Belgian Waffle Ride Utah 2026
Belgian Waffle Ride Utah 2026
High Desert Gravel at Its Finest
Nestled in southwestern Utah, Cedar City is best known for its world-renowned Shakespeare Festival, but it's also a gateway to some of the country's most spectacular public lands. Zion, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and miles upon miles of public backcountry make it a place that's well worth spending a few extra days exploring before (or after) pinning on a number.
It's also home to the seventh stop—well, technically the third stop—of the Quad-Tripel Crown of Gravel: the Seventh Annual Belgian Waffle Ride Utah.
Expect the Unexpected
If there's one thing Cedar City has taught us over the years, it's to pack for everything.
We've raced here through snow, freezing temperatures, sideways wind, sunshine, and just about every combination in between. This year, though, the weather couldn't have been much better.
At nearly 5,800 feet above sea level, the high desert has a way of reminding you where you are. The air is dry, the views seem to go on forever, and by the afternoon, the crosswinds politely ask whether you really wanted to ride your gravel bike today.
Gravel Done Right
Every BWR venue has its own personality, and Cedar City's is easy to love.
The 2026 course traded the previous year's technical singletrack for an all-new route across gravel, sand, rock, and fast unroad sectors. The result? A course that flowed incredibly well while still delivering plenty of opportunities to make questionable life decisions at speed.
Last year's Waffle route set the benchmark with:
- 117 miles (188 km)
- 5,940 feet of climbing
- Nearly 60% unroad terrain
- Eight paved sectors
- Four feed zones
The Wafer and Wanna routes offered shorter options without sacrificing the signature BWR experience, making the weekend approachable whether you were chasing a podium or simply chasing waffles.