Cascade Winthrop Gravel Tour
Three-day gravel tour through the Methow Valley near Winthrop, WA — 140 miles of high-desert dirt roads with 12,700 ft of climbing in stunning eastern Washington.
The vibe
High desert dirt, Cascade style
Winthrop sits on the eastern side of the Cascades in the Methow Valley — a landscape of open rangeland, pine forest, and big views that feels completely different from the west side of the mountains. Cascade Bicycle Club’s Winthrop Gravel Tour brings that terrain into a three-day supported format: 140 miles of dirt and gravel roads over the course of a long weekend, with 12,700 feet of climbing that will test your legs and reward your eyes.
This is gravel touring in the truest sense — not racing, not a punishing sufferfest, but a structured multi-day adventure through terrain most riders don’t get to explore unless they plan specifically for it. The Methow Valley has long been a destination for Nordic skiing and mountain biking, and the gravel routes here are legitimately beautiful. Expect wide open skies, ranch land, and the occasional dramatic climb with views across the valley.
The tour format means accommodations and logistics are handled, which matters on a three-day trip. It’s suited to riders who are comfortable on gravel and have the fitness for back-to-back days of riding, but it’s not positioned as an elite event — Cascade’s programming tends toward inclusivity. June timing puts you there before summer heat arrives in earnest on the east side.