interstate 5, at exit 99, in Canyonville, Oregon, is the beginning of the Takelma Gravel Grinder. The 57-mile Takema Tough Bold ride begins by taking riders through the doors of the casino before rolling towards the town of Canyonville and onto rural, Tiller Trail Highway.  Passing farm and ranch landscapes along the South Umpqua River, soon you’re into the gravel experience with a 1.3 mile climbing effort of 9% average gain, then cresting to a spectacular valley view of Days Creek. Riders continue on towards Chief Miwaleta Park and along the scenic view of Galesville Reservoir. Returning to Seven Feathers Casino Resort to relax at Squatchee Fest, enjoying food and beverage from the Seven Feathers Food Truck, compliments of the race organizers.

Sunday, July 27 – Big Elk Honey Badger – Big Elk, Or. – https://honeybadgerrides.com/big-elk-honey-badger/

The Big Elk Honey Badger routes are some of my favorite for a bunch of reasons. The terrain is fairly gentle, so the climbs tend to have lesser gradients. It’s up in the big timber flanking Brown Mtn with lots of shade, making it a popular destination when the heat sets in the valley. The south and north forks of Little Butte Creek and Daley Creek cut through the routes giving you lots of places to filter water and refill a bottle with fresh, cold water. The roads are laid out in a manner that also allows for a ton of route changing to fit how far and how long you want to ride for with plenty of early bailout options or places to extend the ride. All the routes seem like there’s more descending than climbing and as a bigger guy, that’s a rare treat. Lastly, all the routes finish with a long, smooth, cool descent back to the car where a savvy rider has stashed a cold beverage or two to cut the ride dust with.

Sunday, August 17 – Whiskey Springs Honey Badger – Whiskey Springs Campground, Or. – https://honeybadgerrides.com/whiskey-springs-honey-badger/

The Whiskey Springs Honey Badgers start and finish just out side the entrance to the Whiskey Springs campground, located 8 miles north of Highway 140, just off of county road 821. There’s plenty of parking alongside the road, but make certain you’re not sittign out in the road. The rides sit on the western flank of Mt. McLaughlin, in the Big Springs watershed, which supplies much of the Rogue Valley with it’s drinking water. It’s an area with abundant streams and creeks that run year round, allowing a person the chance to have cool fresh water on their ride if you pack a small filter. The grades are fairly gentle and much of the route has shade, so this has become one of my favorite rides during summer wen the valley is in triple digit conditions.

Saturday, September 6 – The Lost Coast Hopper- Westport, Ca. – https://www.grasshopperadventureseries.com/lost-coast-hopper

This Hopper is 100% about the adventure and exploration, with an ample serving of shred! Back this year is the three route format of the “Mero-Mero”, (65 mi. 8,802 ft.) “Mediano” (46 mi. 6,537 ft) and “Chiquito”. (35 mi. 5,171 ft) We will have a timed races this year for those who just have to pin it; but only for the Mero Mero course. Top 3 overall in Mediano will also have a podium but NOT each age group. We have a new location just inland from Usal Beach on the Redwood Forest Foundation property where we’ll hold our start/finish, registration, after party, awards and evening campfire.

Friday, September 12 thru Sunday, September 14 – Mammoth Tuff – Mammoth, Ca. – https://www.tuff.ventures/mtuff

Tuff (tŭf) is a general term for all consolidated pyroclastic, volcanic rocks. The name, Mammoth TUFF, is a nod to the Long Valley Caldera and the volcanic stone that defines ‘gravel’ in the area. The caldera was formed about 760,000 years ago in a volcanic eruption from which the magma still underlies it, heating underground water and fueling hot springs the event will ride by. The short course will circle the famous caldera. The medium and long courses travel through the Volcanic Tableland formed by the Long Valley Caldera. Prepare to be transported back in time.

Sunday, September 14 – Mt Ashland Honey Badger – Mt Ashland, Or. – https://honeybadgerrides.com/mt-ashland-honey-badger/

If you’re old enough, you’ll remember classic late 80’s early 90’s mtb races. They were done on fully rigid bikes doing a big, single loop of almost exclusively logging and Forest Service roads and rarely had any singletrack. Kind of sounds like a modern gravel ride, huh? Back in the day, the big mtb race was called Revenge Of The Siskiyous. It started in Lithia Park of Ashland and went up to Mt Ashland and then back down. 50 miles of climbing, high country vistas, and tons of gravel to grind.