Gravel Biking Adventures: Where to Ride in 2026

Updated for 2026 — Accurate as of February 2026.

Gravel cycling is the fastest-growing discipline in cycling, and the numbers prove it. The global gravel bike market was valued at $1.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.1 billion by 2028, according to industry analysis firm Bike Europe. Event registrations for major gravel races — Unbound Gravel (formerly Dirty Kanza), Gravel Worlds, and Mid South — sell out in minutes. The reason for this growth is simple: gravel bikes unlock an enormous network of roads and paths that road bikes cannot reach and mountain bikes are too slow to traverse efficiently.

The modern gravel bike is a versatile do-it-all machine — drop handlebars for aerodynamic efficiency on roads, wide tires (38–50mm) for comfort and traction on unpaved surfaces, and relaxed geometry for all-day comfort on multi-hour rides. A quality gravel bike is genuinely the one-bike solution for riders who want to mix road riding with adventure.

This guide covers the world’s best gravel cycling destinations for 2026, with specific route recommendations, event calendars, and a practical gear guide for new gravel riders.

Key Takeaway: Gravel biking’s defining appeal is access — the ability to ride roads and tracks that are invisible to road cyclists and too smooth to require a mountain bike. In Italy’s Tuscan hills, Iceland’s highland gravel, or Vermont’s dirt roads, this access reveals a hidden layer of the landscape.

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What Makes a Great Gravel Destination?

The ideal gravel destination combines three elements: a network of quality unpaved roads (gravel, dirt, or packed earth — not loose sand or deep mud), low motor traffic volume, and scenic or cultural rewards along the route. The terrain should offer variety: a mix of climbs, descents, and flat sections keeps riding interesting across a full day or multi-day route.

Infrastructure also matters for visiting riders. Good gravel destinations have reliable accommodation along the route, accessible bike shops for emergency repairs, and GPX data available for route navigation. All five destinations in this guide meet these criteria.

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1. Strade Bianche Country, Tuscany, Italy

The Strade Bianche — literally “white roads” — are the unpaved gravel and clay roads that wind through the Chianti Classico and Val d’Orcia wine regions of Tuscany. The famous Strade Bianche pro race covers 184 km from Siena, incorporating eleven gravel sectors totaling 63 km through the Crete Senesi clay hills. Non-racers can ride the same roads freely any day of the year.

The riding: The Strade Bianche roads are compact gravel and clay — fast in dry conditions, clay-heavy in rain (wet clay clogs drivetrains rapidly). Width: 25–35mm tire minimum for comfort; 38mm for full confidence. The characteristic white roads photograph extraordinarily — the contrast against cypress trees and terracotta farmhouses is what made this region cycling’s most iconic landscape.

Recommended base: Siena or Montalcino. From Siena, you can access the classic Strade Bianche race sectors directly from the city center. From Montalcino, you ride through Brunello wine estates and into the Val d’Orcia UNESCO landscape.

Key routes:

• Siena Gran Fondo circuit (100 km, 2,000m elevation): The benchmark day ride, follows several Strade Bianche race sectors
• Montalcino–Pienza–Montepulciano (85 km, 1,500m elevation): The quintessential Val d’Orcia gravel day
• Trans d’Italia section (variable): The bikepacking route passes through this region — see our bikepacking guide for details

Season: March–May and September–November. Summer (June–August) is possible but hot (35°C+ midday).

Event: Eroica (October, Gaiole in Chianti) — the vintage cycling celebration that requires pre-1987 bikes and classic wool jerseys, and is one of cycling’s most joyful events.

Pro Tip: After rain, the Strade Bianche clay sectors become extremely sticky — clay builds up in the frame’s clearance gaps and brings bikes to a halt. Check the forecast and carry extra clearance between tire and frame (at least 8mm above your tire width).

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2. Unbound Gravel Region, Flint Hills, Kansas

The Flint Hills of east-central Kansas are the largest remaining tract of tallgrass prairie in North America — 4 million acres of rolling grassland on a limestone substrate that produces the finest road stone in the Midwest. The result is a network of pristine white limestone gravel roads that are the substrate for Unbound Gravel (formerly Dirty Kanza), the world’s most prestigious gravel event.

Unbound Gravel takes place annually on the first weekend of June in Emporia, Kansas. The event offers distances from 25 miles to 350 miles, with the 200-mile (322 km) course being the benchmark challenge — 11,000+ feet of elevation gain on relentless limestone rollers. Registrations open in October and sell out within hours. The 2026 edition will be the 20th anniversary race.

The riding outside race week: The Flint Hills are genuinely wonderful to explore independently. The roads are maintained by county governments, legal to ride, and largely free of motor traffic outside farming operations. A well-designed three-day loop from Emporia can cover 300+ km of pristine gravel while passing through the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (one of only 11 national monuments in the National Park system dedicated to grassland).

Key routes:

• Emporia Loop (150 km, 2,500m): The training route used by Unbound participants, covers both north and south course sectors
• Tallgrass Prairie traverse (200 km, 3,200m): Links Emporia to the national preserve, overnight in Council Grove

Practical details: Fly into Kansas City (MCI, 2 hours) or Wichita (ICT, 90 minutes). Rent a car. Emporia has good coffee and surprisingly excellent restaurants for a small midwestern city (thanks to the cycling community that has grown around the event).

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3. Iceland: The Highland Interior (Kjölur and Sprengisandur Routes)

Iceland’s highland interior — the Icelandic highlands or “miðhálendi” — is one of the world’s great cycling landscapes and one of its most demanding. The Kjölur route (F35) crosses the central highlands from Gullfoss in the south to Blöndudalur in the north — 230 km of F-road gravel, river crossings, volcanic desert, and geothermal vents. The Sprengisandur route (F26) covers a similar distance on an even more desolate trajectory through the center of the island.

The riding: F-roads in Iceland are unpaved mountain tracks classified for 4WD vehicles — they are not bike paths. Cycling them requires self-sufficiency (no services for 100+ km sections), river-crossing ability (wading with your bike), and tolerance for gravel surfaces ranging from packed aggregate to loose volcanic scree. This is adventure riding, not recreational cycling.

What makes it extraordinary: The highland interior is Mars-equivalent in its desolation. There are no trees, few structures, and a visual scale that shrinks the rider to irrelevance. The light in July and August (24-hour daylight) creates conditions where you can ride at midnight under full sunshine. The isolation is absolute.

Recommended approach: Join an organized gravel tour with a support vehicle. Operators including Icelandic Mountain Guides (mountainguides.is) and Fjallabak Adventures run supported multi-day highland cycling tours that handle logistics, carry gear, and provide emergency vehicle support — essential given the remoteness and unpredictable weather.

Season: July to mid-August only. F-roads are closed to vehicles (and bikes) outside summer due to snow and soft ground.

Key Takeaway: Iceland’s highland gravel is not a beginner destination. Come here after you have completed multi-day gravel routes in Italy or Vermont, understand your bike and body under long-day riding conditions, and are comfortable with genuine wilderness self-sufficiency.

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4. Vermont Green Mountains Dirt Roads

Vermont is America’s original gravel destination — before “gravel cycling” existed as a category, Vermont’s network of Class 4 town roads (legally public but unpaved and unmaintained in winter) attracted road cyclists seeking unpaved adventure. The Northeast Kingdom in Vermont’s upper-right corner is the epicenter: a landscape of covered bridges, sugar maples, dairy farms, and continuous dirt road networks that can sustain weeks of riding without repetition.

Key routes:

• Kingdom Trails gravel loops (East Burke): The Kingdom Trails mountain bike park also serves gravel cyclists. The surrounding road network adds hundreds of kilometers of dirt and gravel to the trail system.
• Vermont Gravel Ultra (event, June): An annual non-competitive gravel event covering 300+ km of Vermont dirt roads, self-supported, with overnight in traditional Vermont inns
• Mad River Valley circuit (80 km, 1,800m): One of Vermont’s finest mixed road/gravel loops, starting in Waitsfield

Practical details: Fly into Burlington (BTV) or Boston (BOS, 3 hours by car). Car rental essential. Vermont is ideal for bikepacking — a five-day ride from Burlington to the Northeast Kingdom and back covers extraordinary terrain and can be serviced by a network of small-town inns and farm stays.

Season: May–October. The first two weeks of October (peak foliage) are the most spectacular but also the most crowded for accommodation.

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5. Baja California Divide, Mexico

The Baja Divide is a 2,700 km bikepacking route from Tecate (on the US/Mexico border) to Los Cabos at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It is primarily gravel and dirt, and it is one of the world’s great cycling adventures — combining desert, mountain, and coastal terrain with Mexican rancho culture and the possibility of whale watching in Magdalena Bay mid-route.

The riding: The route passes through the Sierra Juárez and Sierra San Pedro Mártir mountains (with 3,000m+ peaks), across the Vizcaíno Desert, and along the Pacific coast. Sections require navigation skills — the route is documented on bajadevide.com with GPX data, but the network of ranch tracks requires more attentiveness than a waymarked European route.

Self-sufficiency: Water is the critical planning variable on Baja. The desert sections have water caches maintained by route volunteers, but these cannot be relied upon absolutely. A 10-liter water carrying capacity is the minimum. Rancho hospitality is one of Baja’s great joys — most ranch families welcome cycling travelers warmly.

Season: November through March. Summer Baja is dangerously hot (45°C+ in the desert interior) and hurricane season (June–October) brings moisture from the Pacific. The winter-season window makes Baja the perfect escape from northern cold.

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Gravel Bike Gear Guide

Essential Setup for Adventure Gravel Riding

The bike: A modern dedicated gravel bike — Specialized Diverge, Canyon Grail, Trek Checkpoint, or Cannondale Topstone — is the ideal starting point. Tire clearance of at least 45mm is the target for adventure riding. A dropper post is increasingly popular for technical descents.

Tires: The most important gravel specification. For mixed road/gravel: Panaracer GravelKing SK 40mm or WTB Riddler 45mm. For full adventure/off-road: Teravail Cannonball 42mm or Maxxis Rambler 38mm. Run tubeless at 30–45 PSI depending on weight and terrain.

Navigation: Garmin Edge 840 Solar or Wahoo ELEMNT Roam V2 with preloaded route. Always carry a phone with offline maps as backup.

Clothing: A quality bib short and jersey combination remains the foundation. Add a lightweight cycling jacket, arm warmers, and knee warmers for morning cold or evening descents. Gravel-specific shoes (Shimano GRX RX8 or Giro Lace) handle walking sections better than pure road shoes.

Component	Budget	Mid-Range	Premium
Gravel bike	Trek Checkpoint AL ($2,000)	Specialized Diverge Sport ($4,000)	Cervélo Áspero ($7,000)
Tires	Vittoria Terreno Dry ($35/ea)	Panaracer GravelKing SK ($50/ea)	Teravail Cannonball ($60/ea)
GPS unit	Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt V2 ($280)	Garmin Edge 840 ($450)	Garmin Edge 1040 Solar ($650)
Bikepacking bags	Revelate Designs basic kit ($200)	Apidura Racing kit ($400)	Custom Porcelain Rocket ($600)

For riders interested in multi-day self-supported gravel adventures, our bikepacking routes guide covers gear and route planning in detail.

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Gravel Riding Fitness: What You Need

Gravel riding is uniquely demanding compared to road cycling. The vibration from unpaved surfaces requires more upper body engagement, and the navigation demands more cognitive attention. A typical gravel “century” (100 miles) takes 20–30% longer than the same distance on road, and the post-ride fatigue is noticeably greater.

Training approach for beginners: Build a foundation of three road rides per week (one long, two medium), then introduce one gravel-specific ride per week on local dirt roads or doubletrack. By week six, your body will have adapted to the vibration loads and irregular surfaces. Saddle fit matters more on gravel than road — get a professional bike fit before your first multi-day gravel trip.

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