In order to study the mechanical properties of the upper loosely-paved gravelly soil used to protect the compacted dam material under the freeze–thaw cycle during winter construction on the engineering site, the gravelly soil with the soil-rock ratio of 7:3 was mixed evenly and sealed under the corresponding dry density and moisture content, and then subjected to freeze–thaw cycles. After reaching the corresponding freeze–thaw times, the compaction samples were taken out. The direct shear tests were conducted on gravelly soil after freeze–thaw cycles under different vertical pressures and the change pattern of mechanical properties were analyzed. The experimental results show that freeze–thaw cycles have no significant effect on the shear strength of soil samples under the lower vertical pressure. Under the higher vertical pressure, the shear strength of soil samples decreases with the number of freeze–thaw cycles and then stabilizes. The effect of freeze–thaw cycles on the shear strength parameters of the gravelly soil is more obvious. As the number of freeze–thaw cycles increases, the cohesive force tends to increase, while the internal friction angle decreases, tending to stabilization after 10 freeze–thaw cycles.