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A saguaro in front of the Four Peaks, with a band of low cloud along the range and blue sky above
Andrew Ruiz / Unsplash

BWR Arizona course maps and rider guide

Three gravel courses out of McDowell Mountain Regional Park, on sand washes and singletrack in saguaro country. In 2026 they ran from the 42 mile Wanna to the 101 mile Waffle.

March 5 to 6, 2027 Fountain Hills, Arizona

The Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona is the Sonoran Desert stop of the BWR series, run out of McDowell Mountain Regional Park on the edge of Fountain Hills, northeast of Phoenix. The fifth edition is on March 5 and 6, 2027, with the ride itself on Saturday the 6th.

In 2026 the courses mixed mountains and washes in the Tonto National Forest, long exposed roads around Rio Verde and singletrack inside the park, with fast paved links between the dirt sectors. The organizer calls the mix "unroad". The Waffle also took in the Sears-Kay Ruin.

The map on this page shows the organizer's 2026 course lines. Its 2027 routes, venue and start times will be announced separately, the organizer says, though its 2027 page and BikeReg already list McDowell Mountain Park for race day.

You're responsible for your own navigation, and the race bible lists a bike computer for navigation as a must-have. Download the map before you go, so your phone still shows where you are if you lose the route or the signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona. Check the official site before you enter or race.

BWR Arizona course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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BWR Arizona courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
Waffle101 mi (163 km)6,770 ft (2,064 m)
Wafer67 mi (108 km)3,715 ft (1,132 m)
Wanna42 mi (68 km)2,172 ft (662 m)

BWR Arizona Waffle

The full ride: 101 miles and 6,770 feet of climbing in 2026, three quarters of it unroad.

Distance
101 mi (163 km)
Climbing
6,770 ft (2,064 m)

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Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

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The 2026 Waffle covered 101 miles with 6,770 feet of climbing, and 75% of it was unroad. Only the Waffle had the Sears-Kay Ruin sector. The race bible warns of deep sand, rock gardens, doubletrack and plenty of singletrack, and says the winner takes a little over five hours, which makes it an 8 to 10 hour day for most riders.

There were five feed zones. At mile 76.5 the course came back through the feed zone at the staging area, beside the finish, and that's where the cutoff was: 4:00 PM for men and 4:10 PM for women. Riders who got there later were asked to retire. The course closed at 6:00 PM. About 30% of Waffle riders don't finish, by the organizer's own count, so pace the first half.

A rocky dirt track through desert scrub near Scottsdale, with jagged hills under white clouds
Kody Goodson / Unsplash

BWR Arizona Wafer

The middle distance: 67 miles and 3,715 feet of climbing in 2026.

Distance
67 mi (108 km)
Climbing
3,715 ft (1,132 m)

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

The 2026 Wafer was 67 miles with 3,715 feet of climbing, and 78% of it was unroad, a higher share than the Waffle. The organizer described the new course as having "barely any climbing, but plenty of launching". It had three feed zones, one of them at the staging area.

Like the Waffle, it has age group podiums.

Two saguaros on a desert hillside in the McDowell Mountains near Scottsdale at sunset
Dan Begel / Unsplash

BWR Arizona Wanna

The short course: 42 miles and 2,172 feet of climbing in 2026.

Distance
42 mi (68 km)
Climbing
2,172 ft (662 m)

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

The 2026 Wanna was 42 miles with 2,172 feet of climbing, 62% of it unroad, with one feed zone out on the course. The timing company's course data has you passing it twice. The organizer made it longer that year, but easier.

In 2026 the Wanna started at 8:20 AM with the open Wafer riders, after a neutral 2 mile roll-out.

A tall saguaro over flat desert scrub near Scottsdale, with low mountains far off
DJ / Unsplash

Registration

Entry is through BikeReg, which lists the 2027 ride on March 6 in Fountain Hills. You choose the Waffle, Wafer or Wanna when you sign up, and you can move between them in your BikeReg account up to the Sunday before the ride, or at packet pickup if you leave extra time. There are no changes on race morning, and switching distance during the ride is scored as a DNF.

If you bought the event insurance, you may get a full refund through a claim. Otherwise you get credit: full credit up to three months before the event, 50% up to a month before and 25% up to a week before. Credits expire at the end of the 2028 BWR season.

Packet pickup is at the expo the day before, and you need a photo ID. The rider briefing that day is mandatory. There's an early pickup on race morning too, but the lines get long and some riders miss their start.

Getting there, parking and camping

A saguaro in front of the Four Peaks, with a band of low cloud along the range and blue sky above
Andrew Ruiz / Unsplash

Fountain Hills is about 31 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix. The park's own directions from central Phoenix take Loop 202 east to the Beeline Highway (SR 87), then through Fountain Hills to the park entrance. The Four Peaks Staging Area is about a quarter mile inside the gate.

In 2026 the park charged $10 per vehicle per day, and you could pay for both days on Friday. The gate opened at 6:00 AM. Riding in by bike was $5, with a stop at the gate for a pass. Parking at the staging area was first come, first served, and parking on McDowell Mountain Park Road wasn't allowed.

Dry camping at the staging area was $25 a night on Thursday and Friday, first come, first served, with portable toilets and the park's showers. There was no camping on Saturday night. If you're shipping a bike, the organizer points you to McDowell Mountain Cycles/Fountain Hills Bikes.

Feed zones and support

In 2026 the feed zones were run by volunteers and local bike shops, with Neversecond drinks, gels and bars, KENETIK ketone shots, pickle juice, bananas, pretzels, chips, water and Coke. Mechanics waited at the feed zones, but you should be able to fix your own flats.

You can have your own support, from a fixed spot: the organizer asks that it be near a feed zone, so your trash goes in the bins there. Hand-ups from any vehicle that isn't an official BWR one get you disqualified, and so does any rolling support.

Carry a phone. The organizer's sag wagons are few and have little room for bikes, so if you abandon, plan on calling an Uber back.

Weather and what to bring

A cholla cactus lit by low sun on a desert slope in the McDowell Mountains
Dan Begel / Unsplash

March in Fountain Hills averages a high of 73.9°F and a low of 50.7°F, by NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, with 1.28 inches of rain in the month. The race bible warns of heat and wind, and says the ride goes ahead in the rain, with or without changes to the course.

The organizer asks for tires of 40 mm or wider. Must-haves are a helmet, a phone, a bike computer for navigation and an ID. Bring tubes or plugs, a pump or CO2, a multi-tool, spare quick links and sunscreen. Slow down where the signs say caution, especially on the descent of Blue Wash.

Watch the cholla. Its barbed spines latch on and break off, and the organizer suggests a comb to lift them out rather than pulling with your hand.

BWR Arizona aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Four Peaks Staging Area (2026 start, finish and feed zone)

    33.67213, -111.70016

  • Sears-Kay Ruin (2026 Waffle sector)

    33.88974, -111.81476

BWR Arizona FAQ

When is BWR Arizona 2027?

March 5 and 6, 2027, with the ride on Saturday, March 6. The organizer's Future Dates page still says March 7, but its 2027 event page and BikeReg both give March 6. Start times haven't been announced. In 2026 the Waffle started at 8:00 AM, the elite and competitive women of the Waffle and Wafer at 8:10 AM, and the rest of the Wafer with the Wanna at 8:20 AM.

How long are the BWR Arizona courses?

In 2026 the Waffle was 101 miles with 6,770 feet of climbing, the Wafer 67 miles with 3,715 feet and the Wanna 42 miles with 2,172 feet. The 2027 routes haven't been published.

Is there a cutoff at BWR Arizona?

In 2026 the Waffle had one, at the feed zone beside the finish at mile 76.5: 4:00 PM for men and 4:10 PM for women. The course closed at 6:00 PM.

Can you ride BWR Arizona on a mountain bike?

Yes. The organizer allows mountain bikes, e-bikes and tandems, and in 2026 the results had MTB and single speed classes in the Waffle and Wafer, and e-bike classes in the Wafer and Wanna. It recommends a gravel bike, with tires of at least 40 mm.

Where can I get the BWR Arizona GPX?

The organizer posts the routes the week before the event, and in 2026 the race bible linked each course on Ride with GPS. The map on this page shows the organizer's 2026 course lines.

Is BWR Arizona part of the Quad-Tripel Crown?

In 2026 it was the first of the four Quad-Tripel Crown of Gravel races, with Waffle and Wafer riders scored on three of the four. The organizer says the 2027 Crown calendar and format are still being finalized.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.