Tag Archives: West Motorcycle Rides

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure: From Prescott to the Grand Canyon

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Enjoying the delightful curves on State Route 89A as it climbs up Mingus Mountain. (Photos by the author and Steve Cox)

The American West has special allure. Rugged landscapes, hardscrabble history, and a sense of endless possibilities draw people to the West like a magnet to metal. For the curious and the adventurous, few states pack in as much variety as Arizona. Deserts dominate the southern part of the state, while to the north you’ll find the high Colorado Plateau, mountains that tower more than 10,000 feet, and Arizona’s most famous feature: the Grand Canyon, one of the world’s seven natural wonders.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Exploring wide-open spaces near Skull Valley. (Photos by the author and Steve Cox)

My Arizona motorcycle adventure began in Prescott, a charming Old West city that served as the capital of the Arizona Territory in the 1800s. Located a mile above sea level in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains, Prescott was a frontier gold and silver mining town that once counted Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday among its residents. It’s home to the “World’s Oldest Rodeo,” which began in 1888 and draws tens of thousands of attendees every year.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Arizona has hundreds of miles of scenic unpaved roads.

While in Prescott, I stayed at the Hotel St. Michael, which opened in 1901 and has had such distinguished guests as Theodore Roosevelt and Zane Grey. The St. Michael is located on the northeast corner of Whiskey Row, a block that’s famous for its saloons and overlooks Prescott’s historic town square, where lush trees and grass surround the Yavapai County Courthouse.

Loop Ride to Skull Valley and Jerome

Whiskey Row is on Montezuma Street, and part of the street through Prescott is designated Arizona State Route 89. I fired up my red-white-and-blue Honda Africa Twin and rode south on SR-89, carving curves through the Bradshaw Mountains. South of Wilhoit, I explored some backroads, including Iron Springs Road through Skull Valley, a small community named after the Native American remains found by the first white settlers in the area.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025

Scan QR codes above or click Day 1 or Day 2 to view routes on REVER

Leaving the pavement, I entered Prescott National Forest and cruised north on wide, hardpacked forest roads covered in a fine layer of sand – perfect for the occasional rear-wheel drift around a curve to test the Honda’s torque and traction control. My clockwise loop turned east, and I crossed SR-89 north of Prescott at Chino Valley.

After passing through civilization and a brief foray on pavement, I entered the national forest again, and the landscape changed from dry grass and scrub to red rocks and dirt. This part of the ride gave the sense that parts of the West are still wild, with wide-open spaces where the only evidence of human existence is a desolate dirt road. Stopping the bike and turning off the engine left nothing but the sound of wind.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Clinging to the face of Mingus Mountain like an alpine village, Jerome is a former mining town that’s now a popular tourist destination. (Photo via Adobe Stock)

After climbing several switchbacks to a narrow slot pass, the unpaved road became a series of tight hairpins with a stone wall on one side and a steep drop on the other. After passing the Gold King Mine ghost town, I rejoined the pavement on SR-89A in Jerome, a former mining town once known as “The Wickedest Town in the West.” Perched on a steep hillside like an alpine village, it’s now a charming and well-visited tourist destination.

The 20 miles of SR-89A from Jerome to Prescott Valley, which slithers its way up and over Mingus Mountain, is one of the best motorcycling roads in Arizona. It has it all: hairpins, constant-radius corners, inclines, declines, smooth pavement, and scenic views.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Prescott’s Whiskey Row includes the Hotel St. Michael, Palace Restaurant & Saloon, and several watering holes dating back to the 1800s. (Photo via Adobe Stock)

After my backroad and backcountry adventure, I spent the afternoon sampling some of Whiskey Row’s saloons and shops before having dinner at Palace Restaurant & Saloon, a favorite hangout of Earp and Holliday in the 1870s. When the Palace was destroyed by a fire in 1900, dedicated patrons saved the ornate wooden Brunswick bar by carrying it across the street, and it’s still in use today. The Palace, which still has bullet holes in its pressed-tin ceiling, has walls adorned with historic photos as well as posters for Junior Bonner and Billy Jack, two movies that used the saloon as a filming location.

Rim to Rim and Horseshoe Bend

The next morning, I loaded up on coffee and breakfast at the Hotel St. Michael’s bistro, and then I loaded up the Honda with a duffel bag and a tent. My plan was to camp on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but first I had to get there.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
This wonderful ribbon of asphalt is SR-89A just outside of Jerome. (Photo via Adobe Stock)

From Prescott, I rode north on SR-89 for a long, mostly straight 50 miles to Ash Fork, where I picked up Interstate 40 and continued east to Williams. This stretch of I-40 replaced the old U.S. Route 66, the so-called “Mother Road” that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles and was one of the main highways that carried Americans by car or motorcycle to the West. Ash Fork and Williams still offer plenty of “Get Your Kicks” kitsch to draw in tourists.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Part of U.S. Route 89A runs along the Vermillion Cliffs.

Over the 20 miles from Ash Fork to Williams, I-40 climbs to nearly 6,800 feet in elevation as it ascends the massive Colorado Plateau. From Williams, I beelined north for another 50 miles on State Route 64, which passes through part of the Kaibab National Forest and the town of Tusayan before entering Grand Canyon National Park.

See all of Rider’s U.S. West motorcycle rides here.

My first stop was the Backcountry Information Center in Grand Canyon Village, where I obtained a backcountry permit that would allow me to camp at Tuweep, a remote, primitive campground on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with just nine sites.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
The Tuweep area of Grand Canyon National Park includes Toroweap Overlook and a primitive campground (permit required).

With my permit in hand, I rode east on a part of SR-64 known as Desert View Drive that follows the South Rim and gives visitors a taste of the canyon’s grandeur at Grandview Point, Moran Point, Navajo Point, and Desert View Watchtower. From the rim, it’s difficult to see the Colorado River that’s nearly a mile below because it’s hidden behind cliffs and mesas. From river level, it’s also difficult to see the canyon’s rims, as I discovered in 2013 when my father, brother, and I floated down the entire 277-mile length of the Colorado in a wooden dory as part of a guided tour.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Toroweap Overlook is 3,000 vertical feet above the Colorado River.

Exiting the national park, I continued east to Cameron, a small town within the Navajo Nation. Being a gateway to the Grand Canyon, it has gas stations, chain restaurants, and shops selling souvenirs. There are no roadway bridges over the Grand Canyon, so to get to the North Rim I would have to cross the Colorado River via the Navajo Bridge over Marble Canyon.

But first I had a box to check on my bucket list: visiting Horseshoe Bend. I rode north on U.S. Route 89 for 60 miles, and at Bitter Springs the road turns to the east and climbs 1,000 feet within three miles as it cuts through the red rock cliffs up to Antelope Pass. Sometimes referred to as the “East Rim of the Grand Canyon,” Horseshoe Bend is a U-shaped meander in the Colorado River located five miles below Glen Canyon Dam, and it’s accessed from a large parking area near the town of Page, which serves as a gateway to Lake Powell and the Colorado River.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Horseshoe Bend is an aptly named curve in the Colorado River near Page. It’s popular for photos – #horseshoebend has more than 740K posts on Instagram. (Photo via Adobe Stock)

There’s a viewpoint from the rim at Horseshoe Bend that’s an iconic spot to take photos, particularly at sunset. It was a hot day when I visited, and clopping along in riding gear and heavy motocross boots for the 1.5-mile walk from the parking lot to the rim was a drag, but the view was worth the effort.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
The Navajo Bridge crosses the Colorado River at Marble Canyon. (Photo via Adobe Stock)

Backtracking on U.S. 89, I savored the scenic descent to Bitter Springs before picking up U.S. Route 89A and crossing the Navajo Bridge, entering the largely uninhabited area between the Colorado River and the Utah state line known as the Arizona Strip. Just beyond the bridge is Lees Ferry, the put-in spot for raft and dory trips down through the Grand Canyon. Although the major highways I traveled on were wide and had gradual curves, they delivered the goods in terms of scenery. Now on the northern side of the canyon, U.S. 89A tracked west and on my right were the majestic Vermillion Cliffs.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Jacob Lake is the gateway to the North Rim. Stopping at the inn’s diner for a burger and a fresh-basked cookie is highly recommended.

After crossing House Rock Valley, the road began to climb again. Desert scrub gave way to pine trees and the afternoon heat began to subside as I approached Jacob Lake, a small community at nearly 8,000 feet that’s the gateway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I had ridden more than 300 miles so far and worked up quite an appetite, so I had a late lunch at the Jacob Lake Inn, which has an old-school diner with a lunch counter that serves juicy burgers and fresh-baked cookies.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
The road to Toroweap Overlook on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

With my belly full, I enjoyed a fast, scenic descent of more than 3,000 feet to Fredonia, and with each passing mile it got warmer and warmer. I continued west on State Route 389 for 13 miles, and just before Pipe Springs National Monument (where you can also obtain a backcountry permit to camp at Tuweep), I turned onto Mount Trumbull Road, a wide, well-groomed gravel road, and kicked up a dust cloud for 60 miles on my way to the campground.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Taking in a sunset view from the North Rim’s Toroweap Overlook.

After reentering Grand Canyon National Park, a ranger at the Tuweep station checked my permit. The last couple of miles to the campground were the most challenging. The Africa Twin’s big front wheel and generous ground clearance made it easy to crawl over the embedded rock and negotiate loose stones and sand. After setting up my tent, I rode out to Toroweap Overlook, where I put the kickstand down and walked to the edge of the abyss, standing 3,000 vertical feet above the Colorado River with no one else around as the sun began to set.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
Quiet solitude in one of the most beautiful places on earth – along with a long pour of whiskey – was the perfect end to a long ride from Prescott to Tuweep.

My Cup Runneth Over

In just two days, I packed in nearly 600 miles of scenic riding on pavement and backcountry byways. I spent two nights in a historic hotel in the heart of Prescott, an authentic Western town where I wet my whistle in the same Whiskey Row saloon where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday used to rest their heels. I checked Horseshoe Bend off my bucket list, and I experienced the seventh natural wonder of the world from two very different perspectives – the heavily trafficked South Rim and a primitive campsite on the North Rim. It was a fantastic Arizona motorcycle adventure.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure February 2025
The rising sun warms my campsite.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Arizona Motorcycle Adventure Resources

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Traipsing Across Washington Motorcycle Ride | Favorite Ride

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
There are many wonderfully winding roads in the Columbia River Gorge. (Photos by the author)

Matt Terry, a riding buddy from Florida, planned to travel out West with his family, and he always trailers his two Ducati Diavel Stradas so he can explore backroads. With an extra bike in need of a rider, he invited me to join him after his family returned home.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
Palouse Falls State Park is in the heart of Washington’s Channeled Scablands.

We made plans to ride for two weeks, working our way through Montana, Idaho, and Washington, and then up into Canada. I flew from my home in Arkansas to Salt Lake City. Matt picked me up at the airport, and we drove to Missoula, Montana.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
“Rocky” the marmot blends in with the rugged Scablands terrain.

Trips with Matt often involve long days in the saddle. When we add in stops for photos, days often stretch into the night. But that allows me to photograph at the best time of day – during the golden hour close to sunset.

We stowed the trailer in Missoula and headed west on U.S. Route 12, summiting Lolo Pass as we crossed into Idaho. We stayed on U.S. 12 and followed the Clearwater River for most of the ride to the twin cities of Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Washington.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025

Scan the QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER

The ride across Washington was spectacular, both through the mountains and across the Channeled Scablands, a relatively barren area crisscrossed by deep channels in the bedrock known as coulees. The landscape was scoured out by cataclysmic mega-floods from the enormous Glacial Lake Missoula during the last ice age.

About 50 miles west of Clarkston, we left U.S. 12 and crossed the Snake River on State Route 261. The sun was low in the sky, creating perfect light. The sun struck a tall steel-trestle railroad bridge just right, and I was compelled to stop for a picture.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
Mount St. Helens, located 100 miles south of Seattle, blew its top in 1980, creating an enormous crater that reduced its elevation from 9,677 to 8,363 feet. It was the deadliest and costliest volcanic event in U.S. history.

Our next stop was Palouse Falls State Park, where the Palouse River flows across the rugged Scablands and plunges 200 feet into the canyon below. I photographed the falls, the people around the falls, and “Rocky” the marmot playing on the rocky cliffs. As usual we spent too much time photographing and arrived at our hotel in Kennewick well after dark.

Our primary destination the next day was the east side of Mount St. Helens, but we took a long route so we could explore the Columbia River Gorge. We motored along State Route 14, wound along several backroads, and crossed the Columbia River into Oregon to see the spectacular Multnomah Falls. The double-tiered falls are a natural wonder, plunging 620 feet and viewed from either the bottom or from an arched bridge across the falls about halfway up.

See all of Rider’s U.S. West motorcycle rides here.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
Located near the Columbia River, Multnomah Falls is one of the most popular attractions in Oregon.

We crossed the Columbia again on the Bridge of the Gods, where the Pacific Crest Trail continues from Oregon into Washington. We took SR-14 along the river to State Route 141, where we turned north and climbed into the mountains. National Forest Routes 23, 90, and 25 took us to America’s most famous volcano: Mount St. Helens.

To get to the Windy Ridge Viewpoint, we rode across an otherworldly landscape covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash. We arrived at the golden hour, and as usual, we stayed longer than we planned, in awe of the scenes spreading all around us. It was worth it, but I didn’t relish the thought of riding through the inky blackness that comes with being out so late deep in the Cascades.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
While riding across Washington, our days were long because we were always in search of scenic backdrops to photograph during the golden hour, like this steel-trestle railroad bridge over the Palouse River.

Fortunately, the Clearwater auxiliary lights on Matt’s Duc lit up the road ahead. We rolled into Packwood late and found our motel, hungry but spiritually satiated. We ended our long day at a bar-and-grill across the street, savoring frosty beers and some of the best burgers we’ve ever eaten.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
The incomparable North Cascades Scenic Highway.

From Packwood, we rode U.S. 12 east to Yakima, State Route 821 north along the Yakima River, and U.S. 97 north to Leavenworth. The road was winding and the scenery gorgeous. Wildfires in the Northwest blanketed the area with smoke, casting an unusual glow on Leavenworth, a charming town modeled after a Bavarian alpine village. We stayed at Mrs. Anderson’s Lodging House, which is conveniently located next door to Blewett Brewing, which serves craft beers and gourmet pizzas.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
Leavenworth looks like a Bavarian alpine village. We enjoyed craft beers and gourmet pizzas at Blewett Brewing.

The riding and scenery in Washington had been fantastic so far, but it got even better on the fourth day when we made our way west on the North Cascades Scenic Highway (State Route 20): 144 miles of dramatic riding through the heart of the breathtaking Cascade Range, 30 miles of which runs through North Cascades National Park. The pavement was in excellent condition, and the mountains often soared high above us on both sides.

Best Washington Motorcycle Ride Traipsing Across Washington Favorite Ride January 2025
A couple cruises over the Deception Pass Bridge, which connects Whidbey and Fidalgo islands.

We crossed onto Whidbey Island via the beautiful SR-20 bridge across Deception Pass, and we spent the night in Oak Harbor. The next day, we caught a ferry over to Port Townsend and continued into Canada. But our four days traipsing across Washington are at the top of my list of the most unforgettable days ever on a motorcycle.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Washington Motorcycle Ride Resources


David Bell Contributor Headshot

David Bell makes his home in rural northwest Arkansas in the heart of the Ozarks. He has been a photographer and writer for nearly 50 years. Visit CruiseTheOzarks.com.

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Source: RiderMagazine.com

The Lost Sierra: Northern California Motorcycle Ride

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
The Yuba River cleaves the heart of The Lost Sierra along this Northern California motorcycle ride. (Photos by the author)

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the October 2004 issue.

The phone rings. It’s Werner Wachter calling from Austria. “You vill come to Sacramento this weekend to my Edelweiss presentation at A&S BMW?”

It’s a question, but it sounds more like an order. I once asked Wachter, “What’s the difference between a German and an Austrian?” His response was subtle. He didn’t speak to me for months.

Anyway, of course we will come to Sacramento this weekend. It’s the end of March. We are enjoying a temporary respite in the usually Stalingrad-like winter here in greater Bieber in Big Valley on the high plains of northeast California. My Gold Wing’s battery is beginning to need me. And it has been way too long since I’ve seen the man who proposed to my wife more than 20 years ago on a rocky mountaintop in the Negev Desert. God, had only she accepted, what I would have saved…

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
Mount Lassen, at 10,457 feet, in all its glory from an overlook on State Route 44 near Old Station.

The concept here is to ride 300 miles to Sacramento the fast way, west on State Route 299 over a couple of mountain passes and through one riverine canyon to Redding, then south on Interstate 5 down the long green riparian corridor of the Sacramento Valley. Then, after Wachter schnozzles up the riders at A&S BMW (located in the Sacramento burb of Roseville, the biggest Beemer dealer in the United States) on the many benefits of riding the Alps with Edelweiss, I shall lead him on an interesting route back to Big Valley for a short course in alfalfa farming and the putative wisdom of moving about as far from Los Angeles as one can get.

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride

It goes well. Wachter’s slide show is a stunning revelation of the truth and beauty of a moto tour of alpine Europe. It made me remember drinking grappa in the moon shadows of the Jungfrau. 

Through the good offices of A&S BMW, Wachter secures the loan of a black and white BMW R 1150 RT-P Police Special. It is equipped with those lights and that siren, and on two occasions during the ride home, Wachter plays cop behind me and scares off a couple of the few years remaining to me and my loyal friend and passenger, Pam. The route home that I select, at least two thirds of which I’ve never ridden before, is a chancy high road in late March involving 6,700-foot Yuba Pass in the northern Sierra Nevada: Interstate 80 east to Auburn, then State Route 49 northeast to Calpine, then SR-89 northwest to SR-299, then eastward on the short final hop to the valley we love.

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
Stay here and let the river lull you to sleep.

Rolling north on SR-49 in the waning afternoon, it doesn’t take long to escape the densely populated suburbs and traffic that surround the state capital of Sacramento. However, within an hour, we are for all practical purposes alone at last, riding rapturously in a deep canyon along the north fork of the Yuba River, the road every bit as sinuous and captivating as the river itself. This northern section of the Sierra Nevada is known as “The Lost Sierra” for good reason. Regional population peaked at 7,340 in 1860 when the gold rush was in full swing and then began to wane as the mines played out. The contemporary head count is 3,584. Locals think this lovely trend is due to the rugged vertical terrain that seems to defy contemporary development, and we are not here to argue. At a pit stop, with the light failing and the temperature plummeting, Wachter queries me again. “Where have you made reservations for the night?”

See all of Rider‘s California tour stories here.

Reservations? We don’t need no stinking reservations. We round a bend of the road and there in all its charming magnetism, tucked away in an alpine gorge at the confluence of the Yuba River and the Downie River, are the twinkling lights of the fetching historic burg of Downieville. We ride across a bridge and pull into a place that looks like a bucolic illustration on a postcard, The Downieville River Inn and Resort, where the rooms are located 50 feet or so from the sonorous riffles of the river. We are greeted by manager Jamie Alichwer who says, “Glad you’re here, of course we can put you up for the night.” Ah, the no-plan method of motorcycle touring, it has always borne for me the sweetest fruit.

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
Population here in 1860: 7,340. Now: 3,584. They don’t call this northern part of the Sierra Nevada “lost” for nothing.

Downieville highlights: The best calamari steaks we’ve ever had at The Grubstake. After dinner I whip Wachter three games of eight-ball in a row at the favored local saloon, the St. Charles. In the morning, during breakfast at the Downieville Diner, I ask a sheriff’s deputy seated at an adjacent table if they’ve recently used the historic gallows still fitted with a noose that remains standing near the county courthouse located just behind the inn. He looks up at me from his plate of eggs and says with a friendly smile, “Not yet.”

“Bikers Beware: Dead Man’s Curves Next 15 Miles.” This sign nailed to a pine tree along SR-49 near Sierra City just as the road begins to wind tightly up to the top of Yuba Pass only amplifies the warning we heard in Downieville. Watch the snowmelt, the blind curves, the rocks. Many riders have gone rubber side-up here. Since Wachter and I have both known the pain of that experience, we proceed with more caution than usual, and the reward at the top of the pass is a stunning eagle’s view of the sprawling green floor of the biggest alpine valley in North America, Sierra Valley, where working ranches date back to the 1800s and, like so much else here, seem little changed from quieter days.

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
Historic gallows, downtown Downieville.

Give a look at the map at SR-89 as it plunges north from Calpine to Lake Almanor through the heart of Plumas County in Feather River country and then farther north as it continues through Lassen National Forest. Notice the distinct dearth of dots and lines and wonder no longer why this vast region of northeast California is often referred to by the relative few who live here as the California no one knows. The wonder of it is not lost on Wachter. He keeps referring to the possibility of a new Edelweiss U.S. tour. He wants to go swimming in Lake Almanor where the water is almost too cold for the trout this time of the year. He does go swimming in Lake Almanor. Pam and I watch him splashing and turning blue from the shore. She asks me, “Is he crazy?” “Of course he is,” I reply, but he’s one of the happiest guys I know, and there’s a lesson in him that isn’t lost on me either.

Lassen National Park may not be rideable yet, but the view of the immense volcanic mountain sheathed brilliantly white from an overlook above Old Station on our detour route on SR-44 is another sight that shocks up understanding that a woman is the true ruler of this planet, Ma Nature herself. There are people still living here who remember her wrath when Mount Lassen spewed roaring rivers of molten rock aglow with hellfire in 1915. That it is going to happen again one day is a foregone conclusion.

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
What, you don’t like blind decreasing radius corners?

From this point, the final 60-mile leg to Bieber in Big Valley is all home ground to me. One more stop seems required, Burney Falls State Park, located on SR-89 just a few miles north of its junction with SR-299. A hundred million gallons a day gorge up from volcanic basalt to create Burney Creek, and then all that water falls off a 130-foot cliff into a misty gorge lined with huge old-growth fir and pine, every tree soaring up to heaven with enough board feet to frame a mansion. We take the short one-third-mile hike down to the base of the roaring falls and into the mist where the air is as clean and tart as freezing watercress.

We have a great time at home in Big Valley. I show Wachter the farm machinery, the wells, the irrigation lines, the golden sweep of the still dormant fields, the lonely beauty of the high plains. He understands why I moved here 10 years ago from SoCal. But he has promises to keep down there, at Keith Code’s California Superbike School at Willow Springs Raceway. He wants me to go with him, but I tell him I go to superbike school every night, in my dreams. 

Northern California Motorcycle Ride The Lost Sierra Favorite Ride
The roaring beauty of Burney Falls.

As he’s re-packing his bike to leave a few mornings later, I warn him again about the lucky break we’ve had in the weather, and it’s changing fast as a light snow begins to blow in from the southwest. “Head west to the valley,” I tell him, “take the low road.” “No,” he says, “I want to go east on an interesting route.” “What about the weather, ice on the road?” He drills me with that look of the old empire in his eyes and says simply, “We are men.”

Wachter, I love you because you’re far crazier than I am and so I know, for me at least, there is hope.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.


Denis Rouse Contributor Headshot

Denis Rouse is the founding publisher of Rider. He and Werner Wachter were friends for many years and rode together throughout the U.S. and abroad. Wachter passed away in 2021; Rouse wrote an obituary that can be found in the March 2021 issue and on the Rider Magazine website.

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Source: RiderMagazine.com

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 7. Pacific Coast Highway (California / 656 miles)
The Pacific Coast Highway is an iconic scenic road along the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts. (Photo by Kevin Wing)

The December 2024 issue of Rider celebrated the magazine’s 50th anniversary. Over the past half century, we have published thousands of travels stories, favorite rides, tour tests, and features highlighting must-ride roads throughout the U.S. and on every continent except Antarctica. As part of the special anniversary issue, we selected 50 of the best motorcycle roads in America.

Out of 3.9 million miles of roads in this country, these are just a drop in the bucket, covering a mere 13,467 miles. There are thousands more great roads out there, so get going!

(The road are listed more or less alphabetically by state rather than in rank order.)

1. Dalton Highway (Alaska / 414 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 1. Dalton Highway (Alaska / 414 miles)
1. Dalton Highway (Alaska / 414 miles)

Paralleling the Trans‑Alaska Pipeline, this gravel supply road that goes from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay is a bucket‑list adventure route that crosses the Arctic Circle and the Continental Divide. (Photo by Jeff Davison)

Related: Alaska Motorcycle Ride: Discovering America’s Last Frontier

2. Jasper Disaster Loop (Arkansas / 56 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 2. Jasper Disaster Loop (Arkansas / 56 miles)
2. Jasper Disaster Loop (Arkansas / 56 miles)

This route in the Ozark Mountains, which starts and ends in Jasper, Arkansas, and includes AR 7, AR 43, and AR 74, has hundreds of tight curves and crosses the Buffalo National River twice. (Photo by Bill Stermer)

Related: Riding the Backwoods of Arkansas

3. Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Arkansas / 20 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 3. Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Arkansas / 20 miles)
3. Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Arkansas / 20 miles)

The Ozarks offer a smorgasbord of roads that wind through dense hardwood forests, over scenic ridges, and along burbling rivers. This stretch of AR 23 is one of the region’s best. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Riding Cross-Country on a BMW K 1600 B

4. Talimena National Scenic Byway (Arkansas, Oklahoma / 54 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 4. Talimena National Scenic Byway (Arkansas, Oklahoma / 54 miles)
4. Talimena National Scenic Byway (Arkansas, Oklahoma / 54 miles)

This winding road from Mena, Arkansas, (AR 88) to Talihina, Oklahoma, (OK 1) runs along the ridges of Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain in Ouachita National Forest. (Photo by David Bell)

Related: The Best Motorcycle Ride in Eastern Oklahoma

5. Coronado Trail (Arizona / 123 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 5. Coronado Trail (Arizona / 123 miles)
5. Coronado Trail (Arizona / 123 miles)

U.S. 191 in eastern Arizona, which follows a trail used in 1540 by Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, includes an open‑pit copper mine, high‑alpine meadows and ridges, and hundreds of curves. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Favorite Ride: Arizona-New Mexico Loop

6. Arizona Routes 89/89A (Arizona / 131 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 6. Arizona Routes 89/89A (Arizona / 131 miles)
6. Arizona Routes 89/89A (Arizona / 131 miles)

From the Colorado Plateau to the red rocks of Sedona, through the historic towns of Jerome and Prescott, and across valleys and over mountains, these sibling state routes offer a greatest‑hits tour of central Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Wing)

Related: Expanding Your Horizons: Northern Arizona Loop Ride

7. Pacific Coast Highway (California / 656 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 7. Pacific Coast Highway (California / 656 miles)
7. Pacific Coast Highway (California / 656 miles)

Rides up and down CA 1 have been a regular part of Rider’s history since our first issue. This legendary road follows California’s rugged coastline and offers world‑class scenery and epic riding. (Photo by Kevin Wing)

Related: Savoring Summer Along California Route 1

8. Serpent to the Sea (California / 140 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 8. Serpent to the Sea (California / 140 miles):
8. Serpent to the Sea (California / 140 miles):

From U.S. 101 near Fortuna, riding east on this stretch of CA 36 passes through Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park before turning into a fantastic roller coaster that seems like it will never end. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Tracing the Cascades on a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT

9. Avenue of the Giants (California / 31 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 9. Avenue of the Giants (California / 31 miles)
9. Avenue of the Giants (California / 31 miles)

Paralleling U.S. 101, this meandering route (CA 254) passes through groves of old‑­growth coast redwoods that tower hundreds of feet above the road and follows the wild and scenic Eel River. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Riding Among Giants

10. Million Dollar Highway (Colorado / 25 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 10. Million Dollar Highway (Colorado / 25 miles):
10. Million Dollar Highway (Colorado / 25 miles):

Mile for mile, this section of U.S. 550 between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado, is one of the most scenic anywhere. It passes through the rugged San Juan Mountains and summits several high passes. (Photo by Sara Liberte)

Related: Rediscovering Gold on the Million Dollar Highway

11. Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway (Colorado / 28 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 11. Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway (Colorado / 28 miles)
11. Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway (Colorado / 28 miles)

Gaining more than 7,000 feet in 28 miles and achieving a final elevation of 14,130 feet, this is the highest paved road in North America, edging out Pikes Peak Highway by 15 feet. (Photo by Dan Schrock)

Related: A Tour Unlike Any Other: The Motorcycle Relief Project

12. Georgia Triangle (Georgia / 35 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 12. Georgia Triangle (Georgia / 35 miles)
12. Georgia Triangle (Georgia / 35 miles)

This north Georgia loop connects GA 60, GA 180, and U.S. 129 and circumnavigates Blood Mountain. A highlight is the Two Wheels of Suches motorcycle resort. (Photo by Phil Buonpastore)

Related: Riding the Georgia Triangle

13. Salmon River Scenic Byway (Idaho / 160 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 13. Salmon River Scenic Byway (Idaho / 160 miles)
13. Salmon River Scenic Byway (Idaho / 160 miles)

Idaho is full of scenic byways. This one follows the Salmon River through the Sawtooth Mountains and crosses the Continental Divide at 7,014‑foot Lost Trail Pass. (Photo by Clement Salvadori)

Related: 35 Bucket List Motorcycle Rides

14. Route 66 (Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California / 2,448 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 14. Route 66 (Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California / 2,448 miles)
14. Route 66 (Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California / 2,448 miles)

Dubbed the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, U.S. Route 66 was once the shortest, fastest, and most scenic route from Chicago to Los Angeles. (Photo by Mark Tuttle)

Related: Get Your Kickstart on Route 66

15. Kentucky Coal Route (Kentucky / 218 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 15. Kentucky Coal Route (Kentucky / 218 miles)
15. Kentucky Coal Route (Kentucky / 218 miles)

This coal country loop follows Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Road, summits 4,145‑­foot Black Mountain, and includes U.S. 421, made famous by the 1958 Robert Mitchum movie Thunder Road. (Photo by Lance Oliver)

Related: Coal, Country and Curves | Eastern Kentucky Motorcycle Tour

16. Red River Gorge Scenic Byway (Kentucky / 46 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 16. Red River Gorge Scenic Byway (Kentucky / 46 miles)
16. Red River Gorge Scenic Byway (Kentucky / 46 miles)

Following the wild and scenic Red River, this byway passes through a National Geologic Area that features stone arches, caves, cliffs, ravines, waterfalls, and the Nada Tunnel. (Photo via Adobe Stock/erhlif)

Related: Great American Scenic Byways Tour

17. Park Loop Road (Maine / 27 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 17. Park Loop Road (Maine / 27 miles)
17. Park Loop Road (Maine / 27 miles)

This scenic road around Acadia National Park on Maine’s Mount Desert Island features woodlands, rocky beaches, and glacier‑scoured granite peaks such as Cadillac Mountain. (Photo by Scott A. Williams)

Related: Riding Maine’s Rugged, Winding Coast

18. Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway (Maine / 52 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 18. Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway (Maine / 52 miles)
18. Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway (Maine / 52 miles)

Considered one of the most scenic routes in New England, this byway in the Appalachian Mountains of western Maine winds through woodlands and around lakes and ponds. (Photo by Alan Paulsen)

Related: Onward to Madawaska, Maine: Motorcycling in Search of the Elusive Moose

19. Copper Country Trail (Michigan / 47 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 19. Copper Country Trail (Michigan / 47 miles)
19. Copper Country Trail (Michigan / 47 miles)

This byway follows the Keweenaw Peninsula, which extends like a dorsal fin from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula into Lake Superior. Near Copper Harbor, Brockway Mountain Drive provides sweeping views. (Photo by Chuck Cochran)

Related: A Michigan Upper Peninsula Motorcycle Ride in Autumn

20. Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route (Michigan / 20 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 20. Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route (Michigan / 20 miles)
20. Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route (Michigan / 20 miles)

This section of M‑119, which runs along the edge of Lake Michigan between Harbor Springs and Cross Village, is a narrow, curvy path through a tunnel of foliage. (Photo by Jamie Elvidge)

Related: Great Lakes Getaway: Touring Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan

21. Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway (Minnesota / 88 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 21. Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway (Minnesota / 88 miles)
21. Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway (Minnesota / 88 miles)

This scenic byway (MN 16) in southern Minnesota begins at the Mississippi River and continues west through the Root River Valley, curving through rolling hills, dolomite bluffs, and historic towns. (Photo by Chuck Cochran)

Related: Beauty in Bluff Country: A Southern Minnesota Motorcycle Ride

22. Great River Road National Scenic Byway (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana / 2,069 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 22. Great River Road National Scenic Byway (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana / 2,069 miles)
22. Great River Road National Scenic Byway (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana / 2,069 miles)

This legendary road touches 10 states as it follows the mighty Mississippi River from its headwaters in Minnesota to its sprawling delta in Louisiana. (Photo via Adobe Stock/Ferrer Photography)

Related: Beauty in Bluff Country: A Southern Minnesota Motorcycle Ride

23. Natchez Trace Parkway (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee / 444 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 23. Natchez Trace Parkway (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee / 444 miles)
23. Natchez Trace Parkway (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee / 444 miles)

This national parkway from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, follows the “Old Natchez Trace” used by Native Americans, European settlers, traders, and soldiers. (Photo by Tim Kessel)

Related: Motorcycle Riding Along the Natchez Trace Parkway

24. Going‑to‑the‑Sun Road (Montana / 50 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 24. Going‑to‑the‑Sun Road (Montana / 50 miles)
24. Going‑to‑the‑Sun Road (Montana / 50 miles)

Traversing Glacier National Park, this road cuts through the rugged Rocky Mountains and crosses the Continental Divide at 6,646‑foot Logan Pass. (Photo by Sherry Jones)

Related: Yellowstone to Glacier on Montana Highway 89

25. North Carolina Route 28 (North Carolina / 81 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 25. North Carolina Route 28 (North Carolina / 81 miles)
25. North Carolina Route 28 (North Carolina / 81 miles)

Starting at Deals Gap and ending at the Georgia state line, this wonderfully curvy road is known as Moonshiner 28 and includes part of the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway. (Photo by Trevor Denis)

Related: Healing Ride: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Beyond

26. Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina, Virginia / 469 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 26. Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina, Virginia / 469 miles)
26. Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina, Virginia / 469 miles)

This national parkway through the Appalachian highlands is the quintessential scenic ride and is known for its perfectly shaped curves, well‑maintained pavement, and countless scenic overlooks. (Photo by Steven Goode)

Related: Motorcycle Travel Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

27. Kancamagus Highway (New Hampshire / 35 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 27. Kancamagus Highway (New Hampshire / 35 miles)
27. Kancamagus Highway (New Hampshire / 35 miles)

NH 112 is a spectacular road that twists its way through New Hampshire’s White Mountains. In the fall, it’s one of New England’s best leaf‑peeper routes. (Photo by Dan Bisbee)

Related: White Mountain Escape: Riding the Kancamagus Highway

28. Mount Washington Auto Road (New Hampshire / 8 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 28. Mount Washington Auto Road (New Hampshire / 8 miles)
28. Mount Washington Auto Road (New Hampshire / 8 miles)

This short toll road to the top of 6,288‑foot Mount Washington is often fraught with bad weather. A recorded wind speed of 231 mph on the summit was a world record until 1996. (Photo by Clement Salvadori)

Related: Riding the Best of the White Mountains in New Hampshire

29. Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway (New Mexico / 84 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 29. Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway (New Mexico / 84 miles)
29. Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway (New Mexico / 84 miles)

Circling 13,167‑foot Wheeler Peak, this scenic loop includes valleys, mesas, mountains, national forests, and some of New Mexico’s most culturally rich towns and villages. (Photo by Tim DeGiusti)

Related: An Old West Motorcycle Tour to 3 Haunted Hotels

30. Great Continental Divide Route (New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana / 2,767 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 30. Great Continental Divide Route (New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana / 2,767 miles)
30. Great Continental Divide Route (New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana / 2,767 miles)

This mostly off‑road route crosses five states on its way from the U.S.-Mexico border to Banff, Canada. It’s a serious undertaking by any measure. (Photo by Don Mills)

Related: Riding Across the Great Divide

31. U.S. Route 50 in Nevada (Nevada / 409 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 31. U.S. Route 50 in Nevada (Nevada / 409 miles)
31. U.S. Route 50 in Nevada (Nevada / 409 miles)

Dubbed “The Loneliest Road in America” by Life magazine, the Nevada portion of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway traverses basin‑and‑range topography and follows the Pony Express route. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Riding the Backbone of America: U.S. 50

32. Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (New York / 70 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 32. Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (New York / 70 miles)
32. Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (New York / 70 miles)

This section of NY 97 hugs the eastern shore of the Delaware River and passes through protected park land. A highlight is the winding Hawk’s Nest portion carved into the cliffside. (Photo by Kevin Wing)

Related: Reservoir Roads: Exploring the New York Southern Highlands

33. Triple Nickel (Ohio / 62 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 33. Triple Nickel (Ohio / 62 miles)
33. Triple Nickel (Ohio / 62 miles)

OH 555 often ranks high on lists of great motorcycle roads, and the 21 miles between Chesterhill and Ringgold are particularly fun and challenging. Part of Ohio’s Windy 9, it’s in a target‑rich environment. (Photo by Ken Frick)

Related: Riding Ohio’s Triple Nickel

34. Mount Hood Scenic Byway (Oregon / 105 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 34. Mount Hood Scenic Byway (Oregon / 105 miles)
34. Mount Hood Scenic Byway (Oregon / 105 miles)

Starting at the Columbia River, this route winds around its namesake peak, an 11,249‑foot active volcano, and goes through gorges, rainforests, and pastoral valleys. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Tracing the Cascades on a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT

35. West Cascades Scenic Byway (Oregon / 220 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 35. West Cascades Scenic Byway (Oregon / 220 miles)
35. West Cascades Scenic Byway (Oregon / 220 miles)

Following the contours of the Cascades range, this route treats riders to old‑­growth forests, snowcapped volcanic peaks, and the wild and scenic Clackamas River. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Tracing the Cascades on a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT

36. PA Route 6 (Pennsylvania / 427 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 36. PA Route 6 (Pennsylvania / 427 miles)
36. PA Route 6 (Pennsylvania / 427 miles)

U.S. 6 across northern Pennsylvania, known locally as PA Route 6, takes riders through lush forests and charming small towns. Highlights include the PA Wilds region, the Kinzua Sky Walk, and the Susquehanna River. (Photo by Kenneth W. Dahse)

Related: Cruising the Pennsylvania Wilds on U.S. Route 6

37. Iron Mountain Road (South Dakota / 17 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 37. Iron Mountain Road (South Dakota / 17 miles)
37. Iron Mountain Road (South Dakota / 17 miles)

This stretch of U.S. 16A, which connects Custer State Park with Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, includes 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, and three wooden “pigtail” bridges. (Photo by Kevin Wing)

Related: Riding South Dakota’s Black Hills BDR-X

38. Tail of the Dragon (Tennessee, North Carolina / 11 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 38. Tail of the Dragon (Tennessee, North Carolina / 11 miles)
38. Tail of the Dragon (Tennessee, North Carolina / 11 miles)

This (in)famous section of U.S. 129, which borders Great Smoky Mountains National Park, claims 318 curves in just 11 miles. It’s a wild ride, but its popularity results in weekend crowds. (Photo by Ken Frick)

Related: Riding ‘Shine Country: The Tail of the Dragon and North Carolina’s Moonshiner 28

39. Cherohala Skyway (Tennessee, North Carolina / 43 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 39. Cherohala Skyway (Tennessee, North Carolina / 43 miles)
39. Cherohala Skyway (Tennessee, North Carolina / 43 miles)

Completed in 1996 at a cost of $100M, this road through the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests (hence the name) has perfectly radiused corners, smooth pavement, and stunning views. (Photo via Adobe Stock/Mark Nortona)

Related: Favorite Ride: Space Coast to the Smokies

40. Texas FM 170 (Texas / 50 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 40. Texas FM 170 (Texas / 50 miles)
40. Texas FM 170 (Texas / 50 miles)

Farm to Market 170 from Lajitas to Presidio is a scenic roller coaster along the Rio Grande, which serves as the U.S.-Mexico border and the southern boundary of Big Bend Ranch State Park. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: A West Texas Motorcycle Ride Through Hill Country, Big Bend, and Oil Wells

41. Twisted Sisters (Texas / 132 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 41. Twisted Sisters (Texas / 132 miles)
41. Twisted Sisters (Texas / 132 miles)

Connecting Ranch Roads 335, 336, and 337 is a scenic, sometimes challenging ride through Texas Hill Country. Popular with bikers, the route includes several motorcycle‑friendly bars and shops. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Twisted Sisters: The Texas Hill Country’s Most Famous Trio

42. Utah Scenic Byway 12 (Utah / 123 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 42. Utah Scenic Byway 12 (Utah / 123 miles)
42. Utah Scenic Byway 12 (Utah / 123 miles)

UT 12, aka A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, connects state parks, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks, Grand Staircase‑Escalante National Monument, and Dixie National Forest. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Related: Southwest Touring Ride on a 2013 Victory Vision Tour

43. Skyline Drive (Virginia / 105 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 43. Skyline Drive (Virginia / 105 miles)
43. Skyline Drive (Virginia / 105 miles)

This national parkway, which begins near the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, runs along mountain ridges for the entire length of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. (Photo by Scott A. Williams)

Related: Muriel’s First Ride

44. Back of the Dragon (Virginia / 32 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 44. Back of the Dragon (Virginia / 32 miles)
44. Back of the Dragon (Virginia / 32 miles)

VA 16 from Marion to Tazewell runs north‑south over three mountains that give the road a rolling humpbacked character, and its 32 miles have more than 400 curves. (Photo courtesy Back of the Dragon)

Related: Appalachians Motorcycle Ride: Backroads Bonanza

45. Vermont Route 100 (Virginia / 217 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 45. Vermont Route 100 (Virginia / 217 miles)
45. Vermont Route 100 (Virginia / 217 miles)

Stretching from Massachusetts to the Canadian border, VT 100 parallels the Green Mountains and passes through woodlands, pristine farmland, and charming villages. (Photo by Dan Bisbee)

Related: Riding Vermont Route 100 From Massachusetts to Memphremagog

46. North Cascades Scenic Highway (Washington / 140 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 46. North Cascades Scenic Highway (Washington / 140 miles)
46. North Cascades Scenic Highway (Washington / 140 miles)

Part of the larger Cascades Loop, WA 20 includes old‑­growth forests, cascading waterfalls, alpine lakes, glaciers, and rugged mountain scenery. (Photo by Clement Salvadori)

Related: Rocketing Through the Cascades on Triumph’s Rocket III Touring

47. Door County Coastal Byway (Wisconsin / 66 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 47. Door County Coastal Byway (Wisconsin / 66 miles)
47. Door County Coastal Byway (Wisconsin / 66 miles)

This scenic loop on the Door Peninsula includes views of Lake Michigan, Green Bay, the Niagara Escarpment bluffs, and quaint shore‑­side towns and villages. (Photo by Barry Mellen)

Related: Destination Door County

48. Coal Heritage Trail (West Virginia / 97 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 48. Coal Heritage Trail (West Virginia / 97 miles)
48. Coal Heritage Trail (West Virginia / 97 miles)

This National Scenic Byway through West Virginia’s coal country includes twisty roads up and over ridges, easy valley riding, small towns, and the New River Gorge Bridge. (Photo by Steve Shaluta)

Related: Top 5 Motorcycle Roads in West Virginia 

49. U.S. Route 33 in West Virginia (West Virginia / 248 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 49. U.S. Route 33 in West Virginia (West Virginia / 248 miles)
49. U.S. Route 33 in West Virginia (West Virginia / 248 miles)

One of the highest‑rated motorcycle roads in the Mountain State, U.S. 33 passes through George Washington and Monongahela national forests and the Shenandoah Valley. (Photo by Nathan Cuvelier)

Related: Favorite Ride: Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

50. Beartooth Highway (Wyoming, Montana / 69 miles)

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America 50. Beartooth Highway (Wyoming, Montana / 69 miles)
50. Beartooth Highway (Wyoming, Montana / 69 miles)

U.S. 212 between Red Lodge, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming summits 10,947‑foot Bearfoot Pass. Journalist Charles Kuralt called it the most scenic highway in America. (Photo by James Petersen)

Related: Road to Wisdom: A U.S. and Canadian Rockies Motorcycle Tour

The post 50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Four-County California Motorcycle Ride on a Honda Transalp

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
Early morning clouds hug Pine Mountain Ridge, which provides a scenic backdrop along the best part of SR-33. (Photos by the author.)

The charming and eclectic coastal city of Ventura is the launch and landing pad for this diverse 340-mile loop that crosses parts of four California counties along the Central Coast. For this California motorcycle ride, Get an early start with a breakfast burrito at one of the auténtico taquerias on Ventura Avenue, then check out the scenic views of the city, curving shoreline, and distant Channel Islands from Grant Park high above. From here we head north on State Route 33 (Ojai Freeway) toward some of the finest mountain, canyon, rural, and coastal riding in the state.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
A little waterfall spills from the cliff onto this gentle curve on State Route 33 in Wheeler Gorge. It’s just north of two tunnels in the background that were blasted through the solid rock in 1931.

The 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp I chose for this ride has ample suspension travel, and its dirt-worthy 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked, tube-type wheels were shod with aggressive (and noisy) Metzeler Karoo Street tires. Out of the box, the Transalp can tackle many levels of dirt, but California had just experienced yet another atmospheric river of rain, so I kept the tires on the tarmac during this trip.

Ventura County | California Motorcycle Ride

In Ojai, a left turn onto Maricopa Highway keeps you on SR-33 past the last gas station (and bathroom, burrito lovers!) for 50 miles, and quite soon it traces the curves of the Ventura River and north fork of Matilija Creek past gated ranches and orchards. After crossing over the creek at the rock quarry, the road climbs and tightens up, and within a few minutes I was flinging the Transalp around some of California’s best curves.

Though nicknamed the “Half-rica” Twin, the Transalp offers more than 75% of the power and torque of its big brother, a weight savings of more than 50 lb, and a lower center of gravity. With a light load and solo rider, it’s surprisingly quick and rips smoothly through its 6-speed transmission with an up/down quickshifter. There’s enough power on tap to make quick work of hills and passes, with a deep velvety noise from the exhaust and just enough pulse feel from the 755cc parallel-Twin’s counterbalanced 270-degree crankshaft.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp

Scan the QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER

Four preset ride modes plus a customizable User mode deliver full power at varying rates and alter engine braking, traction control, and ABS accordingly. My 2018 CRF1000L Africa Twin labors at times riding two-up with a full load, so I wouldn’t choose the smaller Transalp for that, but a solo rider will rarely wish for more power.

From Ojai, SR-33 ascends the sunny side of Pine Mountain to its 5,160-foot summit pass, rounding dozens of exciting bends, threading passes and canyons, and skirting towering peaks on either side before winding down the mountain’s piney backside into Cuyama Valley.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
SR-33 cuts through part of Pine Mountain in the foreground before twisting down to the rugged Cuyama Badlands.

On this day, the summit was enveloped in fog and mist, and slowing the pace for the wet road, I appreciated the Honda’s comfort, with an upright seating position and a plush saddle. Legroom is plentiful, vibration from the engine is almost nil, and the fairing and windscreen keep most of the cold blast off your lower body and chest. Optional heated grips get quite hot and greatly enhance the Transalp’s adventure-touring competency.

See all of Rider‘s California tour stories here.

Although we’re still at 2,900 feet, once down in the wide Cuyama Valley, SR-33 straightens as if pulled taut, passing bucolic farms, horse ranches, and the community of Ventucopa. In the summer, the mountain behind us and the Pacific coast ahead can be the only respites from scorching heat on most of this ride. On this chilly winter day, though, I was happy to be in the lower, warmer valley.

Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, Stage 1 | California Motorcycle Ride

Just before reaching State Route 166, SR-33 nips off the extreme northeast and southeast corners of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, which are so large that we’re nowhere near their namesake cities on the coast. A reliable pitstop on this stretch is the Santa Barbara Pistachio Company, which has bathrooms, snacks, and gas. The company’s organic pistachios that it grows, roasts, and sells here on its 420-acre farm are delicious, so I always bring home a couple of bags.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
Santa Barbara Pistachio Company, on SR-33 in Ventucopa, has gas, bathrooms, and delicious roasted nuts.

At the T-intersection with SR-166, you can significantly shorten the loop and still enjoy a great ride by turning left toward the town of Cuyama, and New Cuyama five miles farther on, which has gas, a market, and the Burger Barn and Cuyama Buckhorn restaurants, popular landmarks in this historic town.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
This former filling station and its sunbaked relics are just west of Cuyama on State Route 166.

When oil was discovered in this valley of homesteads and ranches in the late 1940s, Richfield Oil built the town of New Cuyama to house its workforce. When the oil boom played out, the ranches and farms returned, blanketing the river valley floor with gold and green where Chumash Indians once harvested “Kuyam,” or freshwater clams.

After New Cuyama, SR-166 west is a beautiful but well-patrolled and mostly straight shot to Highway 101 at Santa Maria, cutting off the entire top half of the full route and shortening the ride to 215 miles. Pick up the latter part of the full loop by turning left on Tepusquet Road.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
History buffs will appreciate passing near two oilfields (Elk Hills and Buena Vista) south of Taft on SR-33 that were involved in the 1922 Teapot Dome Scandal.

Kern County | California Motorcycle Ride

Continuing east on SR-33/166 to complete the full loop, the road winds down more than 2,000 feet into Kern County and the hardscrabble town of Maricopa. This is the Tulare Basin of California’s vast Central Valley, aka the “toolies.” Between Maricopa and McKittrick where we catch State Route 58, there isn’t much to excite the eyeballs except sandy hills and oilwells.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
Mostly unpaved Soda Lake Road provides a more scenic alternative to the oilfields on SR-33 around Taft by cutting through the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

If it hasn’t rained lately and you like unpaved roads, consider turning left onto Soda Lake Road, which crosses the Carrizo Plain National Monument into California Valley, a remnant of the Central Valley 300 years ago when it was mostly grassland and deer and antelope roamed among the wildflowers. Visibly traversed by the San Andreas Fault and rimmed by low mountains, the plain after a wet winter can be carpeted with a super bloom, which looks like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Soda Lake Road beats the heck out of SR-33’s oilfields when it’s dry but is best avoided when wet and muddy.

San Luis Obispo County, Stage 2 | California Motorcycle Ride

Soda Lake Road eventually rejoins our paved loop at SR-58, though you shouldn’t miss the section of 58 to the east that you bypassed by taking Soda Lake Road. From the left turn at McKittrick from SR-33, SR-58’s first 18 miles serve up a variety of fast straights and tight turns that rise and fall on a whim – after riding it regularly for 40 years, I still haven’t memorized them all.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
A highlight of this loop is State Route 58 between McKittrick and Wilson Corner, 54 rural rollercoaster miles of fast, slow, hairpin, and decreasing-radius corners, with a long, deserted straight section in the middle flanked by solar farms.

By this point I had dismissed any concerns about the Transalp’s dirt-skinny 21-inch front hoop slowing its handling. Thanks to its wide handlebar, low center of gravity, and ample cornering clearance, the bike leans, turns, and transitions quickly and predictably. If there’s a weak spot, it’s the suspension, which is only adjustable for spring preload in back. Though fluid, comfortable, and well-damped enough for lighter riders or a moderate pace, the bike is too softly sprung and underdamped for aggressive on-road and rougher off-road riding.

When the twisties end on SR-58 west, the view stretches to the mountains on the far side of California Valley, and the straight road reaches to the horizon. For miles it’s only interrupted by the occasional 90-degree bend around a ranch boundary and several steep hillcrests, one or two of which will loft your front wheel (or both!) if you’re really moving. Don’t say I didn’t warn you….

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
Be sure to fill up in Taft (if coming from the east) or Santa Margarita (west), because there’s nothing but ranches for 70 miles.

After its sweeping grasslands and enormous solar panel fields, SR-58 transitions into forested hills and the curves return. Detour north on La Panza Road to Creston for one of the highlights of this route: State Route 229/Webster Road, justifiably nicknamed Rossi’s Driveway after the MotoGP champion. Jumping very briefly on State Route 41 west from La Panza, make an immediate left into Creston on SR-229. Both the Longbranch Saloon and the Loading Chute have great food, but there’s no gas in town.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
SR-229, a playfully undulating, narrow byway just off SR-58, is known as Rossi’s Driveway.

Heading south from Creston, soon the centerline disappears, and the road begins to undulate madly between the white lines on either side like a very long driveway designed purely for two-wheel entertainment. A bonus is the beautiful canopy of trees and green hills that surround the road. Reaching SR-58 again after just six miles, I often ride Rossi’s Driveway several times before heading home.

After playtime on SR-229, turn west on SR-58 toward Santa Margarita, which offers food and gas, and then jump on U.S. Route 101 south.

Santa Barbara County, Stage 2 | California Motorcycle Ride

Take the exit for SR-166 east. After the big Cuyama River Bridge, turn right onto Tepusquet Road, which twists its way up and over a pass and winds through lovely countryside in dappled sunlight. Stay left at the fork and then cross the Tepusquet Creek bridge. Turn left on Foxen Canyon Road, the unofficial wine route of Santa Barbara County, and enjoy a curvy ride through vineyards, majestic oaks, and endlessly green fields. Foxen eventually reaches State Route 154, which heading south passes Cachuma Lake on the way to Santa Barbara. Then it’s down U.S. 101 with spectacular views of the coast at sunset, and then finally Ventura once again. Taco time!

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
Chasing the sunset on Tepusquet Road in Santa Barbara County.

Four County Rewind | California Motorcycle Ride

There is an argument to be made for running this loop in reverse, but I would rather be on the coast at sunset than on Pine Mountain and SR-33 in the dark. Whichever direction or detour you choose, there really aren’t any bad roads on this route…just don’t count on having a cell signal. Bring a flat kit, keep your tank full, and watch out for wildlife.

California Motorcycle Ride Four Counties Honda Transalp
One last stop at a vista point on State Route 154, with its stunning view of the San Rafael Mountains north of Santa Barbara, before closing the loop.

Most of the ride is through remote areas for which the Honda XL750 Transalp was bred (and during the 1,004 miles I lived with the bike, it averaged 53 mpg, good for 238 miles from its 4.5-gallon tank). Beef up that rear shock if needed, and maybe add the optional heated grips, centerstand, handguards, and skid plate. Then enjoy the Four County Loop!

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Four-County California Motorcycle Ride Resources


Mark Tuttle Contributor Photo

Mark Tuttle was the Editor-in-Chief of Rider for several decades before stepping down in 2020 to spend more time with family, riding motorcycles, camping, fishing, and looking for his reading glasses. He has road tested hundreds of motorcycles and ridden in 28 countries (so far) and every U.S. state except Nebraska, but only because he lost the directions.

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Source: RiderMagazine.com

EagleRider Exclusive: Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Desert Adventure

EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure
Off-roading among Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert.

EagleRider, the world’s largest motorcycle rental and tour company, in partnership with Yamaha, announces a new and exclusive 3-Day Mojave Desert Adventure tour this October.

This limited-availability adventure invites riders to “Conquer the Mojave” riding Yamaha Ténéré 700 motorcycles and Yamaha UTVs. Taking place from October 27-29, 2024, this quick escape offers both an unparalleled taste of freedom and group excitement just beyond the neon lights of Las Vegas.

EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure
Yamaha Ténéré 700 (Photo by Joseph Agustin)

The Perfect Blend of Thrill and Accessibility

This carefully curated tour is designed to showcase the wild side of Sin City, combining the allure of Las Vegas with the raw beauty of the Nevada desert. It’s ideal for:

  • Adventurers eager to experience the thrill of multi-day motorcycle and UTV adventures
  • Riders seeking a quick escape to conquer the Mojave Desert’s rugged terrain
  • Anyone looking to bond with fellow adventure-seekers in an epic group ride
  • Enthusiasts wanting to test the limits of Yamaha’s cutting-edge ADV bikes and UTVs
EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure

“We’ve crafted this EagleRider Exclusive to deliver an adrenaline-pumping tour experience that reveals the untamed beauty surrounding Las Vegas,” says EagleRider CEO Sebastian Schoepe. “Riders will conquer the Mojave on the latest Yamaha Ténéré 700, experiencing the perfect mix of on-road touring and off-road thrills. On Day 3 they will have the opportunity to cross the desert in state-of-the-art Yamaha UTVs – an unforgettable fun ride checking off the bucket list.”

EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure

Tour Highlights:

Riders will cover 450-500 total miles, including approximately 100 miles of exhilarating dirt trails:

  • Day 1: Venture into the heart of the Mojave, exploring enigmatic sites like Devils Hole and the Area 51 Alien Center before resting at The Ranch Death Valley
  • Day 2: Push your limits through the otherworldly landscapes of Artists Palette and Dante’s Peak, ending in Pahrump.
  • Day 3: Cap off your conquest with an adrenaline-fueled UTV tour starting at the historic Pioneer Saloon, possibly followed by visits to the surreal Seven Magic Mountains and the iconic Las Vegas Welcome Sign.
EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure

Exclusive Off-Road UTV Experience:

The adventure culminates with an off-road UTV experience that lets riders:

  • Master the latest Yamaha side-by-side UTVs
  • Communicate with their team using high-tech helmet systems featuring fresh air supply
  • Encounter the wildlife of the Mojave Desert up close
EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure

Booking Information

Spaces for this wild desert conquest are limited to 15.

To secure a spot on this ultimate adventure that blends the thrill of Las Vegas with the raw power of the Mojave, visit this exclusive 3-Day Yamaha Mojave Desert Adventure booking link.

Cost: $1,676 plus taxes per person for 1 Yamaha Ténéré 700 rental and 1 hotel room for 2 nights.

Tour Map

EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure

Can’t join our exclusive Yamaha tour? No problem!

EagleRider provides year-round off-road side-by-side UTV experiences, allowing adventure seekers to explore the stunning Mojave Desert on their own schedule. Ideal for those who can’t join the 3-day tour or don’t hold a motorcycle license, these UTV rides offer a thrilling way to discover the desert’s rugged beauty. Visit this UTV Tour booking link to learn more.

EagleRider Exclusive Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Adventure

For more information please reach out to the EagleRider Press Team:

Matt Contreras & Yvonne Busch, [email protected], 424-230-4951

The post EagleRider Exclusive: Yamaha 3-Day Mojave Desert Adventure appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride | Favorite Ride

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride
While the majority of visitors to Joshua Tree National Park stick to the pavement, there are several dirt roads that finger into the beautiful desert landscape, perfect for this Joshua Tree National Park motorcycle ride. (Photos by the author and Cheryl Kessel)

“It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty,” writes Jeannette Walls in her 2005 memoir The Glass Castle. She further contends that such struggle leads to growth and resilience. We motorcyclists know all about struggle, especially in the depths of winter. We struggle to find ways to assuage our overwhelming desire to ride as snow blankets roads and freezing winds cut like knives. For us, the Joshua tree can also represent escape and relief. 

My wife and I sat in the morning sun in the courtyard of the beautiful Dive Palm Springs, a downtown boutique hotel in the vibrant California desert city (see sidebar below). As we ate croissants and fresh fruit, we discussed our January therapy session: riding our BMW G 650 XCountry through Joshua Tree National Park.

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride

Scan QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER

The ride out of Palm Springs was easy. The city has embraced and preserved its mid-century heritage and charm. Buildings, landscaping, and signage harken back to the city’s heyday as a mecca for L.A.’s rich and famous. We rode alongside expansive golf courses and tennis courts. Once out of the city, we continued east on Interstate 10 through the muted hues of the Mojave Desert. 

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride

Joshua Tree National Park has three entrances, and our route took us to the southernmost entrance near I-10. There was no wait at this lesser-used access, and our National Parks Annual Pass granted us entry.

Our ride north into the park started as a nicely paved roll through the sparse desert landscape on Pinto Basin Road. Mountains rose on the horizon, but no Joshua trees. A full palate of cacti, including chollas and ocotillos, defined our early impressions of the national park. Long sweeping corners and smooth straight stretches marked the climb in elevation. The road became more curvaceous, and the park’s namesake trees started to appear sporadically, foreshadowing what was to come. 

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride
The author’s wife, Cheryl, stands in front of the park’s entry signage.

See all of Rider‘s West U.S. motorcycle rides here.

Pinto Basin Road terminates at Park Boulevard. A right turn would lead us north to Twentynine Palms, the city immortalized in a great Robert Plant song of the same name. Instead, we turned left into the heart of the park and the center of the Joshua tree universe. 

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride
The roads through Joshua Tree offer up starkly beautiful visual backdrops. The rock vistas, desert sand, and unique trees combine for a remarkable riding experience.

Almost immediately, the stands of Joshua trees became denser, the trees larger. Joshua trees are fantastical, whimsical, and majestic all at once. It is as if each one has a personality of its own. Some are simple and understated, but many are over-the-top in their stylized poses. Arms emanate in every direction and at rakish angles that seem almost comical, like attention-seeking adolescents with limbs akimbo and wild haircuts. 

Our first pedestrian foray was at the fantastic erosion-sculpted Skull Rock. My diminutive riding companion could easily fit within one of the cranial cavities in the impressive monolith, one of many sculpture-esque outcroppings of granite in this portion of the park. 

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride
Cheryl stands in front of one of the park’s most recognizable features, Skull Rock. The rock morphs in appearance with the changing shadows throughout the day.

After a few more miles on our northwestern route through the park, we sampled one of the established dirt roads that wind through Joshua trees. Vehicles must stay on approved roads, and there are several dirt roads that offer off-pavement possibilities for dirt-worthy mounts. Our midsized BMW proved perfect for a little sandy exploration. 

See all of Rider‘s California tour stories here.

Back on tarmac, we motored past climbers scaling the vertical walls of beautiful rock formations. We also cut through the part of the park that features the most spectacular Joshua trees, which cast long shadows in the late afternoon light, adding an otherworldly quality to the ride. 

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride

After leaving the park, we rolled back to Palm Springs on Twentynine Palms Highway (State Route 62). We motored west and then south past Desert Hot Springs and beside a different forest – one of towering wind turbines. Back in Palm Springs, we showered off the day’s ride and headed downtown to enjoy the Palm Springs Village Fest, an event hosted every Thursday that features art, food, music, and lots of smiling attendees. 

With our therapy session complete, we felt much better. This ride would be oppressively hot during the summer, but it’s the perfect escape in fall, winter, and spring months. 

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

SIDEBAR: Dive Palm Springs

Favorite Ride Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride
The pool at Dive Palm Springs.

Dive Palm Springs is a quaint and beautiful 11-room boutique hotel on the fringe of downtown Palm Springs. The petite, Euro-inspired property is meticulously maintained, with a restored historic pool as its centerpiece. A welcoming glass of rosé greets new guests, and an individually prepared organic breakfast is delivered to your room or beside the pool each morning. This hidden gem is the perfect place to recline in luxury after a long ride.

Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride Resources


Tim Kessel Contributor

With 50 years of motorcycling and 30 years of teaching English under his belt, Tim Kessel has melded those two passions into a gig as a motojournalist. Maybe that’s why there is always a permanent, satisfied smile under his full-face helmet.

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Source: RiderMagazine.com

Border to Border on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Greg’s BMW taking a dirt nap along the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route. Photos by Greg Drevenstedt.

This story is about a ride that took place in 2013 on the original Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route, which was developed by the Oregon Off-Highway Vehicle Association. The nonprofit Backcountry Discovery Routes organization developed a new ORBDR that was released in 2023. For more information, visit the Backcountry Discovery Routes website. –Ed.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Route 5 of the original ORBDR includes hundreds of miles of gravel roads much like this one, plus a decent helping of dirt, sand, rock gardens, and river crossings.

When your bike topples over in the middle of nowhere, when your bike and its week’s worth of gear weigh more than 600 lb, when you’re hot and sweaty and tired, it’s good to have friends along to lend a hand.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
At the California-Oregon border before venturing off-pavement on the ORBDR.

We were three days and nearly 300 miles into the 750-mile, California-to-Washington Route 5 of the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Routes (ORBDR), a network of off-road routes crisscrossing the state’s vast national forests. While struggling my way up a technical jeep road full of embedded rocks, I high-centered the BMW’s skid plate, dabbed my left foot into a hole, lost my balance, and toppled over in a big, dusty heap.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla

Lead rider Paul was off in the distance, so sweep rider Marten navigated around me, parked his bike on a level spot, and came back to help. Other than some badge-of-honor scratches on the bike, the only damage was to my pride, and I was soon making forward progress again.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Just a few miles into the ORBDR, we took a spur road to the summit of 8,000-foot Crane Mountain, where we enjoyed 360-degree views of California and Oregon.

Backcountry Discovery Routes is a nonprofit organization that establishes and preserves off-highway routes for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles. BDR has mapped and documented north-south routes in most states west of the Rockies as well as mid-Atlantic and Northeast routes and shorter BDR-X routes. Inspiration for these routes came from the ORBDR, which, according to BDR’s website, “was created a few decades ago by Bob and Cheryl Greenstreet as a concept to promote managed travel in the backcountry” and is maintained by the Oregon Off-Highway Vehicle Association.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
The view from Fremont Point on Oregon’s Winter Rim.

Paul, Marten, and I wanted to ride the granddaddy of the Backcountry Discovery Routes, so I bought paper maps for Route 5 from OOHVA and Paul spent two weeks creating GPS tracks for us. (GPS tracks are now available upon request when maps are purchased from OOHVA.) Since most of the ORBDR is at 4,000-8,000 feet of elevation, we planned our trip for August to avoid snowpack.

A long-time adventure-riding and homebrewing buddy of mine, Paul Beck, is a computer guy. Since he created our tracks and led our group (his GPS was the only one that worked reliably), we dubbed him the Navigator. Marten Walkker, another riding buddy, is a master carpenter. He made his own tailbag, auxiliary gas tank, toolbox, and highway pegs for this trip, so we called him the Fabricator. And since I kept a journal, shot photos, and sent daily postcards to my wife, I became the Chronicler.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
The Three Amigos at Fremont Point, 3,000 feet above seasonally dry Summer Lake.

Similar in pace and temperament and always ready for a quick laugh, we were compatible travelers, like the Three Amigos. We were all of German descent and riding BMWs – Paul on an R 1200 GS, Marten on a G 650 Xchallenge, and me on an F 800 GS Adventure – so Drei Freunde is more accurate, but it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
We had to cross the high desert through Christmas Valley to get from the mountains of Fremont National Forest to the mountains of Malheur National Forest.

Departing from Ventura on California’s southern coast, our first 750 miles were on pavement as we made our way up to the northeastern corner of the state. A half-mile before the Oregon border on the afternoon of our second day, we turned from U.S. Route 395 onto the unpaved County Road 2 and entered Modoc National Forest as we climbed into the Warner Mountains. We had to shift our brains from the grip and monotony of wide-open pavement to the delicate balance of riding top-heavy adventure bikes on loose, uneven dirt and gravel. The road leveled out within a few miles, and we turned north, passing through the green meadows of the (not so) Dismal Swamp and crossing into Oregon.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
River crossings are nerve-racking with an audience of forest service workers, but Marten made it through like a pro.

After riding a challenging spur road up to the top of 8,000-foot Crane Mountain for panoramic views and navigating through a herd of cows, we stopped at Willow Creek Campground, which was deserted. We crossed a cattle guard to get into the campground, and even though it was surrounded by a fence, we still had to pick our way through a minefield of cow patties to set up our tents. After bathing and rinsing out our sweaty clothes in the creek (but not drinking the water), we fortified ourselves with backpacker meals and relaxed around the campfire, swapping stories and sipping whiskey.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Cooling off in Delintment Lake in Malheur National Forest.

The OOHVA’s detailed, full-color ORBDR map booklets offer the following words of advice: “Your journey will be one of few contacts with others. One needs to plan for being self-sufficient. Travel with others is highly recommended. If one’s means of transport fails, it can be a really, really long hike, and it could be many days before someone comes along.”

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
The early bird gets to enjoy the sunrise.

Over the course of five days on the ORBDR, we saw only a handful of people – a few ranchers, a couple of 4×4 trucks, and the occasional hunter. We traveled as a group, each of us brought our own food, water, and gear, and we carried a SPOT satellite tracker/communicator. Gas was available every 100 miles or so, often in small towns or at convenience stores near the route, and we filled up our tanks and hydration backpacks at every opportunity.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Lunch stops at local cafes provided welcome relief from the hot, dusty trail.

“Much energy has been spent to provide you with maps that provide the information needed to successfully navigate without on-ground signs,” says the OOHVA. We saw only a few faded, old ORBDR signs over the entire 750-mile route.

See all of Rider‘s Western U.S. motorcycle rides here.

“The development of route was financed by the Oregon ATV Allocation Funds,” said Leonard Kerns, president of the OOHVA, in a blog on Touratech-USA’s website. “On-the-ground signs were placed and the route was dedicated in the summer of 2000. Unfortunately, it did not take long for people opposed to the route to bring legal action. Support from the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management was lost and all remaining funds were used to remove the signs. At that point, OOHVA stepped in and created the maps using GPS to navigate.”

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Breakfast of champions.

The ORBDR is on public land, so anyone can travel the route using a street-legal vehicle, but much of it passes through areas used for grazing and logging. We crossed dozens of cattle guards and stopped often to open and close barbed-wire gates. Forest land in central and eastern Oregon is all but empty, yet it’s crisscrossed with so many access roads that without GPS tracks and paper maps, getting lost is all but assured.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Even with GPS tracks, sometimes we hit dead ends and had to find a way back to the correct trail.
Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
One of several massive fallen trees we had to navigate around since going over wasn’t an option!

The OOHVA’s maps were created in 2002, and in the years since, some roads have been closed and new ones have been cut. Even following the purple line on Paul’s GPS, we still made wrong turns or hit dead-ends and had to figure out how to re-route ourselves. We also encountered the unexpected, such as fallen trees and man-made barricades. Therein lies the adventure. Riding a backcountry route is not like following the Yellow Brick Road; it requires not only preparation and riding skills but also teamwork, patience, and adaptability.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Being far from anywhere, we had campgrounds largely to ourselves and were fortunate to have either a stream or lake nearby.

We quickly established a routine: waking early to heat up water for coffee and oatmeal using portable stoves, breaking camp, riding for several hours, stopping for lunch and gas, riding for several more hours, then stopping early to set up camp and relax. Paul was always in the lead, which meant his gear stayed clean and we had someone to blame for wrong turns. I followed Paul and Marten followed me, and even with space between us the dust filled our noses and covered our gear, making zippers and buckles hard to open and close. We planned to camp every night, but it didn’t work out that way, to our surprise and benefit.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Lead rider Paul stayed clean; sweep rider Marten stayed dirty.

During our five days on the ORBDR, we experienced a steady stream of good luck. We enjoyed mostly warm, dry weather and had no flat tires, breakdowns, or injuries. Rather than eating jerky and energy bars for lunch, we usually found a cafe in a small town where we’d refresh ourselves with air conditioning, limitless iced tea, and other luxuries, and there was always a gas station nearby to fill up and resupply.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
We smelled smoke but had no idea the 1,000-acre Vinegar Fire was burning in the area until we popped out of the trees and came upon this U.S. Forest Service fire security truck. Our route was supposed to go down that gravel road in the distance, but we were re-routed onto pavement to the town of Ukiah.

During the three nights we camped, there was either a cool stream or a lake we could swim in to wash off the dust and relax our creaky joints. On our second day on the ORBDR, after a challenging, tiring section with lots of sand and rocks, we ended up in the town of Christmas Valley, where the Lakeview Terrace motel/restaurant spoiled us with cheeseburgers, fries, cold beers, hot showers, and soft beds.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Antlers Inn in Ukiah has a room-size meat cooler to store your game.

Even when we had to leave the ORBDR to route around the 1,000-acre Vinegar Fire, we got to ride 50 miles on the freshly paved Blue Mountain Scenic Byway and ended up in Ukiah on a damp, foggy night. Instead of pitching tents and eating freeze-dried meals in the rain, we stayed warm and dry at the Antlers Inn and savored burgers and beers at the Thicket Cafe & Bar. We enjoy roughing it, but we’re not too proud to take advantage of good fortune when it lands in our laps.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
Chris ran the Antlers Inn and served us at the Thicket Cafe & Bar, where she recommended an Oregon-distilled whiskey.

Our five days and three nights on the ORBDR provided us with as much adventure as we could hope for. We rode more than 700 miles on dirt and gravel roads through the backcountry of Oregon, through dense forests, across high-desert plains, along mountain ridges, away from cities and people and normal obligations. We rode through rock gardens and sand washes, forded rivers, and navigated over or around countless obstacles, challenging ourselves and having fun. We had campgrounds to ourselves, where we enjoyed star-filled nights and soul-warming campfires, and we stumbled upon cozy motels and restaurants, where we enjoyed creature comforts.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
We were treated to some of the best scenery of the ORBDR, such as wide-ranging views from Kendall Skyline Road in Umatilla National Forest, on the final day.

Paul, Marten, and I – the Navigator, Fabricator, and Chronicler – bonded over the experience. When we reached Walla Walla, Washington, the northern terminus of the ORBDR, having ridden 1,500 miles together, we high-fived and celebrated our shared accomplishment. The next day we headed off in different directions, Paul to Seattle, Marten to Calgary, and me home to Ventura, completing an Iron Butt SaddleSore 1000 in the process, but that’s another story.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route ORBDR The Long Way to Walla Walla
After five days and 750 long-and-dusty, not-so-straight south-to-north miles, we completed Route 5 of the ORBDR and arrived in Walla Walla, Washington.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route Resources

The post Border to Border on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Great American Scenic Byways Tour

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Parkinson's Foundation
Every trip starts with a send-off and the first mile. This banner about supporting the Parkinson’s Foundation made the entire journey with me.

In 2021, Steven Goode completed the Great American Deli Schlep, a 75‑day, 15,000‑mile motorcycle ride during which he visited the best Jewish deli in nearly every state and raised funds for MAZON, a Jewish nonprofit that fights hunger in America. You can read Goode’s feature about that ride here. –Ed. 


I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” This is a quote by Susan Sontag and words I ride by.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Beartooth Highway
Beartooth Pass Summit (see next photo) was the crescendo of a magnificent ride on Beartooth Highway from Wyoming into Red Lodge, Montana. Hairpin curves, few guardrails, and sweeping views make it one of the best scenic byways in America. (Photos by the author)

After completing four major motorcycle trips around our wonderful country, each ranging from 11,000 to 17,000 miles, I told my wife I was done with long‑distance rides. Sort of the same way I’ve told her, many times over, that this was going to be my last motorcycle purchase. Of course, she didn’t believe me. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour

So when a riding buddy said we should plan a big trip, I was all in. All I needed was a cause and a theme for the ride.

For a cause, I chose the Parkinson’s Foundation. In 2001, my mother passed away from Parkinson’s disease. A motorcycle trip supporting this cause would be a great way to not only honor her memory but raise money to support finding a cure and providing resources for those afflicted with this terrible disease.  

Although my mother most likely would not have approved of my 60‑day, 16,000‑mile motorcycle trip – she was still a mother after all – she would have been extremely proud of my commitment to this cause. She had a wild side, but she didn’t show it often for fear of encouraging her sons to follow in her path, which we did anyway.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Steven Goode
My late mother was the inspiration for this tour. This photo shows us in our backyard in 1979.

For a theme, we decided to ride the top scenic byways in nearly every state. To help us plan the trip, National Geographic’s Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways (fifth edition) was an invaluable resource that provided descriptions, photos, maps, and interesting facts. 

When I told the Parkinson’s Foundation about my plan, they were immediately supportive and offered to help create public awareness for the trip. An important part of the publicity was social media. I’m in my late 60s, and I didn’t do Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., so their team handled that for me. They also created logos and designed T‑shirts, banners, and a web page for my blog. Klim supported the ride by providing me with a Latitude Gore‑Tex suit, and Nelson‑Rigg provided some waterproof luggage.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour

Scan the QR code or click here to make a donation to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

We named the ride The Great American Scenic Byways Tour supporting Parkinson’s Foundation. After reviewing the route and the time necessary to complete the ride, my friend said the trip would require too much time away from work, so he bowed out. Since I had already committed to the Foundation and this was a personal ride on behalf of my mother, I decided to go alone. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Cherohala Skyway
My friend Bruce Benton joined me for a wonderful ride on the Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee and North Carolina.

For those of you who are curious how someone plans a 16,000‑mile trip, here are a few guidelines. First, get a map of the United States and put markers next to the places you plan to travel to. Second, using the rough route map, create a spreadsheet with columns for the city in which you begin your day’s ride; the destination city for that day; miles you plan to ride each day; and notes about the route, landmarks, and things to see. Good planning is key for a successful ride, and being organized reduces stress. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Bayshore Scenic Byway
In Delaware I rode the Bayshore Scenic Byway. My Honda Gold Wing was a faithful companion on my deli schlep and scenic byways tours.

A key element to any trip of this magnitude is planning for unforeseen events. My mantra is “It’s all about Plan B.” On a two‑month trip, there will be at least one unexpected twist pop up. Mine came three days in when my dermatologist called to tell me I had a melanoma on my back and he wanted to surgically remove it as soon as possible. Plan B: I turned the bike around, made a beeline to Chicago, had the surgery, and was back on the road 17 days later. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Outer Banks Scenic Byway
Cape Hatteras Light Station on the Outer Banks Scenic Byway in North Carolina.

The beauty of this ride’s theme was that each scenic byway has its own personality. Like a thumbprint, every byway is unique. Almost everyone I met during the trip asked me, “What is the best scenic byway?” Just like when asked what the best motorcycle is, I answered, “The one I’m riding.” There are good reasons why National Geographic picked each of these byways to include in its guide. Each one gives the rider a special glimpse into the beauty of the region.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour
This is the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, where the weather seems to change every minute. The quintessential scenic byway is one of America’s treasures.

For example, the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway in Kentucky took me into forested backcountry, and I was able to get lost in my thoughts in the deep woods. One of the interesting features of this scenic byway is the Nada Tunnel, which is 900 feet long but only 12 feet wide and 13 feet high. There’s a single lane through the mountain, with no lights or painted lines. While pondering how to go through it, I asked some local Harley riders for advice. They said, “Look for a headlight at the end of the tunnel. If you see one, don’t go.” I felt like I was in a Road Runner cartoon.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Nada Tunnel
The Nada Tunnel is located near the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway in Kentucky.

In Newport, Rhode Island, the scenic 10‑mile Ocean Drive provided a glimpse of how the other half lived during the Gilded Age in the late 1800s. The Vanderbilt, Astors, and Morgans all had their summer homes along this rocky coast. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Ocean Drive Rhode Island
Mansions along Rhode Island’s Ocean Drive.

Spanning two states, the Talimena National Scenic Byway follows Arkansas Highway 88 and Oklahoma State Highway 1. On the morning I planned to ride it, the forecast said it would be 105 degrees in Dallas, Texas, my next destination. I left at 5 a.m. to arrive in Dallas in time to beat the heat. This early start gave me an opportunity to watch the sunrise over the byway. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Talimena National Scenic Byway
Sunrise over the Talimena National Scenic Byway, which goes through Arkansas and Oklahoma.

After five days on the road, I could no longer remember where I was the day before, what I had for dinner the night before, or which hotel I stayed in. That’s one of the great things about a two‑month motorcycle trip – getting lost in the journey. Writing a blog forced me to recreate the trip daily so it didn’t become one huge blur, and it also allowed friends, family, and supporters to follow my progress. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour
An old steam train in Essex on the Connecticut Valley Scenic Byway.

Another benefit of a trip of this scale is all the things I learned along the way. Like a school on wheels, I learned about our United States up close and personal, gaining a new appreciation for each region’s distinct personality and history. After the trip, I had a better understanding of our collective history. Whether it was exploring what life was like on plantations, following the Trail of Tears, or riding the path of Lewis and Clark, I was able to take a long look at our country and how we grew up as a nation, both the good and the bad. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Oak Alley Plantation
Slave quarters at the Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana. This tour provided an education on America’s past, present, and future.

Every long motorcycle trip has unexpected moments, and one left me speechless and cleaning the mess off my bike for days. Leaving Elko, Nevada, to ride to Idaho, I took State Route 225, a two‑lane road with virtually no traffic. As I was riding north, I noticed something that looked like pinecones on the pavement up ahead. Once I got closer, the “pinecones” began to scurry. As I continued to ride north, they completely covered the road. Then I noticed that the road’s tire tracks were turning red, not asphalt gray. It was an infestation of Mormon crickets, which are about 2 inches long and don’t fly, and I was riding through an invasion of Biblical proportions that went on for 50‑plus miles! 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Sawtooth Mountains Ponderosa Pines Scenic Byway
Taking a pause to enjoy a view of the Sawtooth Mountains after riding the Ponderosa Pines Scenic Byway in Idaho.

My original plan was to ride through California’s Death Valley National Park. Just before I left, I received a call from my son. “Dad, did you hear that a 65‑year‑old guy just died in Death Valley? He had two flat tires on his car, and nobody came to his rescue. Are you sure you want to go into Death Valley by yourself, on your motorcycle, with temperatures reaching 115 degrees?” Plan B: Due to the intense heat and time constraints after my unexpected surgery, I opted to bypass California, Oregon, and Washington. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway
The Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway in Kansas.

My favorite scenic byway changed from day to day. When I was on the East Coast, I loved the Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway in Maine. Riding the 17.6‑mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge‑Tunnel (U.S. Route 13) in Virginia, which includes a tunnel under the water, from Norfolk to Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, was spectacular.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Maine
Somewhere in Maine, on my way to Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway.

Out West, it was U.S. Route 191 (Coronado Trail) in Arizona and State Route 12 in Utah. Beartooth Highway in Wyoming and Montana is a must‑ride. It is hard to choose only one scenic byway because each is special, and every one of them gave me new perspectives on the areas I was traveling through.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Coronado Trail Scenic Byway
U.S. Route 191 in Arizona between Alpine and Morenci is known as the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway – one of my all-time favorites.

People also asked, “How do you pack for such a big trip?” My only advice is to take less than you think you need but all that’s necessary for unforeseen conditions (rain, cold, heat, etc.). You must think through all the variables and prepare a Plan B. If traveling solo, use a satellite tracking device so family and friends know how to find you. 

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Bryce Canyon National Park
Riding through Bryce Canyon National Park, which is located just off Scenic Byway 12 in Utah.

Long motorcycle trips are not for everyone, but I love not knowing what is on the other side of the hill and feeling the thrill and power of the bike beneath me, experiences that keep me going day after day. I highly recommend checking out National Geographic’s Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways, picking a region, and planning your own adventure. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Take the time to enjoy the sights, sensations, and sinuous curves on America’s rich bounty of scenic byways.

Great American Scenic Byways Motorcycle Tour Pike Peak
On the way down from the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado.

During his Great American Scenic Byways tour, Steven Goode raised nearly $22,000 for the Parkinson’s Foundation. To make a donation, use the QR code above or click here. To read Goode’s blog, visit this page on Facebook. Below you’ll find a complete list of the scenic byways Goode rode on this tour.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Great American Scenic Byways Tour

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Source: RiderMagazine.com

Arizona Route 66 Motorcycle Ride

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Oatman
Riders enjoy the winding asphalt on this Route 66 motorcycle ride outside of Oatman.

Route 66, or the Mother Road, is indelibly stitched into the fabric of the American psyche. The iconic road once traced its way for 2,448 miles from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. But it was more than just a long stretch of tarmac. Route 66 became a cultural phenomenon that inspired and piqued the American obsession with travel and adventure. Songs were written about it, quirky and kitschy roadside attractions sprouted beside it, and Americans longed to traverse it. The Mother Road was a main artery crossing the torso of the U.S. through which dreams and possibilities pulsed warm and red.

Related: Get Your Kickstart on Route 66 –
Riding a kickstart-only 1978 Yamaha SR500 from Chicago to Amarillo on the Mother Road

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride

Scan QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER

Yearning to rediscover the road, the towns, and the magic of Route 66’s path through Arizona, I packed up my BMW R 1200 GS and set out. Fittingly, my trek began Nov. 11, the date on which the Mother Road was designated a federal highway in 1926. Arizona claims the longest rideable portion of the original Route 66, and it has a significant number of attractions and bustling historic towns.

Riding from west to east, I began my Mother Road adventure on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation where the Colorado River separates Arizona from Nevada. After a short climb toward the mountains on Boundary Cone Road, I came to an intersection indicating that I was transitioning onto the historic U.S. Route 66. The road became curvier and more interesting, and the jagged rock formations of Arizona’s Black Mountains became more immediate as the road coiled through the rugged terrain.  

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Oatman burros
Friendly burros in Oatman weren’t impressed with my BMW beast of burden.

Within minutes, I entered the historic mining town of Oatman. In 1915, two miners struck a $10 million gold find. Within a year, the small mining camp grew to a population of 3,500. Recent census figures indicate there are now just over 100 human residents. If you include the dozens of semi-wild burros in the area, that population is much larger.

Oatman is a hotbed of activity during any motorcycle rally on the Colorado River or in Kingman.  However, my BMW was one of only two motorcycles in town on this crisp November morning. I walked the street beneath the weathered wood facades of the various shops and watering holes.

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Kingman
This ride-through photo stop in Kingman is located next to the Arizona Route 66 Museum.

Route 66 north and west of Oatman is a pure delight. The pavement is mostly smooth and intact, and it’s filled with sweeping turns and hairpins, many of which are nicely banked. There are several signs warning motorcyclists to stay aware, and these are best heeded. With the road gradually uncoiling, I made my way toward Kingman, passing several abandoned open-pit mines that dotted the rocky slopes and at least one small operating mine. 

I was ready for a cup of coffee and some gas when I rolled into Kingman, where my father was an art teacher in the local school district before I was born. It is a clean and bustling small city fully embracing its Route 66 roots. I stopped at the colorfully adorned Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner and parked amidst historic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. As I chatted with my server over a hot cup of joe, she talked about the dual nature of the city. We were in the historic downtown district, but just a little ride up Interstate 40 is the modern district with chain hotels, restaurants, and thriving industry. 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner
Across the street from the Route 66 Kingman sign is Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner, one of the many kitschy restaurants along the Mother Road that draw in curious, hungry travelers.

After rolling through the industrial zone in the Kingman outskirts, I headed northeast on the longest existing stretch of the Mother Road. Small roadside businesses dotted the path toward Peach Springs, each clearly embracing its Route 66 heritage with appropriate signage and vintage memorabilia. Historic gas stations were particularly interesting. While they no longer pumped fuel, they still oozed with the nostalgia of the road’s heyday. 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Burma-Shave
Between Peach Springs and Seligman: You can drive / A mile a minute / But there is no / Future in it / Burma-Shave.

After Peach Springs, I rode past three sets of Burma Shave signs with rhyming slogans, reminding me of childhood. As I rolled and swayed through the high grasslands, it was easy to imagine classic cars and motorcycles plying this portion of the route.

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Copper Cart
Formerly a restaurant that opened in 1952, the Copper Cart in Seligman is now a gift shop.

Entering Seligman was the most visually nostalgic part of my ride. This small town is a well-preserved tribute to its Route 66 heritage, with every shop, garage, and diner adorned with colorful signage and logos. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small sign for the Route 66 Motoporium. Not expecting much, I threw down my kickstand and walked into the Copper Cart to see what was inside. A bearded man said, “You look like a rider,” and pointed to a room in the back. It was filled with the motorcycles of my youth – both those that I rode and those that I ogled in the pages of motorcycle magazines of the 1960s and ’70s. Vintage Indians, Hondas, Hodakas, and Kawasakis, especially the 2-strokes, brought me back to the enchanting smell of premix laced with single-track dust that was a big part of my teenage life. 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Route 66 Motoporium
The Copper Cart in Seligman is home to the Route 66 Motoporium, a small museum full of vintage motorcycles and memorabilia.

After a lengthy trip down moto-memory lane, it was time for lunch, and the legendary Delgadillo’s Snow Cap diner was just a block away. Juan Delgadillo and his wife, Mary, opened the Snow Cap in 1953, and Juan and his brother Angel formed the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. The Delgadillo family still owns and runs the historic diner, and I had a fantastic green chili burger and onion rings. 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Delgadillo's Snow Cap diner Seligman
This 1936 Chevy is an eye-catching fixture in front of Delgadillo’s Snow Cap diner, a Route 66 institution in Seligman opened by Juan and Mary Delgadillo in 1953.

East of Seligman is a short stretch of the original Route 66 that runs into I-40 just before Ash Fork, and I noticed a few remnants of the Mother Road that are now spurs off the roadway. Beyond Ash Fork, much of Route 66 has been fully replaced with I-40, but there are still several towns that have embraced and preserved their historic Mother Road character.

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Flagstaff
Route 66 runs through the heart of Flagstaff, a bustling city with great restaurants, bars, hotels, and nearby attractions like the Grand Canyon.

Williams, just off I-40, was the last town to be bypassed by the interstate, and it still teems with Route 66 charm. The main street is lined with historic stone buildings filled with antique stores, diners, and bars. I motored by one of the more famous watering holes, the Sultana Bar, which was opened in 1912, predating Route 66 by more than a decade.

See all of Rider‘s Arizona motorcycle rides here.

After Williams, I-40 is as attractive as an interstate can be. Views of the San Francisco Peaks tower impressively to the north, and vibrant evergreens line the road. Flagstaff is the largest city on the Arizona portion of Route 66 and is home to my alma mater, Northern Arizona University. The original Route 66 skirted the beautiful campus just to the west and north. 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Wigwam Motel Holbrook
Built in 1950, the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook is a Route 66 icon.

Flagstaff boasts several original Mother Road attractions, including the historic downtown train station that houses the Flagstaff Visitor Center. On the way out of the city, I rolled past several diners that boast the Route 66 name, but my favorite is Miz Zip’s Route 66 Cafe. Then I felt the magnetic pull toward the Museum Club, an iconic Route 66 watering hole and one of my favorite college hangouts.

See all of Rider‘s Western U.S. motorcycle rides here.

The majority of Route 66 east of Flagstaff has been replaced by I-40. While that is a shame, there is solace in the fact that many of the original attractions of the Mother Road era are still partially or fully intact on the way to the Arizona/New Mexico border. I took the short access road to the ruins of the Twin Arrows Trading Post. Up until very recently, both twin arrows still stood, but the ravages of weather and time toppled one. The trading post was a fixture on Route 66 since its opening in the late 1940s. Just across the freeway looms the new Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort. 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Twin Arrows Trading Post
Alas, only one arrow is still standing at the ruins of the Twin Arrows Trading Post between Flagstaff and Winslow.

Riding another 30 minutes east on the interstate, I exited at Winslow, which sits on another existing stretch of Route 66. The loop into Winslow is festooned with various Route 66 advertisements. My first stop in town was to look at the impressive red sandstone St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. After snapping a photo at Standin’ on the Corner Park, I saddled up and headed to my lodging for the night, the beautifully restored La Pasada Hotel (see sidebar below). 

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride Winslow Standin' on the Corner Park
At Standin’ on the Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona, the author stands with a bronze statue of a balladeer resembling Jackson Browne, who co-wrote the famous Eagles’ song “Take It Easy” with Glenn Frey.

After settling into my room, I walked the grounds of the beautiful rail-side resort before sitting with a post-ride cocktail and watching the trains roll by. Later that night, I strolled back into downtown Winslow for some shopping and a chili relleno dinner at the tiny Brown Mug Cafe. An unassuming photo on the wall beside my booth showed a youthful Harrison Ford sitting in the same spot many decades back (he’s an avid motorcyclist, by the way, and also owns a GS!).  

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride
Some motorcycles you’ll find on Route 66 have seen better days.

After a great night’s sleep, I had one last stretch to complete my Arizona Route 66 tour. I rode the few miles to Holbrook, which is the last of the original historic towns on my eastward stretch of Route 66 and home to the Wigwam Motel. From Holbrook, it’s another 74 miles on I-40 to the New Mexico border.

I highly recommend riding what you can of any portion of the Mother Road. This Arizona stretch of Route 66 is best ridden from late spring to early fall, as the winters in northern Arizona are cold and snowy. Pack for variable conditions, and enjoy your ride down memory lane.

Arizona Route 66 Motorcycle Ride Resources

SIDEBAR: La Posada Hotel

Arizona Route 66 motorcycle ride

La Posada in Winslow is a crown jewel of the historic Fred Harvey railroad hotel empire. Designed in the 1920s by renowned architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, it’s currently a first-class hotel, art gallery, and museum in an expansive garden setting. There is a gourmet restaurant on-site, and downtown Winslow is a short stroll away. The rooms are comfortable and well-appointed in a warm Southwestern motif, and photos of the hundreds of legendary actors and public figures who stayed at La Posada line the hallways. There is even safe designated motorcycle parking in front of the property. For more info, visit the La Posada website.

See all of Rider‘s motorcycle tours here.

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