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Green hills dotted with oaks around a farm in north Salinas, with ranges behind
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Sea Otter Classic gravel course map and feed zones

Gravel races of 15, 30, 60 and 90 miles on the old Fort Ord army base, from the Laguna Seca raceway near Monterey.

April 15 to 16, 2027 Monterey, California

The gravel race is one part of the Sea Otter Classic, the cycling festival at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, near Monterey and Salinas. The rest of the weekend includes cross-country, downhill, dual slalom, enduro, gran fondos and a trail run, with over 9,000 athletes and 74,000 fans. The gravel courses leave the track for Fort Ord National Monument, Bureau of Land Management land with maritime chaparral, oak woodland and grassland on rolling hills.

In 2027 the 90 mile is for the Pro field only and opens the Life Time Grand Prix on Thursday, April 15. Everyone else races the 15, 30 or 60 mile on Friday, April 16. All four 2027 courses are new, with more of Fort Ord and a few sections of easy singletrack on its west side. The organizer said the maps would come out in mid-October. They weren't up on October 14, 2026, so this map shows the 2026 course: a lap of 29.6 miles, ridden once, twice or three times.

The monument stays open to the public during Sea Otter, and the BLM asks everyone to stay on marked trails, which keeps you out of areas with unexploded ordnance. Download the map before you go: GPS shows where you are without a signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Sea Otter gravel 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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Sea Otter gravel courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
90 Mile (Pro and Life Time Grand Prix)88.8 mi (143 km)Thu, Apr 15, 10:00 AM
60 Mile59.2 mi (95 km)Fri, Apr 16, 7:00 AM
30 Mile29.6 mi (48 km)2,719 ft (829 m)Fri, Apr 16, 7:45 AM

Sea Otter gravel 90 Mile (Pro and Life Time Grand Prix)

Three laps of Fort Ord for the Pro field, the opening round of the Grand Prix.

Distance
88.8 mi (143 km)
Start
Thu, Apr 15, 10:00 AM

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

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

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The map shows the 2026 race: three laps of 29.6 miles, 88.8 miles in all, with 2,719 feet of climbing a lap. The 2027 course is new. The men start at 10:00 AM on Thursday and the women at 10:30.

Each lap opens with a short climb off the track, then a 4.5 mile descent that drops 910 feet. The biggest climb comes at mile 5.3: 409 feet in 1.3 miles at 6%. The organizer describes wide gravel roads, short punchy climbs and some paved stretches where you can move up or recover.

To race it you need a Pro Application approved by Life Time. The criteria and the 2027 application haven't been posted yet. The 2027 Sea Otter Grand Prix Qualifier fills the last 14 places in each of the men's and women's Grand Prix fields, scored on this race and Saturday's Fuego XL mountain bike race.

Green hills above the Salinas Valley from Fremont Peak, looking toward Monterey
John Ruddock / Unsplash

Sea Otter gravel 60 Mile

The Unbound qualifier, with a corral start and a cutoff on the first lap.

Distance
59.2 mi (95 km)
Start
Fri, Apr 16, 7:00 AM

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

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

In 2026 this was two laps of the course on the map, 59.2 miles in all; 2027's course is new. You pick a corral when you register, by your expected finish time. Black (3 to 4 hours) goes at 7:00 AM Friday, then Blue, Green and Yellow (over 5 hours) at ten minute intervals to 7:30.

Everyone has to finish the first lap before 12:40 PM. This is also the distance to ride for an Unbound Gravel spot: at least 50 are on offer, half to the top riders in each category and half by random draw.

Sea Otter gravel 30 Mile

One lap of Fort Ord, starting at 7:45 AM on Friday.

Distance
29.6 mi (48 km)
Climbing
2,719 ft (829 m)
Start
Fri, Apr 16, 7:45 AM

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

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 version was a single lap: 29.6 miles and 2,719 feet of climbing, past both feed zones out in the monument. The 2027 course is new. Men and women start together at 7:45 AM on Friday and are scored separately.

If 30 is more than you want, the new 15 mile starts five minutes later, at 7:50, for $65 early bird. Its course isn't published yet, so it isn't on the map.

Registration and fees

Registration for 2027 is open. The 30, 60 and 90 mile cost $150 until December 8, 2026, $160 until March 1 and $180 after that. The 15 mile is $65, $70 and $85. If you sign up at the event there's a $20 late fee, and registration closes at 6:00 PM the day before your race. There's no race-day registration.

Entry gets you a four-day festival pass, parking, showers, a bike valet and a post-race lunch with a Sierra Nevada beer at the Casa Amigos lounge. Fees aren't refundable or transferable. You can defer to the next year for half the fee.

Collect your number in person, with photo ID, at the Hospitality Pavilion. It's open from noon to 6 PM on Wednesday and 6 AM to 6 PM Thursday to Saturday.

Getting to Laguna Seca

Race cars on a foggy WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, framed by trees
Austin Clark / Unsplash

The venue is WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Monterey Salinas Highway, Salinas. For 2026 the organizer had airline and car rental deals through the Monterey, San Jose and San Francisco airports. Groome Transportation runs shuttles from the San Jose and San Francisco airports to Monterey.

General parking is on Wolf Hill, with a free shuttle to the expo from 8 AM to 6 PM. Reserved parking passes are $80 a day and can't be bought on site. If you ride in, the bike valet in Paddock Parking opens at 6:30 AM. You can camp at the track, with a three night minimum, and sites go fast.

Feed zones and crews

The 2026 tech guide for the Elite field lists three feed zones: Feed Zone 1 at mile 7.5 on Skyline Road, Feed Zone 2 at mile 22.3 on Eucalyptus Road, and Feed Zone 3 on the track just past the start and finish. The first two had first aid, water, food and toilets. The neutral support was water, Neversecond gels and FLUID drink mix.

These rules are from that Elite guide and may not hold for age groups. Vehicles weren't allowed at any feed zone. Crews walk or ride to the first two: about 2 miles to Feed Zone 1 from the BLM gate near Terrace View camping, down Pilarcitos Canyon Road, and about 5 miles to Feed Zone 2, out Barloy Canyon Road and Eucalyptus Road. Handing up anywhere else would get your rider disqualified. Feed Zone 3 was the only place for outside mechanical help or a wheel change. You could leave a drop bag the size of a backpack at any of the three, taking it there yourself.

Weather and kit

A dune bluff above the beach on Monterey Bay at dusk
Guillaume Merle / Unsplash

Monterey's April averages are a high of 61.5°F (16.4°C) and a low of 47.3°F (8.5°C), with 1.15 inches (29 mm) of rain over about seven wet days. Mornings can be cold, so start with layers you can stuff in a pocket.

A helmet is required. Life Time's gravel rules allow gravel, cyclocross, mountain and road bikes, but ban aerobars and clip-on extensions.

Sea Otter gravel 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.

  • Sea Otter Classic Bridge (start, finish, Feed Zone 3)

    36.58477, -121.75524

  • Feed Zone 1, Skyline Road

    36.61437, -121.72507

  • Feed Zone 2, Eucalyptus Road

    36.62132, -121.76239

Sea Otter gravel FAQ

When is the Sea Otter gravel race in 2027?

The Pro and Life Time Grand Prix 90 mile is on Thursday, April 15, 2027, at 10:00 AM for men and 10:30 for women. The 60, 30 and 15 mile are on Friday, April 16, starting from 7:00 AM. The Sea Otter Classic festival runs April 15 to 18.

Is Sea Otter gravel an Unbound qualifier?

Yes. In 2027 the spots go to the 60 mile, and you have to finish the first lap before 12:40 PM. At least 50 are on offer, half to the top riders in each category and half by random draw, for the next Unbound Gravel or the one after.

How hard is the Sea Otter gravel course?

The 2026 lap was 29.6 miles with 2,719 feet of climbing. Its biggest climb was 409 feet in 1.3 miles, averaging 6%, and the lap mixed wide gravel roads, short punchy rises and some pavement. The 2027 courses are new and add a few sections of non-technical singletrack.

Can amateurs ride the 90 mile at Sea Otter?

Not in 2027. The 90 mile is for the Pro category and the Life Time Grand Prix, and Pro riders need an approved application. Amateurs choose the 15, 30 or 60 mile. In 2026 the 90 was open to age groups and was the Unbound qualifier.

Where are the feed zones at Sea Otter gravel?

On the 2026 lap they were at mile 7.5 on Skyline Road, mile 22.3 on Eucalyptus Road at Little Moab Road, and on the track just past the finish line. The 2026 Elite guide kept vehicles away from the first two, so crews got there on foot or by bike. The 2027 feed zones aren't published yet.

Is the 2027 Sea Otter gravel course out?

Not as of October 14, 2026. The organizer said the new maps would be out in mid-October. Until they are, this page maps the 2026 lap from the organizer's 2026 Elite tech guide.

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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.