# Is there a good resource for finding gravel-grinder type roads and trails?



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Sorry, I would have posted this in the gravel riding sub-forum, but for some strange reason it doesn't seem to show up on my web browser.

Is there a good resource for finding gravel road-bike suitable roads and trails? RidewithGPS seems to be hit-or-miss, for example. (A road near where I live, which is a fireroad in a state park, doesn't even show up on their maps.) There are lots of mountain-bike-specific resources, but they tend to focus most on technical single-track trails that aren't ideal. Is there anything comprehensive for fire-roads and similar?


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## BlueMasi1 (Oct 9, 2002)

The U.S. Forestry Service publishes maps of it's road network of the land it manages. Also, the your state DOT should be able to provide information on the improved and unimproved roads. I'm lucky living in the mid west -- all I have to do is head towards the agriculture and will always find crushed lime stone roads.


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## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)

mtbr.com

look out for spitters though.....


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

wgscott said:


> Sorry, I would have posted this in the gravel riding sub-forum, but for some strange reason it doesn't seem to show up on my web browser.


Funny, that. Maybe you should concentrate on something that's gaining in popularity instead? 
:lol:
Great idea though- I like the idea of more info on routes. RidewGPS can be useful, but for the more remote roads, it's not reliable. Garmin is pretty much useless for planning gravel routes. (or on-the-fly changes to routes, when remote).
For me, it's just been going w/ friends who know the routes, but I'd have a tough time committing to an unknown route.



factory feel said:


> mtbr.com
> 
> look out for spitters though.....


Ouch! and Yes, good info over on MTBR.


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## Wayne-O (Oct 8, 2014)

Another site is Riding Gravel - The Home of Gravel Cycling

Trans Iowa and Dirty Kanza are two long races but you should be able to find other info on these sites.

Wayne


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

you can do a Strava Activity search with the word gravel, and it should turn up any rides with the word in the title withing 200 miles - you can narrow the search radius to less than 200 too


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## rm -rf (Feb 27, 2006)

This blog post on Cartography: Gravel Road Map Resources is very useful.

*gravelmap.com*
gravelmap.com is very good. It's yellow gravel routes are uploaded by members, and some are better documented than others. Nice format--the map is easy to browse. You can bookmark/favorite the current map window, since the URL changes as you browse.

I think most of it's routes have been posted within the last 2 years, and it already has a lot of routes. Add any missing routes that you've ridden!


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## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

I don't know about other areas, but in Washington State, the Department of Natural Resources maintains a map of forest/logging/fire roads in the forests they manage. 

Sadly, due to budget cuts, they are going to stop maintaining many of them. This is a problem here, with all of the rains in fall and winter, many of the roads are quickly washed out, or blocked by blow overs. Once that happens most will be unrideable.

Here is a link to their website for anyone interested
Recreation | WA - DNR


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